3 Things 8-17-26

 Thing One

Beware The Scammers 

Most scams today don’t begin with someone asking you to wire $10,000 to a stranger. They start with something that looks completely routine:

“Your package could not be delivered. Click here to reschedule.”

“We detected suspicious activity on your bank account.”

“Your Amazon purchase for $742 has been approved. If this wasn’t you, click here.”

“Your toll payment is past due. Pay now to avoid additional penalties.”

Or even a text that simply says:

“Hey, are you available?”

These are variations of phishing — fraudulent emails — and smishing — fraudulent text messages. And they’ve become remarkably sophisticated. The FBI reported more than $215 million in losses attributed specifically to phishing/spoofing complaints in 2025, and scams that begin with a fake message can lead to much larger losses through account takeovers, identity theft and other forms of fraud.

Here’s how something that looks harmless can become very expensive:

You receive a text that appears to be from your bank saying there has been suspicious activity. You click the link. The website looks almost exactly like your bank’s real website, so you enter your username and password. You may even be asked for the security code your bank texts to your phone. You just gave the criminal everything needed to access your account.

The good news is that many of these scams are incredibly easy to defeat if you develop one simple habit: If you didn’t initiate the contact, be suspicious of it. That doesn’t mean every unexpected email or text is fraudulent. It means you should verify it independently before doing anything.

If “your bank” texts you about suspicious activity, don’t click the link. Open your banking app yourself or call the number on the back of your card. If “Amazon” emails you about a purchase, don’t use the hyperlink in the email. Go directly to Amazon through the app or the website you normally use. If “USPS” says there’s a problem with a package, don’t follow the text link. Go to the official USPS website yourself and enter your tracking information. If “your credit card company” calls and needs information, hang up and call the number printed on your card.

And remember: Caller ID isn't proof. Phone numbers and identities can be spoofed.

A few other red flags should immediately get your attention:

• Urgency — “You must act immediately.”

• Threats — “Your account will be closed.”

• Requests for passwords or verification codes.

•Requests for payment by gift card, cryptocurrency or wire transfer.

• Unexpected attachments.

• Links asking you to “verify” personal or financial information.

• A message from someone you know suddenly coming from a different number.

Scammers succeed because they get us to react before we think.

So make your rule simple: Unexpected contact + request for action = STOP AND VERIFY.

Don't use the link, phone number or contact information the person who contacted you provided. Find the company's official website, app or telephone number yourself and initiate a completely separate communication. That 30-second precaution could save you from months of headaches — or thousands of dollars.

Thing Two  

Lease or Buy a Car: Have the Tables Turned?

For years, the conventional financial advice about cars was pretty simple: Buy. Don't lease.

The argument made sense. When you finance a car, eventually the payments stop and you own something. If you keep that vehicle for several more years, those payment-free years can dramatically reduce your long-term cost of transportation. When you lease, you're essentially paying for the portion of the vehicle you use — primarily its depreciation — and then giving it back. Lease another one and the payments start all over again. So financially, buying usually won.

But I'm not sure the answer is quite that simple anymore.

The average new vehicle now costs roughly $50,000, and the average new-car payment reached about $770 per month in the first quarter of 2026. Even more telling: more than 35% of new-car loans now extend beyond six years. Think about that. We're increasingly taking six-, seven- and even eight-year loans on depreciating assets just to make the monthly payment manageable. Meanwhile, the average lease payment was about $619 in the first quarter of 2026.

So has leasing suddenly become the better financial decision?

Not exactly — but I think the gap has narrowed, and the right answer increasingly depends on how you actually use cars. If you buy cars and keep them for 8, 10 or 12 years, buying probably still wins. You absorb the depreciation, but eventually the loan disappears. If you can drive a paid-off vehicle for another four or five years, those years without a $600, $700 or $800 car payment are where ownership really starts paying off.

That's especially true if you buy a dependable vehicle, maintain it properly and don't constantly trade into something newer.

But what if you replace your car every 3 or 4 years anyway?

Now the calculation gets much more interesting.

If you're constantly trading relatively new cars, you're repeatedly absorbing the steepest portion of their depreciation.

That's exactly the portion of the vehicle's life that a lease is designed around. You're also tying up less cash, generally getting a lower monthly payment and usually driving a vehicle that's under warranty.

For someone who KNOWS they're going to want another new car in three years, leasing deserves a serious look. Leasing can also shift some risk. Here's an underappreciated part of the equation.

When you buy a $50,000 vehicle, you own the future resale-value risk.

Suppose technology changes, consumer preferences change, a particular model develops a bad reputation or used-car values simply fall more than expected. That's your problem. With a traditional closed-end lease, much of that residual-value risk belongs to the leasing company.

If the vehicle is worth considerably less than expected when the lease ends, you can generally hand them the keys and walk away, assuming you've complied with the mileage and condition requirements.

And if the vehicle happens to be worth MORE than the predetermined purchase price?

Depending on the lease terms, you may have the option to buy it.

That's not a meaningless advantage in a rapidly changing automobile market. But leasing has some very real disadvantages.

Mileage limits matter. Many leases allow only about 10,000–15,000 miles per year. Excess mileage can get expensive. So can excessive wear and tear. Ending a lease early can also be costly.

And the biggest problem remains the same one financial planners have pointed out forever: If you lease forever, you essentially have a car payment forever. Someone who buys a $45,000 car, pays it off and drives it another five years will probably spend considerably less over the long run than someone who leases a new $45,000 car every three years.

So I wouldn't say the tables have completely turned.

I'd say the old rule needs an update.

BUY if:

• You keep vehicles for a long time.• You drive a lot of miles.• You want the lowest long-term cost.• You're comfortable keeping a vehicle after the warranty expires.• Your goal is eventually having no car payment at all.

LEASE if:

• You normally replace vehicles every 2–4 years anyway.• You drive predictable, relatively low mileage.• You value always having a newer vehicle and warranty coverage.• A significantly lower payment helps your monthly cash flow.• You don't want to assume as much risk regarding what the vehicle will be worth several years from now.

And there's one other option that often beats BOTH:

Buy a good used vehicle and keep it for a long time.

That's not as exciting, but financially it remains awfully hard to beat.

The mistake is treating "lease versus buy" as a universal rule.

At today's prices, you should look at three things:

How long will you REALLY keep the car?

How many miles will you REALLY drive?

And what will each option cost you over that actual period — not just what is the monthly payment? Because a $619 payment isn't necessarily cheaper than a $770 payment. And a $770 payment isn't necessarily more expensive.

Thing Three  

Just A Thought

“Comparison is the thief of joy.” - Theodore Roosevelt