#WTFTrump? Oligarchy=They Get Richer. You Get Poorer. Here's Why.
FROM YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD CFO: STOP CALLING THEM "ELITE" AND US "POOR"
This isn't political. It's not even about race. This is about economics and money.
Here's the problem: We have people making policy about your pocketbook who literally don't understand what "affordability" means. Who think "groceries" is some new word they just learned. Imagine the absurdity and privilege of someone who has never even gone grocery shopping for themselves, and the absurdity of them trying to relate to the impact of high prices on your everyday life. Well folks, that is what is happening right now. Let me know if you are feeling the pinch. I know I am!
These are people installing gold leaf in White House ballrooms and renovating bathrooms while families can't afford to eat. While SNAP benefits get cut. While minimum wage stays frozen at $7.25.
That's oligarchy. When the people writing your financial rules have never lived your financial reality.
People who've never chosen between rent and groceries are deciding sub-poverty wages are fine. People whose kids' college was paid for by trusts are capping student loans at $20,500/year. People who think financial hardship is self-inflicted are adding work requirements that make survival harder. People who have plenty of money don't care your health insurance costs are going through the roof.
Just stop calling them "elite." Elite means exceptional. Superior. The best. This is not elite behavior. An elite athlete has skills you don't. An elite surgeon has talent most people don't possess.
Someone born into money? That's not elite. Having money doesn't make you smarter or better. It makes you financially wealthy or positioned.
And stop calling people without money "poor." Poor means lacking. Deficient. Less than. But people without financial resources aren't poor in spirit. Some of the best, most generous, most compassionate people on Earth don't have money. The meek shall inherit the Earth—not because they're weak, but because they understand what truly matters.
People without money are just that: people without money.
When we call them "elite" and us "poor," we accept their lie that money equals value. That wealth means superiority and lack of wealth means inferiority. They are financially underserved, marginalized, and in an oligarchical system, financially excluded.
And here's what rich people do when they band together:
Elon Musk is about to be the first TRILLIONAIRE while Trump doubled his net worth to $5 billion in his first months back. Meanwhile, minimum wage has been frozen at $7.25 since 2009.
That's not coincidence. That's extraction by design.
And the latest oligarchy move? Tax you on "forgiven" student loans, then charge interest on that forgiven amount.
You pay for 20-25 years. They forgive what's left. Then they call it "income" and tax you $10K-$50K on money you never got. Some are finding out they owe interest on top of that.
Gold leaf in the White House. Surprise tax bills for working families. That's oligarchy.
And what do we do when we come together?
That's just it. We haven't. It's time to spend money in our communities with businesses that support us, not just the wealthy.
Keep reading to understand exactly how oligarchy is extracting from your wallet right now—and the ONE solution smart companies are investing in.
THREE OLIGARCHY MOVES HAPPENING NOW
1. Student Loan Forgiveness = Surprise Tax Bill
@CNBC | Full story
Forgiven student loans now count as taxable income. Plus interest on already-forgiven amounts for some borrowers.
Who wins: Budget projections
Who loses: You, with a $10K-$50K surprise tax bill
Your move: Document everything. Hire a CPA who specializes in student loans. Get it in writing.
2. Graduate School Caps = Ladder Pulled Up
@Washington Post | Full story
July 2026: Graduate students capped at $20,500/year federal loans. Parent PLUS capped at $20K/year.
Translation: Can't pay cash? Can't advance. Medical school, law school, graduate degrees? Only for people with money.
Who wins: Private loan companies charging 8-12% interest
Who loses: First-gen students, working families climbing out
Your move: Finish borrowing BEFORE July 1, 2026. Share with anyone planning grad school.
3. SNAP Work Requirements = Punishing Poverty
@CBPP | Full story
More people must work 80+ hours monthly or lose benefits. Benefits up $21/month but eligibility tightening.
Translation: Give you pennies while making it harder to qualify.
Reality: Minimum wage should be $26/hour if it kept pace with productivity since 1968. It's $7.25.
Your move: Know your state's exemptions. Medical conditions, caregiving, training programs may qualify you.
THE SOLUTION: Companies Are Finally Investing in Financial Wellness
@BenefitsPRO | Full story
47% of employers are adding financial wellness programs in 2025. Why? Because financially stressed employees cost companies money in productivity, healthcare, and turnover.
Who wins: Employees who get real financial education that names the system
Also wins: Companies that invest in their people instead of just extracting from them
But here's the catch: Most corporate programs teach you how to be a better customer of extractive systems. Budgeting tips. Credit score basics. 401(k) enrollment.
ThriveWisely teaches the 5 C's Framework: How oligarchy extracts from your wallet + how to build generational wealth anyway.
Your move (HR professionals): Book a call to bring ThriveWisely training to your workplace. 2-hour workshops start at $2,500. Schedule inquiry
Your move (employees): Ask your HR department about financial wellness programs. If they don't have one, send them this newsletter. Companies are budgeting for this—make sure yours invests in YOU.
WORD TO CARRY
Your clarity exposes oligarchy. Your strategy escapes its grip.
OUR POWER
Here's what they don't want you to understand:
Our power as working people, as underserved communities, is to STOP putting money into their pockets while working against our own interests.
Every time we see the rules they're breaking and bending—the forgiven loans they tax, the education they price out, the survival benefits they gut—we have a choice.
We can keep playing their game, or we can build our own generational wealth by understanding exactly where and how they're extracting from us.
That's what financial literacy really is. Not budgeting tips. Extraction resistance.
JOIN THE FIGHT
Subscribe to The Thrive Wisely Weekly - Don't miss next week's issue. We're building a community that chooses collective wealth over oligarchy. Click "Subscribe" at the top of this newsletter.
Individual Sessions: Financial Clarity Session - map YOUR strategy for systems designed to extract from you. $150 | Schedule
Workplace Programs: Bring ThriveWisely's financial wellness training that names the system. Inquire about corporate programs
Community Action: Share this newsletter. Forward it. Text it. The oligarchy thrives on isolation and our silence. Your networks are your power. Together, we resist an oligarchy that prioritizes wealth accumulation over the wellbeing of working families.
— Tonya "TK" Kinlow
Your Neighborhood CFO | Founder, TKI Foundation
What oligarchy move worries you most? Comment below—your answer might become next week's issue.
