Darnell Mayberry

3 weeks ago | cleveland.com | Darnell Mayberry

May was … a lot. I spent $9,577 in total — my highest monthly amount ever — and honestly, when I looked back at the numbers, I wasn’t even surprised. Two big-ticket items blew up my budget, but as I do each month, I’m breaking down the details here for transparency, accountability and to help normalize what real-life spending actually looks like. I make the majority of my purchases with a credit card so I can accrue airline points to fly for free.

4 weeks ago | cleveland.com | Darnell Mayberry

BusinessPublished: May. 31, 2025, 9:00 a.m.In his new column Money Talks, Darnell Mayberry will take readers along for his journey toward financial literacy. (Getty Images)Getty ImagesHere are 10 money tips to help you achieve or maintain financial independence. While there are lists that provide more specific, actionable steps, I created this brief compilation as a collection of general guidance for my daughter Parker — to help support her mentally and emotionally through life.

1 month ago | cleveland.com | Darnell Mayberry

At the start of April, my portfolios looked grim. My individual retirement account had dropped 22%, and my taxable account was down 15%. I couldn’t bring myself to check my 401(k). These weren’t just numbers on a screen. They were gut-check moments, marked by lost gains and growing unrealized losses. For the first time in 2 1/2 years of stock market investing, I was facing a real test. My hard-earned dollars, the ones I’d worked so hard to put to work, were losing value: rapidly.

1 month ago | cleveland.com | Darnell Mayberry

In the middle of juggling everything else, I let my finances take a backseat. Now it’s starting to show in small stresses, missed details and the creeping sense that I’m losing track and allowing money to slip through the cracks. It’s understandable. Life gets busy. Priorities shift. Survival mode doesn’t leave room for spreadsheets or budgeting apps. I know I’m not alone in this.

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Darnell Mayberry

Long-suffering Chicago Bulls fans might have felt a gnawing feeling during the NBA Draft Lottery. While conspiracy theorists were busy concocting arguments for why the Dallas Mavericks, with only a 1.8 percent chance, landed the No. 1 pick and the opportunity to draft star Cooper Flagg, a different cloud hung over Chicago. The Mavericks won the lottery Monday night only after winning the draft-order tiebreaker over the Bulls last month.