Month: April 2026

Style Stealers

!function(d,s,id){
var e, p = /^http:/.test(d.location) ? ‘http’ : ‘https’;
if(!d.getElementById(id)) {
e = d.createElement(s);
e.id = id;
e.src = p + ‘://widgets.rewardstyle.com/js/shopthepost.js’;
d.body.appendChild(e);
}
if(typeof window.__stp === ‘object’) if(d.readyState === ‘complete’) {
window.__stp.init();
}
}(document, ‘script’, ‘shopthepost-script’);

Turn on your JavaScript to view content

Top Posts

Jennifer Tilly’s $40,000 Crystal Bear Bag

Rachel Zoe Used These Beauty and Makeup Products on Season 15 of RHOBH

Amanda Batula’s Plaid Bikini

Kyle Richards’ Tan Leather Lace Dress

Kyle Richards’ Navy Tie Neck Shirt and Tan Woven Bag

Dorit Kemsley’s Brown Wrap Dress

Dorit Kemsley’s Turquoise Necklace and Gold Hoop Earrings

Dorit Kemsley’s Navy Satin Shirt and Belted Pants

Dorit Kemsley’s Season 15 Reunion Look

Rachel Zoe’s Season 15 Reunion Look

Rachel Zoe’s Rainbow Metallic Pleated Maxi Dress

Rachel Zoe’s Black Sequin Please Do Not Disturb Bag

Dorit Kemsley’s White Floral Embroidered Corset

Kyle Richards’ Season 15 Reunion Look

Rachel Zoe’s Black Paisley Print One Shoulder Dress

Amanda Batula’s Cartier Watch from Kyle

Originally posted at: Dara Levitan’s Blue Ombre Bikini and Cover Up

Style Stealers

!function(d,s,id){
var e, p = /^http:/.test(d.location) ? ‘http’ : ‘https’;
if(!d.getElementById(id)) {
e = d.createElement(s);
e.id = id;
e.src = p + ‘://widgets.rewardstyle.com/js/shopthepost.js’;
d.body.appendChild(e);
}
if(typeof window.__stp === ‘object’) if(d.readyState === ‘complete’) {
window.__stp.init();
}
}(document, ‘script’, ‘shopthepost-script’);

Turn on your JavaScript to view content

Top Posts

Jennifer Tilly’s $40,000 Crystal Bear Bag

Rachel Zoe Used These Beauty and Makeup Products on Season 15 of RHOBH

Amanda Batula’s Plaid Bikini

Kyle Richards’ Tan Leather Lace Dress

Kyle Richards’ Navy Tie Neck Shirt and Tan Woven Bag

Dorit Kemsley’s Brown Wrap Dress

Dorit Kemsley’s Turquoise Necklace and Gold Hoop Earrings

Dorit Kemsley’s Navy Satin Shirt and Belted Pants

Dorit Kemsley’s Season 15 Reunion Look

Rachel Zoe’s Season 15 Reunion Look

Rachel Zoe’s Rainbow Metallic Pleated Maxi Dress

Rachel Zoe’s Black Sequin Please Do Not Disturb Bag

Dorit Kemsley’s White Floral Embroidered Corset

Kyle Richards’ Season 15 Reunion Look

Rachel Zoe’s Black Paisley Print One Shoulder Dress

Amanda Batula’s Cartier Watch from Kyle

Originally posted at: Mia Calabrese’s White Corset Top

The stories about scams tied to mobile payment apps are enough to make anyone hesitate. They did for me. I’m usually quick to try new tech, but this was one area where I held back.

That changed when our youngest son moved into his college apartment. I needed a simple way to send him money each month. That’s when I finally agreed to let him teach me how to use Cash App.

I’ve been using it cautiously for about two years now, and it has simplified our financial transactions. Not only can I use it to give him a monthly allowance, but it has worked well to have him pay directly for certain things and then I can quickly reimburse him. 

I haven’t had a need to branch out and use a mobile payment with anyone else until now. Last month, my hairdresser announced that she would be passing on the 3.99% card fee for using a debit/credit card and offered Venmo and Zelle as payment options along with the old-fashioned check. But remembering to bring a check, or carrying one around all the time, just isn’t practical anymore.

We live in the day and age of mobile payments. I decided to learn how all of the platforms work so I can feel comfortable using them safely with others besides my son. 

Once I started looking into it, I realized these apps aren’t all the same. Here’s how they actually differ.

Venmo vs. Zelle vs. Cash App – What’s the Difference?

Zelle

• Built into many bank apps (like Chase or Bank of America).
• Zelle does not hold funds in an app – money moves directly between bank accounts. 
• Usually arrives within minutes.
• Best for: sending money to people you trust – because it goes straight from bank to bank.

Venmo (owned by PayPal)

• A separate app you download; uses a phone number or email to send money.
• Includes a social feed (you can turn this off – and should).
• Allows you to keep money in the app before moving it to your bank.
• Best for: paying friends or family who already use Venmo (especially younger users).

Cash App

• A separate app you download; uses a phone number, email, or $Cashtag to send money.
• Allows you to keep a balance or spend it with a debit card.
• Instant transfers have a small fee; free transfers take 1–3 days.
• Best for: flexible, everyday use if you want one simple app that does more than just send money.

Some Additional Specifics

Payments sent through these apps are immediate and usually irreversible. Once the money is gone, it’s gone. If you wouldn’t hand this person cash, don’t send the payment. 

If you fund a payment with a credit card, you may be able to dispute it through your card issuer. But if you send money directly from your bank account, there’s usually no way to reverse it. In some cases of clearly unauthorized transactions, the app may look into it and possibly reverse the charge.

But those situations are not the norm. Venmo and Cash App are not buyer-protection platforms for everyday “send money” use. They don’t offer the same level of protection you get with a credit card.

Known Scams with Payment Apps

Most problems with these apps aren’t technical; they’re scams. Here are the ones to know.

#1. The Fake Bank Text Scam (Most Common)

This starts with a real-looking text from “your bank” asking if you authorized a large Zelle payment. When you reply “NO,” you get a call from a “bank agent” who offers to help you reverse it, and in doing so tricks you into sending money to them.

#2. The “Send Money to Yourself” Scam

No legitimate bank or fraud department will ever ask you to use Zelle or Venmo to move or verify funds. If someone does, it’s a scam, full stop. 

#3. The Grandchild Emergency Scam

You receive a message claiming to be your grandchild in trouble. He needs bail money, she is stuck at the airport, their phone is broken. Fraudsters now use AI voice cloning to make it sound convincing. Always call your grandchild back on their known number before sending anything. Or establish a secret code word you can ask in this situation. 

#4. The Overpayment Scam

Someone “accidentally” sends you too much money and asks you to send the excess back. The original payment was fraudulent, and you’ve just sent real money.

#5. Prize/Lottery Scams

Older adults are more likely to be targeted by prize scams, where they’re told they’ve won a reward but must pay a fee or taxes to collect it.

#6. The Verification Code Scam

Whether it’s a bank or a payment app, if you’re ever asked to share a verification code, it’s a scam. That code is the key to your account.

The Golden Rules

• Only send money to people you know in real life.
• When in doubt, pick up the phone and call. DO NOT reply to the text.
• Never share a verification code with anyone, ever.
• Enable transaction alerts so you know instantly if something happens.
• Consider establishing a family code word that only your real grandchild would know for emergency money requests.

How to Use Them 

To use Cash App or Venmo, the first step is to download the app, set up your profile and add a credit or debit card.

Notes on Zelle

If you want to use Zelle, check whether your bank integrates with it. You will need to sign up or activate it using your cell number through your online bank account. To use Zelle, you access it through your bank’s app. To send money, you add a contact using their cell number or email address. On the main screen, enter the amount and click “Pay”. This opens another screen where you select the recipient and add a note.

Notes on Venmo

On Venmo, make sure personal payments stay standard (not marked as a purchase). Turning on purchase protection adds a fee and changes how the transaction is treated. 

Payments marked as goods or services may be reported to the IRS if they meet reporting thresholds, so it’s important to label transactions correctly. 

The Venmo app is social by design, making it a staple among Gen Z and millennials. But those of us over 60 who choose to use this app will want to take a close look at the privacy settings. Be sure to set your default privacy to Private (under the gear icon in settings). This prevents future payments from appearing publicly. You’ll also want to set your friend list to private. This prevents others from seeing who you’re connected to. 

Scammers rely on confusion. The more familiar you are with these tools, the easier and safer they are to use.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

Do you use mobile money transaction apps? Which ones have you tried and what’s your experience so far? Have you modified any settings?

You may remember watching your children or nieces/nephews spend “their” money differently than “your” money? Suddenly, what they asked you to buy, was not what they were willing to spend their own money on, remember that? That always made me chuckle. And now I am seeing the same scenario in our grandchildren.

Money as a Gift

Now that most of our grandkids are school age, we switched from giving a small gift they could open (plus their real gift of a 529 contribution) to giving them cash. And we tell them we want them to start practicing using money to save, spend, or give. And we leave the details of the guardrails around how that works to the parents. My chuckles continue.

Money Motivates

One grandson was so excited he kept repeating on his birthday “this is my best day ever!” And, of course, finding multiple bills inside of a card vs just one (of the same total dollar amount) made his eyes get bigger and bigger. Their concept of money is just emerging as his counting and math skills advance as well at his Kindergarten age.

But he understood quickly that if he offered to do some chores around the house, he could make that pile of money grow even bigger. He had his eyes set on buying a Lego set at an upcoming vacation to Legoland so his parents sent me a picture as he was suddenly motivated to wash windows.

Earning Money

We moved recently so some of our grandchildren ran a lemonade stand at our moving sale in the driveway. The youngest was quick to be sure everyone who arrived heard the lemonade offer at least once or twice. And the three of them took turns manning the booth, restocking the mini donuts, and even making signs to promote their offer.

Several generous adults just made donations, and they were prompt with their manners and appreciation. They split the proceeds three ways and beamed with $10 in each of their pockets at the end of the morning sale.

Investing Money

Another grandson told me as soon as I saw him the other day, “I spent that money you gave me.” He was very matter-of-fact about it as he and his dad explained that he had invested it into a stock using an app on his mother’s phone. He said it would “pop back up on the screen again in a couple of days.” I can’t wait to hear this 5-year-old’s interpretation as he watches the stock over time.

Spending Money

My sister has started to take grandchildren on a shopping spree to spend their holiday money. One granddaughter quickly realized that one big item would use up all of her dollars, so she ended up putting it back and getting five less expensive things she wanted instead. The shopping process took awhile, but they had so many good conversations along the way.

So Many Ideas

Janet Bodnar writes a great column for women in Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine, and I remember some of the stories she shared when she wrote about financial gifts for grandchildren. One woman set up a Savings Challenge to her grade school aged grandchildren where she would match what they saved and the one who amassed the most on top of what she gave them after a certain period of time would earn an additional $100 bonus.

Another grandmother gives instructions with her $400 gift: save $200, give $100 and spend $100 any way you wish. And other grandma gave an amount of money that had to be invested in any dividend paying stock they chose, as long as they picked it with their father and reinvested the dividends. So many clever ideas!

Free Tools Guiding Money Decisions

One of the best tools to help children with the idea of “practicing using money” comes from a colleague in the financial education industry, Karen Holland, Founder of Gifting Sense. She developed a Does It Make Sense (DIMS) calculator to help children think before they buy. Whether it’s a toy, clothes, experience, pet, or even a first car, this free to access and use tool helps kids think through all aspects of a purchase complete with a report at the end that could be printed out or shared with a parent to finish the decision together before a purchase!

Practice at anything makes “perfect,” right? I don’t think any of us will ever feel like we’re perfect with money but the practice part is sure helpful to kids in so many ways: learning to earn money, experience selling something, feeling delayed gratification, motivation and reward for saving, finding out that saving or investing is another way to grow money, enjoying the feeling of giving to help others, and experiencing mistakes like overpaying, spending too quickly, regret after a purchase, etc. The list is long!

For older grandkids (and even adults), I designed a free to download AutoPilot Your Finances tool that takes the emotion out of so many money decisions. We have room to grow and learn and apply at all ages of life, so I encourage you to drip on the youth in your life whenever teachable moments come along. Practicing with money definitely provides teachable moments!

Let’s Talk:

What have you seen work or not work with the children in your life practicing with their money? How did your childhood or experience with children impact how you gift today? Any tips to share on helping grandkids practice using money? Let’s have a discussion.

My alarm goes off every day around 4 pm. It’s not a loud alarm, but only I can hear it. It’s my internal walking alarm, letting me know it’s time to get ready to head out. Time to change, put on my shoes, fill a bottle with water, and grab some bubble gum and a bit of money. I always chew gum on my walk, and bubble gum is my gum of choice. Maybe it’s an odd habit, but it’s just part of my walk.

I don’t go for a walk to think, but it happens anyway. Of course, there are many health benefits to long walks, but the one that continues to surprise me is the thinking time it provides. That’s why I prefer to walk alone, with no distractions.

Walking creates the mental and emotional space to let my mind wander. It almost always drifts toward problems, issues, or decisions I need to make. Our best thinking doesn’t happen sitting at a desk or on the sofa. It happens when we’re moving and not forcing ourselves to focus.

This might sound counterintuitive. Isn’t it easier to concentrate when we’re sitting still? In theory, yes. But in reality, sitting often comes with interruptions. The phone rings, a message beeps, the kettle whistles, or someone asks for something. And just like that, the thought you were holding disappears.

When we’re out walking, or even doing something repetitive like hanging laundry, we settle into a rhythm. That’s when thinking becomes easier and more natural. Here are five reasons why.

1. The Mind Finally Slows Down

When you’re walking, there’s nothing competing for your attention. No screens, no interruptions. Your body falls into a steady rhythm, almost on autopilot, and your mind has space to catch up.

Thoughts that felt scattered begin to settle. Instead of jumping from one idea to another, they start to line up. It’s not forced. It just happens.

2. Problems Feel Smaller When You’re Moving

Problems can feel overwhelming when you’re sitting still, especially when you’re turning them over again and again. It can feel like facing a wall with no way around it.

But once you start moving, something shifts. The problem doesn’t disappear, but it changes shape. It feels less fixed, less final. Movement seems to open the door to possibilities.

There’s a line from a Leonard Cohen song about cracks letting the light in. That’s what it feels like. The situation is still there, but it no longer feels impossible.

3. Ideas Appear When You’re Not Looking for Them

It’s often when you stop trying to solve something that the answer appears.

On a walk, ideas seem to arrive without effort. A solution begins to make sense. A decision becomes clearer. Or something entirely new comes to mind that you hadn’t considered before.

You’re not forcing anything. You’re simply giving your mind the space to do what it does best.

4. Your Mood Lifts Without You Trying

As your thinking becomes clearer, your mood often follows. There’s no dramatic shift. It’s gradual. A sense of heaviness starts to ease. When you begin to see possibilities, even small ones, it changes how you feel.

You may not have a full solution but knowing there are options is often enough to lift your mood. That quiet shift can make a big difference.

5. You Get Clarity

By the end of your walk, you may not have all the answers, but you usually have direction. Things feel more manageable. You can see your options more clearly. Sometimes the decision is to act. Other times it’s to wait. Even that is clarity.

And with clarity comes a sense of calm. You’re no longer stuck in the same loop you started with.

Closing Reflection

Walking isn’t complicated or expensive, but it quietly supports both thinking and well-being in a way that’s easy to overlook.

Feeling refreshed after a walk can seem like a contradiction. The body may be a little tired, but the mind feels lighter. Some of the weight has been lifted. You return with a clearer head, a better perspective, and a sense that things are, at the very least, manageable.

Click for free access to my Substack, Retired Way Out There, where I publish a bi-monthly newsletter and provide handouts.

Another article to read might be Is Your Walking Speed a Health Red Flag? How to Test and Improve It.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

What does walking do for you? Is it your best time to think? What solutions have come to you during a walk?