Hi friends!

We hope you’ve been enjoying the glorious spring weather we’ve been having this week (and that you’re spared the seasonal allergies).

This week, we’re going to look at what’s happening with Netflix, the largest streaming service in the world, and whether its recent moves might threaten that status. Then, pickleball? You know you need to know more about that.

With over 220 million subscribers worldwide, a lot of us use Netflix, and what they do affects us. Recently, you may have seen that Netflix’s stock has dropped by 40%, and that Netflix lost over $50 billion. They lost over 200,000 subscribers last month and are projected to lose another

$2 million. What could be bringing down the streaming giant?

They’ve made a couple of very unpopular decisions: substantially increasing their subscription fees and monetizing password sharing, even between members of the same family. With so much competition in the streaming market, and many people disappointed in Netflix’s original programming, consumers may very well take their monthly subscription budget elsewhere.

This all speaks to the competition in the market and the ever-changing economic situation in America. As inflation rises much faster than wages, people are more likely to be picky about where they spend their money. And if a streaming service is less expensive, has more desirable programming, and allows families to share a password, consumers will likely gravitate in those directions. We’ll just have to see what happens.

If you’re looking for something to do away from the screens, may we suggest pickleball? You might already know about it, though–it’s the hottest sports trend going. Many people who have never played a sport in their lives are finding themselves on pickleball courts.

Pickleball looks like a combination of tennis, pingpong, and badminton. It’s been around since the 1960s, but the pandemic brought it back to life. Now one third of the players are under 25 years old and 17% are over 65. A great way to bond with family members of other generations while getting your heart rate up!  Give it a try and let us know what you think.

That’s it for us this week. We’ll be back in your inboxes next Friday.

How We Help:

We had a thorough discussion with one of our clients who is getting ready to retire. There is so much more to retirement than meets the eye; most people are focused only on the financial aspects. It’s understandable, but we have to remember what Todd calls the “two faces of retirement”: the financial and the emotional. Our team at Obsidian practices a holistic approach in helping our clients plan their future. In addition to their fiduciary responsibility to their clients, our planning team has empathetic advice for other aspects of life. For example, in the discussion with this client, they talked about home repairs and how he might spend his time post-retirement. We want your retirement to be fulfilling, and that means planning the finances and how you want to spend your time. If we can help you plan your retirement, give us a call.

Advisory Services offered through Obsidian Personal Planning Solutions, LLC. Securities are offered through Triad Advisors, member ​FINRA/SIPC.​ Obsidian Personal Planning Solutions, LLC, and Obsidian Personal Planning Solutions, Inc, are not affiliated with Triad Advisors.