The Mirage of the Interest-Only Mortgage: Why Investors and Homeowners are Getting Out Over Their Skis.
 
Be sure to watch or listen to my 25-minute Mortgage Risk videoconference/podcast on YouTube & Substack.

It usually starts with a simple, seductive calculation. You find a commercial property or a residential home, look at the standard monthly mortgage payments, and feel a slight pinch. Then, a broker introduces an alternative: the interest-only loan. Suddenly, the monthly overhead plummets. Cash flow looks spectacular on paper. You feel like a savvy financial operator, scaling your real estate ambitions without the heavy monthly burden.
 
This is exactly how many Main Street commercial real estate investors and everyday homeowners find themselves out over their skis. In a racing market, interest-only options feel like a superpower. But when the macro environment shifts, these exotic financial instruments can quickly transform into wealth-degrading traps.
 
To protect your wealth, you must understand the stark realities hidden behind the lower monthly payments, organized by the five critical areas every borrower must evaluate.
 
1. Never Build Equity
To understand the scale of what is at stake, we must look at why property ownership matters so much in the first place. According to data tracked by Realtor.com, the average net worth of a homeowner is a staggering 43 times greater than that of a tenant. Homeownership remains the ultimate wealth escalator because every monthly principal payment acts as a forced savings account. You are slowly buying back your independence, block by block.
 
When you strip away the principal component of a mortgage, you strip away this primary mechanism of wealth creation. If you enter into a long-term or full-term interest-only agreement, you are essentially signing a "perpetual rent" contract with a financial institution. You assume all the liabilities, maintenance costs, and taxes of a landlord or homeowner, but you build zero natural equity beyond your initial down payment. The math behind these structures over an extended timeline is sobering. Consider a $500,000 loan at a fixed 6.5% interest rate. Over a 40-year interest-only term, you will pay a staggering $1,300,000 in pure interest to the bank. On the final day of that 40th year, after decades of payments, you still owe the exact same $500,000 you started with. You are met with a massive, unavoidable "balloon payment" that forces an immediate sale or a chaotic, cash-heavy refinance. Your entire financial strategy becomes dependent on a single gamble: that property values will climb forever.
 
2. When Markets Go Up
When the real estate market is booming and property values climb, you might think you can easily escape the interest-only trap by selling the property or refinancing into a traditional fixed loan to capture your appreciation. However, lenders do not let you walk away easily.
 
Aggressive prepayment penalties are common in exotic interest-only portfolio loans. (The Dodd-Frank Act bans them on primary residences.) The fine print may charge you six months' worth of interest or a massive percentage of the total loan balance just to walk away cleanly. Furthermore, if your contract includes a "Call Option" (or due-on-demand clause), the lender has the right to call the loan due after a certain number of years at their sole discretion, regardless of market conditions. If the market goes up and interest rates rise, a lender might call your loan just to force you to sell or refinance. This allows them to claw back their capital and re-lend it at a higher current interest rate, trapping you or forcing you out precisely when it benefits them.
 
3. When Markets Go Down
When a standard homeowner with a traditional 30-year fixed mortgage goes underwater during a market downturn, they face a stressful situation, but they are protected by an essential shield: as long as they make their regular monthly payments, the bank cannot intervene. The bank cannot demand extra cash just because the valuation dropped. If the homeowner has enough equity and keeps up the payments, they should be able to wait out the downturn, while still living in their home. That wasn’t the case for 22 million homes before, during and after the Great Recession (2005-2014), so knowing where your purchase price is on the buy low, sell high continuum is an important piece of due diligence before your offer and purchase.
 
For the exotic interest-only portfolio loan or commercial real estate contract, the rules are fundamentally different. If the market drops and property values plunge, you risk breaching Loan-to-Value (LTV) covenants. The contract may legally require the property's value to stay above a certain threshold relative to the loan. If your home value plummets, the lender can issue a "margin call," legally demanding an immediate, massive cash payment to lower the principal balance back to the agreed ratio. If you do not have tens of thousands of dollars in cash to satisfy this demand, you are thrown into default, and the lender can initiate foreclosure—even if you have never missed a single monthly payment.
 
4. The Fine Print
Because interest-only loans lack the stabilizing pillow of built-up principal equity, lenders write these non-qualified contracts with aggressive, defensive clauses to shield themselves from losing money. If you are currently reviewing or holding an interest-only mortgage, you must control-F or look specifically for these exact terms in the text:
 

• Events of Default & Acceleration Clauses: Upon default (which can be defined as missing a single payment past the grace period), the lender has the legal right to "accelerate" the loan. This means the entire remaining principal balance becomes due immediately. If you cannot pay off the whole loan instantly, they initiate foreclosure. Acceleration clauses are standard in almost all mortgage contracts (including conventional, fully amortizing residential loans) to protect lenders if a borrower defaults.
• Cross-Default Provisions: If you are a commercial investor with multiple assets under the same lender, defaulting on one struggling property can trigger an automatic default on your other properties, allowing the lender to seize multiple assets simultaneously.
• LTV Maintenance Covenants & Call Provisions: As noted above, these give lenders the power to force principal paydowns or demand full payment based on market fluctuations and their own discretion. If any of these clauses appear in your text, the contract is heavily weighted against you.

 
5. The Shadow Inventory: The Growing Group of Distressed Homeowners
When investors and homeowners find themselves trapped by payment shocks or falling markets, they often turn to loan modifications as a lifeline. However, this growing group of distressed homeowners constitutes a new "shadow inventory" facing severe structural traps.
 
In many loan modification scenarios, the bank is allowed to pack all accumulated missed payments, administrative fees, and late penalties directly into a new, bloated principal balance. This synthetic principal inflation instantly pushes the borrower deeper underwater, ensuring they owe far more than the actual market value of the building or home.
 
The scale of this vulnerability is already showing up in macro data. According to an August 20, 2026 report from AttomData, 3.2% of properties in the second quarter of 2026 were considered seriously underwater. This means the combined estimated balances of loans secured by the properties were at least 25% more than the properties’ estimated market value. While this rate held steady with the previous quarter, it represents a troubling climb from the 2.7% recorded at the same time last year.
 
Bottom Line
Real estate remains a powerful asset class, but leverage is a two-edged sword. Lasting family wealth isn't built solely on monthly cash flow; it is built on the steady, unglamorous accumulation of real equity. Families who keep the wealth over centuries own assets.
 
If you are utilizing an interest-only structure, pull out your original loan documents, scan for the five pressure points listed above, and consider whether building a definitive exit strategy before the fine print catches up to you is the next right move.
 

###

Are you aware that the hot funds we've been featuring in our sample pie charts and retreats performed at the top of Wall Street in 2025? Peru has been on fire. Clean energy scored 44%... Cybersecurity is up 31% year to date (as of 9.5.2026). 
​
Why not treat yourself to the gift of financial freedom and a green wealth plan?
​
Register now to join us at our online Financial Freedom Retreat Jan. 16-18, 2027 where you'll learn how to protect your wealth, save thousands annually in your budget, invest in hot industries like AI, gold, crypto and more, and how to be in the best seat during our volatile Debt World. Register with friends and family to receive the best price. (Ask for access to a recording of our Wealth Secrets of the 1% or our Real Estate masterclass as our gift to you.) Email info@NataliePace.com to learn more and register now.

If you'd like a life-changing adventure of a lifetime, be our guest at a royal manor house in Cornwall, England, March 4-11, 2027. (With just three rooms still available, this exclusive, private, bucket-list is almost sold out!) Call 310-430-2397 or email info@NataliePace.com to learn more. The 2025 Restormel Retreat was a magical and royal experience. Click to learn more. 

Request testimonials at info@NataliePace.com. You can also view some on the flyer page of the retreat. 

Learn how to:

* Invest in hot industries, such as Nvidia, artificial intelligence, and chips,
* Save thousands annually with smarter big-ticket choices
* Hedge against a weaker dollar,
* Invest and compound your gains,
* Green your retirement plan,
* Easy and efficacious nest egg strategies,
* Get hot and diversified (including in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and crypto),
* Evaluate stocks,
* Avoid capital gains and financial predators,
* Keep an age-appropriate amount safe, and,
* Know what's safe in a Debt World.

Yes, it's a complete money makeover. 
​​
Email info@NataliePace.com or call 310-430-2397 to learn more and register. Learn the 15+ things you'll master and read testimonials in the flyer on the home page at NataliePace.com. ​

"Ten minutes into the first day I was already much smarter about investing than I ever thought I would be in my life and I knew I was in exactly the right place at this retreat. I am amazed at how EASY and FUN it is to make my money work for me and those I love. I think this kind of information should be compulsory in schools. I wish I'd learned this sooner." CM
​​
"Many people, including educated men and women, often get into trouble when they 
neglect to follow simple and fundamental rules of the type provided [by Natalie]. 
This is why I recommend them with enthusiasm." 
Professor Gary S. Becker. Dr. Becker won the 1992 Nobel Prize in economics for his theories on human capital

"College students need this information before they get their first credit card. Young adults need it before they buy their first home. Empty nesters can use the information to downsize to a sustainable lifestyle, before they get into trouble." 
Joe Moglia, former Chairman & CEO, TD AMERITRADE

​
​

A fiduciary firm might look you in the eye and say, "You need to beat inflation, and traditional bonds aren't paying enough, so we are giving you access to exclusive, institutional private credit."
 
In reality, they are often dumping illiquid, high-fee vehicles into your portfolio because those assets are "sticky"—meaning clients can't easily panic-sell out of them. This ensures the wealth firm enjoys a highly predictable stream of internal advisory fees.
 
Regulatory Reality: What the SEC Risk Alert Revealed
If you believe your advisor would never engage in these practices because "it's against the law," the SEC's findings suggest otherwise. The regulatory agency's examination uncovered systemic failures across the advisory industry regarding fee-billing and internal controls:
 

• Undisclosed Revenue Sharing: The SEC discovered that many fiduciary firms receive underlying payments from clearing brokers or fund families to promote specific high-cost share classes over cheaper, identical options.
• Cash-Sweep Skimming: When client accounts hold uninvested cash, advisors frequently "sweep" the money into specific partner banks that pay near-zero interest rates. The bank pockets the interest margin and shares that revenue directly back with the fiduciary firm, while the client earns virtually nothing.
• Billing Deviations & Overcharging: Examiners found widespread instances of firms calculating their AUM fees inaccurately, overbilling clients on alternative investments, and failing to apply promised fee reductions or household discounts.

 
Hundreds of Holdings
I am frequently astonished to see pages and pages of hundreds of individual holdings when I conduct second opinions. The sad truth is that you can have that many individual investments and still not be properly diversified. Oftentimes, all those line items simply add up to standard large-cap value, large-cap growth, a small-cap fund, and some bonds. In fact, you could hold just 3 to 4 Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) that encompass all those equities and fixed-income assets, making your portfolio much easier to manage.
 
So why do investment advisors choose hundreds of individual holdings instead of a few broad funds? Cluttering (or "diworsification," a term coined by Peter Lynch) creates an illusion of complexity. It serves to justify their high fee by making the portfolio seem too complicated for you to manage on your own. By contrast, our easy-as-a-pie-chart investing strategy is one that many self-directed investors employ to achieve far greater diversification, protection, and performance—all while using less time and money.

​
​

We show you what an age-appropriate plan looks like in our Financial Freedom Retreat and in our free web apps. I also offer an unbiased second opinion in my private coaching practice.
 
The stock side is there for performance, while the bonds are there to preserve principal and earn income.
 
🚀 Take the Next Step to Protect Your Wealth
Don't let your wealth plan languish or lose with a strategy that isn't right for your age or is more problematic than you’re being advised. If you have a conservative risk tolerance, again, you might be sold some of the riskiest assets, which could cause an immediate, potentially permanent, loss in the principal value of your portfolio.
 
Join me for my upcoming Online Financial Freedom Retreat and our exclusive masterclass: Bonds & Fixed Income Without Paper Losses. Learning and implementing the life math that we all should’ve received in high school will enable you to set up a wealth plan that is age-appropriate, truly protected, diversified, and outperforming. (Some of our suggested hot slices, including silver, Peru, and clean energy, were the superstars of 2025.)
 
 
Our easy-as-a-pie-chart system adds both performance and protection to your plan. Better yet, it’s less time and less money. Once you set up your financial house right, all you need to do is spring clean once or twice a year.
 
👉 [Register for the Financial Freedom Retreat & Masterclass Here]
 
P.S. Are you or a loved one dealing with a different kind of financial squeeze? We are currently facing a massive crisis with recent college graduates—about 42% are underemployed, stuck in the gig economy, or working blue-collar jobs that don't pay enough to cover their mounting student loans. If someone you care about is struggling to find their footing, please share my recent deep-dive article, "The Gig Worker’s Guide to Financial Freedom." It might be the exact lifeline they need right now!

Other Blogs of Interest
Are Your Bonds Truly Safe?
The Bond Bailout Backfired.
The Higher the Dividend, the Higher the Risk.
Why I Prefer Select Corporate Bonds to Treasuries.


​###

Are you aware that the hot funds we've been featuring in our sample pie charts and retreats performed at the top of Wall Street in 2025? Peru has been on fire. Clean energy scored 44%... Cybersecurity is up 31% year to date (as of 9.5.2026). 
​
Why not treat yourself to the gift of financial freedom and a green wealth plan?
​
Register now to join us at our online Financial Freedom Retreat Oct. 10-12 2026 where you'll learn how to protect your wealth, save thousands annually in your budget, invest in hot industries like AI, gold, crypto and more, and how to be in the best seat during our volatile Debt World. Register with friends and family to receive the best price. (Ask for access to a recording of our Wealth Secrets of the 1% or our Real Estate masterclass as our gift to you.) Email info@NataliePace.com to learn more and register now.

If you'd like a life-changing adventure of a lifetime, be our guest at a royal manor house in Cornwall, England, March 4-11, 2027. (With just three rooms still available, this exclusive, private, bucket-list is almost sold out!) Call 310-430-2397 or email info@NataliePace.com to learn more. The 2025 Restormel Retreat was a magical and royal experience. Click to learn more. 

Request testimonials at info@NataliePace.com. You can also view some on the flyer page of the retreat. 

Learn how to:

* Invest in hot industries, such as Nvidia, artificial intelligence, and chips,
* Save thousands annually with smarter big-ticket choices
* Hedge against a weaker dollar,
* Invest and compound your gains,
* Green your retirement plan,
* Easy and efficacious nest egg strategies,
* Get hot and diversified (including in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and crypto),
* Evaluate stocks,
* Avoid capital gains and financial predators,
* Keep an age-appropriate amount safe, and,
* Know what's safe in a Debt World.

Yes, it's a complete money makeover. 
​​
Email info@NataliePace.com or call 310-430-2397 to learn more and register. Learn the 15+ things you'll master and read testimonials in the flyer on the home page at NataliePace.com. ​

"Ten minutes into the first day I was already much smarter about investing than I ever thought I would be in my life and I knew I was in exactly the right place at this retreat. I am amazed at how EASY and FUN it is to make my money work for me and those I love. I think this kind of information should be compulsory in schools. I wish I'd learned this sooner." CM
​​
"Many people, including educated men and women, often get into trouble when they 
neglect to follow simple and fundamental rules of the type provided [by Natalie]. 
This is why I recommend them with enthusiasm." 
Professor Gary S. Becker. Dr. Becker won the 1992 Nobel Prize in economics for his theories on human capital

"College students need this information before they get their first credit card. Young adults need it before they buy their first home. Empty nesters can use the information to downsize to a sustainable lifestyle, before they get into trouble." 
Joe Moglia, former Chairman & CEO, TD AMERITRADE

I was recently talking to an actress/producer friend about an incredible life story that would be an inspiring and dramatic animated film. She loved it but noted, "Writers don't work on spec."
 
Immediately, I thought: Writers don’t work on spec unless they rise above the status of "just a writer" to become the producer and director, too—like Greta Gerwig or Christopher Nolan. That is exactly what taking the extra step beyond the paycheck and investing in something offers. No spec, no reward.
 
Are you taking steps to invest in a better tomorrow, or do you find yourself complaining about where you’re stuck without any plan to move forward? If you are genuinely happy, content, and complacent where you are, that’s wonderful. Nobody has to be the greatest achiever on Earth to have worth. Many of us invest in our families and children or are content to have our hobbies.
 
However, when you are driving a rideshare or doing any other kind of gig job that really isn’t your area of expertise and certainly far afield of what you would love to be doing with your days, life can feel pretty bleak, and the road ahead can look endless. So, what is the exit strategy?
 
Like many graduates today, my journey started with jobs I did not care for—including one that directly violated my moral code. But taking a leap of faith, which included sleeping on a friend’s couch for a couple of weeks, followed by perseverance and a dogged attempt to keep the ultimate destination top of mind, allowed me to keep pushing forward into a career that today feels like my calling – one that helps others. Life is never perfect. However, when you
 

• Wake up on fire with purpose,
• Feel that others can benefit from the things you’re doing,
• Live in an environment that nourishes your soul and gives you the R&R you need,

it’s pretty easy to smile. And it’s not the kind of smile you feign to look good on social media. It’s the kind that’s radiates out from your heart – one that social media filters could never replicate.
 
Here are the four spark plugs to fuel your major milestones.


Phase 1: The Escape Route Catalyst
 
Stepping Back (or Getting Pushed Out)
At age 20, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue music. I had played classical piano my whole life, studied music at Arizona State University, and gigged in rock bands. I was ready to be a famous singer-songwriter in La La Land.
 
After years in the business, I realized a hard truth: I hated the idea of touring, and I didn't admire or feel inspired by the people I was surrounded by and doing business with. They weren’t “my people.” (Some were, but mostly the lifestyle was a mismatch.) I still loved music, but I needed a new path. I stepped back and embraced a new chapter with my husband and newborn son. I didn't know where it would lead, but holding my son brought me the home foundation that I truly needed. It was the soul nourishment that allowed me to dream again, and to want to be the person my child would admire.
 
Active Quitting vs. Quiet Quitting
To pay the bills during my rock ’n’ roll days, I worked as a data entry clerk in the sales division of a corporate health insurance company. When I told my boss I wanted to grow up and have a real career and family, he supportively moved me into customer service and sales – with a raise and a promotion.
 
That’s when I discovered a dark secret: the company was secretly providing Social Security numbers to employers so they could fire sick employees. It was highly illegal but also widespread. I reported it directly to the regional director, expecting praise. Instead, I was bullied and belittled. Quitting was an easy choice. I ended up sleeping on a friend's couch while figuring out my next move. Within a week, I found a job that paid the bills. It wasn't my dream career, but I could finally sleep at night knowing I wasn't causing harm. I also discovered that the music department of a film/tv company had a lot of people I admired and enjoyed working with. Many are still friends today.
 
If you are justifying unethical work just to pay the bills, take note: a little piece of your soul dies every day you do something you know is wrong. Courageous quitting is the spark that fuels your true calling and fires up your passion, which will push you toward something in greater alignment. Of course, life will be easier if you find a better job before you leave. It is always easier to get a new job when we already have one—we get better terms and a higher salary. Moving up might require investing in a specialty, an advanced degree, or putting in our 10,000 hours.

Phase 2: Building a New Foundation
The Higher Education Dilemma
Education correlates heavily with higher lifetime income. Yet today, we have $1.65 trillion in national student loan debt, and massive numbers of college graduates are stuck in the gig economy driving Ubers. For the first time in half a century, it is statistically easier to secure blue-collar work than white-collar work (at lower pay than most graduates can afford, given the amount of student loan debt many have).
 
We should not blindly leap into massive debt for the "college experience" and just pray it adds up. It isn't adding up. However, don't abandon higher education entirely—graduates still out-earn non-graduates long-term. The goal is getting the right degree or the perfect trade certification without a crushing debt burden.
 
Many people can get a degree for half the cost with more informed choices. I wrote an entire book on this strategy called The ABCs of Money for College (2nd Edition). Parents should read it when their child is born; teens and college students should read it right now. There is also a section for college graduates considering a master’s or Ph.D.

Redefining the "Scholarship"
Don't write off scholarships because you think you won't qualify. Think creatively. You can gain a world-class education in almost any field by donating your time to a master. Many celebrity chefs never went to culinary school; they started by prepping mise en place and piping macarons. My degree is in English literature, yet a Nobel Prize winner and a MacArthur Fellow wrote the forewords to my books. Successful people have a soft spot for motivated, bright students who can hit the ball across the net in a conversation.
 
If you want a different next act, find a way to be a fly on the wall around people you admire. I go to Stanford University every quarter just to have "walk and talk" sessions with promising fellows and Master's candidates—we all need a succession plan.
 
Financial Reality Checks
The "5 to 9"
Devotion to your passion project could lead to the career of your dreams. It certainly has been my story. A friend of mine calls it our “5 to 9” job. Do what we must during the day so that we can invest in what we want to do at night. And yes, this does become difficult if we’re a parent with a lot of bills. However, even single parents with modest means manage to achieve incredible things this way.
 
Cohousing and Multigenerational Homes
If we want to fly, we need to lighten our load. Up to 1/3 of adults under 35 live in a multigenerational household. We need to reframe this from a “failure to launch” into an investment in a better tomorrow. The parents or grandparents can help by having a plan that isn’t just a free ride. I’ve encouraged some parents to charge “rent,” that gets put into a Roth IRA, where the young adult can learn the power of compounding gains, which can lead toward the down payment of their own home. At the end of the year, the parent could consider matching the contribution, as another financial incentive. And, the lodger should pay a bill and learn the cost of electricity, water, waste, streaming, etc.
 
I often say that princes and princesses don’t purchase their own castles. However, as a young single mother, cohousing was my springboard out of struggling to survive and being buried alive in bills and into building this beautiful career and life that I feel benefits Main Street, while adding a splash of green to Wall Street.
 

Phase 3: What is Your Purpose?
The Financial Freedom Game.
This game was designed to help us discover how we would be living if we had all the money in the world. What would you do if money was no object and there were no barriers to your dreams? We play this game at the Financial Freedom Retreat (Oct. 10-12, 2026 online). At the Valentine’s Retreat, we experience this visioning exercise on the beach, where the expansive horizon inspires us to think beyond our own mental blocks. We also play it at the Restormel Royal Manor House retreat, where we are sleeping and walking in the footsteps of families who have created and kept wealth for centuries. The forest bathing definitely helps us plant and water our dreams. (Here’s a link to Suzie Shride, who attended our inaugural Restormel Retreat in 2023.)

Passion Projects & The Power of "No"
Right after graduating from USC, I volunteered to chair the silent auction at my son’s public elementary school strictly to gain C-suite experience. It was a trial by fire. But it allowed me to rub elbows with high-level executive women who were volunteering their time. It was also successful in raising a lot of money for the school’s computer lab and music program.
 
When those women learned I had tripled my money during the dot-com crash—when the NASDAQ lost -78% of its value and took 15 years to recover—they asked me to teach them what I know. That was the launch of the Women’s Investment Network. That single act of charity gave me executive experience, invaluable relationships, and launched my entire journey into financial empowerment and sustainability.
 
Every exciting chapter of my life was born in charity. When you build this momentum, protect it by learning the Power of No. Do not let yourself get trapped by "golden handcuffs" or live so close to paycheck-to-paycheck that you operate out of fear.
 
Sending Out Ships
Not every venture or investment will return riches to you; sometimes it returns wisdom instead. Rejection is simply redirection to a higher good. When one door closes, fix what went wrong so the next door opens fruitful.
 
If I hadn’t had the audacious idea that my economic strategies had merit, I would never have asked a Nobel Prize winner or a MacArthur Genius to write my forewords. I knew my stuff, and I sent out the ships. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. As Wayne Gretzky famously said, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take."

Phase 4: You Can’t Do It Alone
 
Perseverance & Data Collection
Thomas Edison noted that success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration. Tesla was cash-negative for 10 years. SpaceX only had one cash-positive year in its first 25 years. Keeping a vision afloat is hard, which is why we secure our basic needs first, so we have the freedom to dream.
 
We also must reframe failure. If we lose a game of ping-pong, we brush it off. If we lose a dollar investing, we beat ourselves up endlessly. But we cannot create a better tomorrow if we are trapped replaying a negative past. Treat setbacks not as failures, but as pure data collection to course-correct toward your North Star.
 
(If you need help shifting your mindset from scarcity to abundance, email info@nataliepace.com to join my 21 Days of Prosperity and Abundance program).
 
Creating Community
When we are isolated, our challenges become insurmountable. When we come together, many hands make light work.
 
Recently, I received notes from two community members who admired each other's work but had never spoken. Now, they are combining their complementary skills to collaborate on a project for Earth Gratitude. This magic happens when we actively seed the ground for connection.
 
The Bottom Line
If you are currently navigating a gap year, underemployed in the gig economy, or wondering if a master’s or PhD is the right move to reach the C-suite, you aren't alone. If you are ready to find your true calling, use these steps as your roadmap. Grab a copy of The ABCs of Money for College to map out your next credentials with half the debt load—and let's start building a life on fire.
 
Don't Dream It. Be It. Take Action Today.
Your "Soul on Fire" adventure starts the moment you decide to stop settling. If you are ready to design a rich, sustainable life on your own terms, let's connect:

• Transform Your Mindset: Email info@nataliepace.com to inquire about personalized private coaching.
• Escape to the Ocean: Book your spot for the Valentine's Retreat 2027 in eco-friendly Santa Monica, California. Check out the full details on the Santa Monica Retreat Flyer.
• Live Royal for a Week: Join our intimate, 5-star brain trust for the Restormel Royal Manorhouse Retreat in Cornwall, England (Spring Equinox, March 2027). Only a few rooms remain available—visit the Restormel 2027 Registration to grab yours.

Spaces for these intimate, life-changing adventures fill up fast. Reach out directly at 310-430-2397 or info@nataliepace.com to lock in your next chapter.
 


###

Are you aware that the hot funds we've been featuring in our sample pie charts and retreats performed at the top of Wall Street in 2025? Clean energy scored 44%... 

Why not treat yourself to the gift of financial freedom and a green wealth plan?
​
Register now to join us at our online Financial Freedom Retreat Oct. 10-12 2026 where you'll learn how to protect your wealth, save thousands annually in your budget, invest in hot industries like AI, gold, crypto and more, and how to be in the best seat during our volatile Debt World. Register with friends and family to receive the best price. (Ask for access to a recording of our Wealth Secrets of the 1% or our Real Estate masterclass as our gift to you.) Email info@NataliePace.com to learn more and register now.

If you'd like a life-changing adventure of a lifetime, be our guest at a royal manor house in Cornwall, England, March 4-11, 2027. (With just three rooms still available, this exclusive, private, bucket-list is almost sold out!) Call 310-430-2397 or email info@NataliePace.com to learn more. The 2025 Restormel Retreat was a magical and royal experience. Click to learn more. 

Request testimonials at info@NataliePace.com. You can also view some on the flyer page of the retreat. 

Learn how to:

* Invest in hot industries, such as Nvidia, artificial intelligence, and chips,
* Save thousands annually with smarter big-ticket choices
* Hedge against a weaker dollar,
* Invest and compound your gains,
* Green your retirement plan,
* Easy and efficacious nest egg strategies,
* Get hot and diversified (including in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and crypto),
* Evaluate stocks,
* Avoid capital gains and financial predators,
* Keep an age-appropriate amount safe, and,
* Know what's safe in a Debt World.

Yes, it's a complete money makeover. 
​​
Email info@NataliePace.com or call 310-430-2397 to learn more and register. Learn the 15+ things you'll master and read testimonials in the flyer on the home page at NataliePace.com. ​

"Ten minutes into the first day I was already much smarter about investing than I ever thought I would be in my life and I knew I was in exactly the right place at this retreat. I am amazed at how EASY and FUN it is to make my money work for me and those I love. I think this kind of information should be compulsory in schools. I wish I'd learned this sooner." CM
​​
"Many people, including educated men and women, often get into trouble when they 
neglect to follow simple and fundamental rules of the type provided [by Natalie]. 
This is why I recommend them with enthusiasm." 
Professor Gary S. Becker. Dr. Becker won the 1992 Nobel Prize in economics for his theories on human capital

"College students need this information before they get their first credit card. Young adults need it before they buy their first home. Empty nesters can use the information to downsize to a sustainable lifestyle, before they get into trouble." 
Joe Moglia, former Chairman & CEO, TD AMERITRADE.


If you’d like an unbiased 2nd opinion on your current wealth plan, email info@NataliePace.com for pricing and information.

What Federal Reserve Board Chair Kevin Warsh Didn’t Say at Jackson Hole.
Every Federal Reserve Chair has a distinct style. Learning to read the subtle signals hidden within their words—and what they choose to omit—is more informative than just watching the speeches and taking it is gospel. At the August 28, 2026, Jackson Hole economic symposium in Wyoming, Fed Chair Kevin Warsh insisted he does not provide forward guidance. Yet, his language emphatically laid the groundwork for a specific policy direction. Below is a breakdown of what was said, what was left out, and what it actually means for your money.

1. Price Stability & Inflation

• What he said: Warsh mentioned “price stability” three times and referenced “inflation” 25 times during his 25-minute speech. He concluded with a firm warning: “The responsibility for 65 months of sustained, elevated inflation sits squarely with the central bank… We must be confident that underlying inflation is moving to our objective… Otherwise, we have work to do. That's our job . . . our mandate . . . and our charge to keep.”
• What it implies: Interest rates are far more likely to rise than fall. Wall Street has already responded, with the CME FedWatch Tool placing the odds of a rate hike at the upcoming September 15–16 meeting at 60%. 40% of the Wall Street whales expect two hikes by the Dec. 9, 2026 meeting.

2. GDP Growth & The K-Shaped Reality

• What he said: While Warsh avoided explicitly mentioning GDP, he enthusiastically highlighted many metrics that excite investors—touching heavily on AI, corporate capital expenditures (CapEx), and robust corporate profits. He noted that "real consumer spending has been healthy despite the shocks, increasing more than 2 percent over the past four quarters."
• What he left out: U.S. GDP growth is projected at a modest 2.2% (compared to China’s 4.4%). More importantly, his consumer spending data glosses over a stark K-shaped economy. Wealthy households are spending freely, while everyday consumers are taking on record debt to keep afloat. Household debt is at an all-time high -- far above the prior spike before the Great Recession.
  
  ​