Rachael O'Meara
Founder, Rachael O'Meara LLC
Rachael is a business consultant and author with expertise in entrepreneurship and the dynamics of investor relations.
Global Business / Economy
Is Your Financial Planner Actually Beating the Market — or Just Charging You to Underperform an Index Fund?A financial planner does not need to beat the market to justify a fee—but if you're paying primarily for investment management, you should demand evidence that the service adds value after fees, taxes, and risk. Low-cost index funds make it difficult for active managers to consistently outperform broad benchmarks, but a good planner can provide value in areas an index fund cannot: tax planning, asset allocation, retirement strategy, estate considerations, and—perhaps most importantly—preventing costly behavioral mistakes. The real question isn't simply "Did my planner beat the S&P 500?" It's "What am I paying for, and is that value greater than the total cost?"
Global Business / Economy
Is the Subscription Economy Quietly Becoming the Biggest Expense You've Never Actually Audited?73% of Americans don't know how much they're spending on subscriptions each month — and 60% are paying for services they don't even use. Erin Lowry, Rachael O'Meara, and Nisa Amoils debate why subscription creep has become one of the most overlooked drains on personal finances, and what to do about it.
Investments / Wealth Building
Should You Ever Invest in a Business a Friend Is Starting — or Does Money Always Find a Way to End the Relationship?PAGE EXCERPT A friend has a business idea and needs investors — and they're asking you. Rachael O'Meara, Mark Kohler, and Tiffany Aliche debate whether investing in a friend's startup is a meaningful act of support or the fastest way to quietly destroy both the money and the relationship.