📈 How AI Is Making You Smarter (or Dumber)

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Good Morning & Happy Wednesday!

Markets are mixed, Apple just announced the iPhone 17, and job numbers got a major revision. We’re breaking down what’s moving Wall Street, why UnitedHealth soared, Trump’s tariff push, and the real risks behind those flashy private market funds.

Plus: AI, writing, and why showing up still matters.

Grab your Iced Latte and let’s get into it. ☕️ 👇️ 

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Market News

📈 Futures mixed as inflation data looms large
Wall Street futures were mixed early Wednesday as investors braced for key inflation reports. Dow futures dipped 0.2%, while the S&P 500 edged up and Nasdaq hovered flat. This comes after stocks hit new highs Tuesday on hopes of a Fed rate cut in September. All eyes now turn to the PPI and CPI data, which could shake up that outlook.

🍎 Apple Launches Its iPhone 17 - What You Need to Know
Apple unveiled the iPhone 17 lineup Tuesday, calling it the company’s “biggest leap ever,” led by the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air. Prices range from $799 to $1,199, with pre-orders opening Friday.

Also announced: new AirPods with live translation and Apple Watches featuring sleep scores and blood pressure alerts. But no foldable phone or major AI Siri updates left some investors disappointed, Apple stock slipped 1.5% after the event.

🟩 Why UnitedHealth Group Stock Soared on Tuesday
UnitedHealth (UNH) jumped 9% Tuesday, leading both the Dow and S&P 500, after saying 78% of its Medicare Advantage members are likely to qualify for federal bonus payments. The ratings, based on preliminary CMS data, could bring a big financial boost after a tough year that’s seen shares fall 30%. Medicare Advantage has been a pain point, but this update signals a possible turnaround.

🇪🇺 Trump presses European Union to impose 100% tariffs on India and China to pressure Putin
Trump is pushing the EU to slap China and India with tariffs up to 100% over their Russian oil deals, aiming to pressure Moscow into ending the war in Ukraine. The U.S. has already hit India with duties up to 50%, which New Delhi slammed as “unfair.” China, so far, has avoided new tariffs after cutting a deal with Washington.

👎️ Job growth revised down by 911,000 through March
The U.S. cut its 2024 job growth estimate by 911,000, the biggest downward revision on record, adding to concerns about a weakening economy. Most losses came from leisure, retail, and business services, dragging monthly averages far below earlier reports. The White House blasted the BLS, with Trump demanding Fed rate cuts and claiming the data proves Biden's economy was "a disaster."

Invest & Strategies

💰️Should retail invest in Private Markets?
Retail investors are gaining access to private market funds, but a new study warns these products pose significant risks due to underreported volatility and weaker performance for broadly sold funds. The paper finds that less wealthy investors may be steered into lower-performing products, raising concerns about fairness and transparency. It calls for policy changes to improve disclosures and better align fund sponsor incentives.

✏️ Write it down, write it down, write it down
Jack Raines dives into why “writing it down” matters more than ever in the AI era, arguing that documenting your process is the only way to actually retain knowledge when tools do most of the heavy lifting. He shares how he fine-tuned a model on his travel blogs, built tools using Claude and ChatGPT, and reflects on AI’s impact on learning, research, and creativity. If you’re skipping the writing, AI may be making you faster, but dumber.

📊 The Bar Only Gets Higher
The world’s gotten harder, more competition, higher prices, fewer easy wins, but giving up isn’t the answer. From labor markets to real estate to investing, the bar keeps rising, but your edge is in consistency, discipline, and not quitting. Whether it's global capital driving up home prices or AI replacing traditional work, the key is to keep showing up, because that’s still hard to beat.

🥕 There Ain’t No Such Thing as a Free Lunch
Buffer funds promise smoother equity investing, but the data says otherwise. Despite their popularity, especially among older investors—, hey’ve consistently underperformed simple stock/cash combos, both before and after taxes. The verdict? High fees, complex structures, and poor risk-adjusted returns make them an expensive illusion of safety.

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