Let me tell you how I know there’s still a bubble...
and why surviving the next decade will require more than just “getting a job.”
A friend in San Francisco told me people are engaging in bidding wars just to rent an apartment.
Not to buy a home.
To rent a 600-square-foot apartment with zero equity.
Meanwhile, auto insurance premiums are skyrocketing post-COVID.
Used car prices? Still inflated.
Tariffs on imports? Coming soon—prices on essentials will go even higher.
And income?
Flat.
If you can land a job at all.
We live in a strange time.
Incomes aren’t keeping pace with the cost of living. Working harder may get you ahead in your parents' time, but now the rules have changed.
Survival now requires learning how to invest.
Not when you’re “older.”
Now.
But FIRST
If you are new, welcome to OCE’s weekly newsletter curated for the ambitious youth…here are some articles you missed from previous weeks:
📈
Why No One Successful Wants to Mentor You
Read More →
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🎨
Best tools for building your passion project
Read More →
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📘
The Future Belongs to Borderless Thinkers
Read More →
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Beginner Investment Strategies to Combat Unaffordability
This isn’t about YOLOing your savings into meme stocks.
It’s about building systems that protect your future so you’re not stuck in the rat race just to pay rent.
Here’s what I personally practice and how you can get started:
High-Yield Savings Accounts (HYSA)
Think of this as your defense.
A normal bank pays you basically nothing to keep your money there. But a HYSA pays you 4–5% annual interest (as of mid-2025), with zero risk.
No investing knowledge required. Just park your emergency cash here so inflation doesn’t eat it alive. I personally use Barclay's Tiered Savings Account in US and EQ bank's personal savings account in Canada.
Bonds & Treasuries
The government is broke, but they still pay you to lend them money.
Treasury bonds (T-Bills) right now yield 5%+ in many cases.
That’s better than what the stock market’s been returning for the average investor this year.
Platforms like TreasuryDirect.gov or apps like Public let you buy US government bonds directly.
It’s not flashy. But the return is solid.
Index Funds (Your Long Game)
If you believe the economy will still exist in 10–20 years, consider index funds.
These are baskets of the top companies in the US or world—like Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, etc.
Instead of picking individual stocks, you invest in everything at once. Less risk, lower stress.
Example:
Look into Vanguard’s S&P 500 fund (VOO) or SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY).
The historical average return? Around 7–10% per year (adjusted for inflation).
Bonus: Individual Stocks (For When You Want to Learn the Game)
If you’re curious about how investing really works, try buying a few individual stocks—but do it for the education, not the gamble.
Learn some basic financial ratios:
The system is rigged to reward people who own assets (stocks, real estate, bonds)—not just people who work jobs.
Investing helps you:
- Keep pace with rising costs
- Build real wealth over time
- Avoid the trap of selling your time forever
So while others are fighting over rental bidding wars, you should be asking:
How do I get in the game, before the game leaves me behind?
Like what you read? Share with friends!
PS. This summer, we are going to tackle pressing global issues and drive innovation in regions (such as your own community) where it is needed the most. Want in?
We run a summer cohort for ambitious youth (high school and undergrads) to work directly with world-class founders while learning from Silicon Valley leaders.
You can also explore purposeful opportunities through our Impact Internship Opportunities Database.
Get Curious.
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Lena
https://www.openclassroomexperience.com/
