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Hello Reader,

I've curated some great pieces of content I've found over the past month to help you and your business stay “in the know” 🧐 and keep you updated on any important tax updates 💡 and news worldwide that may affect your expat life.

So finish off your week with some notable news and interesting articles.

And in case you don't already follow Matriarch ....👇

🎆 Happy 4th of July 🇺🇸

Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans both in the US and abroad. As a history buff myself, I always enjoy historical facts and tidbits that are interesting. For example, did you know that there are some copies of the Declaration of Independence with a woman’s signature on it or that the countries Denmark, England, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden all take part in the US holiday celebrations? 🧨 For more fun facts on your holiday, feel free to peruse this page.

🇺🇸 The Expat Woman

I am a founding member of The Expat Woman, of an extraordinary exclusive network designed for women ♀️ living abroad ✈️ with a focus on community, support, and stepping into your power to be all you can be to connect meaningfully with other female expats globally. 🌍 As a member of this wonderful community, I’ll occasionally share some of the helpful content that our group offers. Recently, The Expat Woman Show included an insightful discussion with Lisa R. Mitchell, MBA on Managing your Finances as an Expat Abroad, and you can view that here.

🌳 Matriarch members planting trees around the world

Our partnership with Carma continues for each Silver and Gold membership, and you can always visit our live Dashboard to see how many trees our partnership with Carma has planted around the world and the amount of CO2 removed.

🏫 Financial Literacy courses by Khan Academy

Khan Academy, a free educational resource that I often used when homeschooling my two boys, is now offering free resources in Financial Literacy. With helpful content aimed at both children and adults, their new courses in Budgeting & Saving, Loans & Debt, Insurance, Employment, Banking, Car Buying, etc. could come in handy for anyone wanting to arm themselves with more knowledge and tools to feel confident about their money management skills. They also have a unit in Taxes and Tax Forms, but that’s what you’ve got me for. 😉

✂️ Mortgage Rates Fall Below Key Level to 6.99%

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell below 7% for the first time since early April, dropping to 6.94% from 7.02%, according to Freddie Mac. This marks the third consecutive week of decline, with rates hovering around 7% for over a month.

🛑 Small Business Trends Indicate Potential Hiring Slowdown

If the pandemic years are marked by labor shortages and the Great Resignation, the current prudence of small businesses suggests a shift towards a great rationalization.

🌀 Major US Funding Boosts Weather and Tsunami Alerts

The U.S. government announced a $36.6 million investment to enhance weather forecast models and tsunami warning systems, which will also benefit all of North America 🇨🇦 🇺🇸 🇲🇽 and other neighboring countries. With Hurricane Beryl barreling towards the Yucatan Peninsula and the Gulf of Mexico, investments like this are an important priority for millions of people.

See you next month!

Mary 💗

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Now enjoy your morning brew ☕and finish the week strong! 🩷