Finance in Social Media: For years now social media has been birthing new career opportunities.  Today, there are several financial advisors who have quit their day jobs to pursue social media full time.  The Wall Street Journal covers how these individuals are vastly increasing their income with three simple rules. First, be relatable. This encompasses knowing your audience and how best to appeal to them. Second, sell the dream. Show viewers not only how to invest, but what they will gain by doing so.  Third, all bulls, no bears.  Unfortunately, viewership and follower counts thrive on positivity.  For financial influencers this means focusing on the success stories and leaving out the failures.  While it is exciting to see these new careers blossom, it is important to always do your due diligence before taking the advice of a social media influencer.

Aluminum Prices Skyrocket: As lumber prices are leveling out, we find ourselves with a new material skyrocketing costs, aluminum. According to The Wall Street Journal it is not a shortage causing this issue, but a failure in distribution.  In fact, Asia is currently holding a large majority of the aluminum in the world.  However with the holiday season approaching, many distributors are choosing to prioritize restocking the shelves instead of focusing on industrial items.  It may be awhile before we see these prices level out again.

Resources in Afghanistan: With the Taliban taking over Afghanistan, it has left many wondering how this will impact the economy and natural resources on a global scale.  Afghanistan holds many rare minerals that would be of use for several countries.  Currently, the Taliban has welcomed China to assist them in the forming of their economy.  Forbes predicts that China will financially support the Taliban when it comes to the mining of earth natural resources.  If this is the case, it will not pan out well for Americans in need of those resources.