After 242 articles — yes, two hundred and forty-two — essentially a monthly serving of clarity wrapped in humor and insight for the past six years, we find ourselves in an interesting predicament: silence.
Not total silence, mind you. A few loyal readers send thoughtful notes, comments and suggestions — small digital waves from a distant island — but the vast majority? We’ve received almost no feedback.
None.
Nada.
Crickets.
Crickets on vacation.
At this point, any reasonable person might notice a pattern: a handful of you actually care, and the rest… don’t.
So, in an effort to align everyone’s interests:
We’re moving to a subscription-based newsletter.
Relax — it’s free. (Yes, even in a world where every app is $9.99/month and your toaster will soon have its own subscription.)
Now - if getting an upper hand isn’t your thing, that’s fine. This isn’t for everyone. You don’t need to opt in to be safe.
And don’t worry—federal law has you covered, which is both reassuring and a sentence that should immediately make you uneasy. Anyway, the SPDs, SMMs and other bureaucratic essentials will continue to exist, because the government has decreed that they must. Notices will arrive in your mailbox—on time, compliant and about as exciting as a tax form written by someone who sincerely thinks joy is a gateway drug.
What it doesn’t guarantee—what the law couldn’t possibly care about—is insight, relevance, or usefulness. Newsletters, analysis, commentary—all the things that actually make your life easier and give you the upper hand—those are extras.
The difference between the two is subtle but profound: one set of documents keeps you informed; the other gives you advantage. You can choose which you want—but only one of them comes with the warmth, charm, and actionable insight that actually changes outcomes.
Now - You might be thinking, “That’s fine—I’ll just catch it in the quarterly update.”
That’s a reasonable assumption. It’s also a slow one.
There’s a simple truth in strategy: speed creates advantage. And quarterly communication, by definition, moves at a different pace.
Equally important, the Fund section of that quarterly newsletter, if there’s one at all, will most definitely be in a lighter form. Fewer details. Less commentary. More signal than story. Think postcard, not newspaper.
But there’s a twist:
You only have 72 hours from the moment this piece is released to subscribe.
After that?
The gate closes. The supply line tightens for everyone who doesn’t subscribe.
Yes. You read that correctly. We’re closing the gates, not out of drama or scarcity tactics, but out of respect for focus. Going forward, the Funds monthly newsletter will be for subscribers only. It won’t be reposted elsewhere, and the archive won’t live on indefinitely. What’s shared will be shared with intention, in a place where it’s welcomed.
So, if you enjoy:
- Benefit updates and reminders—delivered in real time. Not three months later via a panicked co-worker who barely read the email and somehow turned it into a minor apocalypse. With 697 benefits on the line, why leave your advantage to chance—or someone else’s skim-reading skills?”
- Political and economic commentary from someone who actually reads past the headline—without charts that look like an ill-fated attempt to climb Everest.
- History served in sensible and relevant story-sized portions—no lectures, no dust, no homework.
- Being the most informed, insightful, and—let’s be honest—interesting person in the job trailer, at the coffee truck, or anywhere people say, “Wait, how did you know that?”
- And, the occasionally, off-site “snack, drink, and learn” gatherings where insights flow generously and the refreshments mysteriously disappear at an impressive rate
Then subscribing makes a great deal of sense.
Want in? Go to the Funds website contact page and ask to subscribe.
Yes. Ask. Subscribing doesn’t guarantee a seat. That’s the point. The newsletter is reserved for those ready to engage, contribute, and challenge. It’s for the curious, the accountable, the learners, and the ones who care—the people who make the conversation worth having.
So, …, self-important complainers? Feel free to keep scrolling.
Why 72 hours?
Why not?
In a world where everything is available on demand, seventy-two hours, well, that’s generous. And if it isn’t enough time, no amount ever would be.
So, yes, 72 hours. That’s your window. No exceptions.
But this isn’t about time. It’s about identity. It’s about whether you’re the kind of person who shows up, engages, and takes advantage of opportunities, or the kind who hits “maybe someday” and scrolls on, blissfully unaware that life isn’t going to pause for their indecision.
Neither is evil—but spoiler: they end up in very different places.
So go ahead. Decide. Step in, or step aside. The world keeps moving—choose which world you live in.
Lastly, as we step into this new chapter, we’re genuinely excited to discover who, exactly, we’re serving with these monthly newsletters. That curiosity matters, because communication only works when it’s a two-way street—and you’ve made it one.
We’re deeply grateful to the loyal readers who have read closely, responded thoughtfully, and shared their views—both the flattering and the less-so. All of it helps. In fact, as we often say, good news is pleasant, but it’s the inconvenient feedback that’s truly valuable, because it gives us something to improve.
Thank you as well for indulging us as we share not only benefit-related information, but also the wider context that shapes our lives—and, occasionally, a musing or two (or a gentle rant, when the moment calls for it). Communication, after all, works best when it’s human.
Here’s to a 2026 marked by curiosity, engagement, and just a bit more wisdom than we started with. Thank you for paying attention, for staying engaged, and for being part of the conversation—it genuinely makes a difference, and we appreciate it.