Baby Bonds, Tax Confusion & Essence Fest Mayhem

In this week’s Brown Table, Mandi is joined by Yanely Espinal (@missbehelpful) and Marc Russell from Better Wallet to break down the new “baby bonds” launching in 2025 (if your baby’s already here... sorry, you missed the cutoff 😅).We also get into the mess around the so-called “Social Security tax credit” (spoiler: it’s not a credit), and why that distinction matters—especially for those of us managing our parents’ finances. Plus: Mandi gets real about possibly saying goodbye to NYC for good, the crew recaps the Essence Fest scheduling nightmare (Lauryn Hill at 3:37 AM!?), and we talk about what it truly means to feel safe, seen, and at home. ✨ Brown Boosts & Brown Breaks • Yanely celebrates Delaware becoming the 30th • state to require financial literacy for high schoolers! • Marc shouts out the book Die with Zero • and challenges the “save everything” mindset 🎧 Quick Hits • What baby bonds actually are—and who qualifies • Why mixing up deductions vs. credits is a big financial fail • The fear, facts, and pressure around gun ownership in the South • Essence Fest recap: sound issues, late starts, and why some fans were not • having it We launched a Patreon! 🎉 🎥 Get early access to ad-free video recordings, join our BA book club, and even score a seat live in the studio during tapings. 👉 patreon.com/brownambition

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