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Milena Thomas
Milena Thomas

Director of AI and Product

Milena Thomas is Director of AI and Product at Briefs Finance. She holds a Master of Science in Finance and draws on her background in research and education to turn gaps in financial literacy into tools that help people take meaningful action.

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Years Exp.
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Status Active Writer
China's Oil Imports Just Hit A Three-Year Low
China's Oil Imports Just Hit A Three-Year Low
Milena Thomas • May 10, 2026
Netflix's $9 Plan Is Worth More To Netflix Than The $20 Plan
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Netflix's $9 Plan Is Worth More To Netflix Than The $20 Plan
Trump Media Lost $406 Million In Q1 On Crypto Markdowns. Revenue Was $871,000
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Trump Media Lost $406 Million In Q1 On Crypto Markdowns. Revenue Was $871,000
The ECB Wants A Finance Infrastructure Review. AI Is Why.
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
The ECB Wants A Finance Infrastructure Review. AI Is Why.
America's Two Hottest Housing Markets Are Both Named Springfield
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
America's Two Hottest Housing Markets Are Both Named Springfield
Your Grocery Bill Is Still Reflecting Late-2025 Oil Prices
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Your Grocery Bill Is Still Reflecting Late-2025 Oil Prices
Brent Crude And Global Food Prices Have Moved Together For Nearly Three Decades
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Brent Crude And Global Food Prices Have Moved Together For Nearly Three Decades
Nearly 9 In 10 Voters Say Buying A Home Is Harder Than Ever
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Nearly 9 In 10 Voters Say Buying A Home Is Harder Than Ever
More Briefs
Brookfield Just Raised $21 Billion In One Quarter
Brookfield Just Raised $21 Billion In One Quarter
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
The EU Just Delayed Its AI Act Until 2027. Siemens Got Its Carve-Out
The EU Just Delayed Its AI Act Until 2027. Siemens Got Its Carve-Out
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Michael Burry Says The AI Rally Is Starting To Look Like 1999
Michael Burry Says The AI Rally Is Starting To Look Like 1999
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
The Feds Just Opened A Self-Driving Probe Into Avride After 16 Crashes
The Feds Just Opened A Self-Driving Probe Into Avride After 16 Crashes
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Polish Drone Maker WB Electronics Eyes IPO On $51B EU Loans
Polish Drone Maker WB Electronics Eyes IPO On $51B EU Loans
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Med Spas Are Now A $17 Billion Real Estate Story
Med Spas Are Now A $17 Billion Real Estate Story
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Two Cities Named Springfield Are Now America's Hottest Housing Markets
Two Cities Named Springfield Are Now America's Hottest Housing Markets
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Datadog Stock Jumped 30% After AI Customers Spent More, Not Less
Datadog Stock Jumped 30% After AI Customers Spent More, Not Less
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Singapore Just Voted To Stop AI From Killing Jobs
Singapore Just Voted To Stop AI From Killing Jobs
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
China's Midea Just Raised $2.2 Billion In A Convertible Bond Sale
China's Midea Just Raised $2.2 Billion In A Convertible Bond Sale
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Berkshire's McLane Is Going Driverless Across The Sun Belt
Berkshire's McLane Is Going Driverless Across The Sun Belt
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Snap's $400 Million Perplexity Deal Just Died
Snap's $400 Million Perplexity Deal Just Died
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Chipotle's CEO Tells Customers To Ask For Bigger Portions As Sales Slip
Chipotle's CEO Tells Customers To Ask For Bigger Portions As Sales Slip
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
The Strait Of Hormuz Is Almost Empty And Gas Prices Just Hit A Four-Year High
The Strait Of Hormuz Is Almost Empty And Gas Prices Just Hit A Four-Year High
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
AI Infrastructure Imports Just Pushed The U.S. Trade Deficit Wider
AI Infrastructure Imports Just Pushed The U.S. Trade Deficit Wider
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Pfizer Beat Q1 Estimates. Its 2026 Outlook Is Roughly Flat
Pfizer Beat Q1 Estimates. Its 2026 Outlook Is Roughly Flat
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
How to Create Multiple Income Streams: A Beginner's Playbook
How to Create Multiple Income Streams: A Beginner's Playbook
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
The Yen Just Spiked In Asia Trading - And Hedge Funds Are Watching The Bounce
The Yen Just Spiked In Asia Trading - And Hedge Funds Are Watching The Bounce
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Anthropic Just Launched A $1.5 Billion AI Services Firm With Goldman And Blackstone
Anthropic Just Launched A $1.5 Billion AI Services Firm With Goldman And Blackstone
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Kalshi Traders Now See Strait Of Hormuz Reopening By September
Kalshi Traders Now See Strait Of Hormuz Reopening By September
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
AI Chipmaker Cerebras Just Filed For A $3.5 Billion IPO
AI Chipmaker Cerebras Just Filed For A $3.5 Billion IPO
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Iran Hit The UAE And US Sank Iranian Boats In Strait Of Hormuz
Iran Hit The UAE And US Sank Iranian Boats In Strait Of Hormuz
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Iran Strike On Saudi Plant Sends Circuit Board Prices Up 40%
Iran Strike On Saudi Plant Sends Circuit Board Prices Up 40%
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Greg Abel's First Berkshire Meeting Drew A Smaller Crowd And A Bigger Cash Pile
Greg Abel's First Berkshire Meeting Drew A Smaller Crowd And A Bigger Cash Pile
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
A Chinese Court Just Ruled Companies Can't Fire Workers To Replace Them With AI
A Chinese Court Just Ruled Companies Can't Fire Workers To Replace Them With AI
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
OPEC+ Is Raising Output Targets By 188,000 Barrels A Day. Most Of It Won't Actually Ship
OPEC+ Is Raising Output Targets By 188,000 Barrels A Day. Most Of It Won't Actually Ship
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Airport Traffic Now Predicts Housing Demand, Realtor.com Says
Airport Traffic Now Predicts Housing Demand, Realtor.com Says
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Hertz Is Becoming The Pit Crew For Uber's Robotaxi Network
Hertz Is Becoming The Pit Crew For Uber's Robotaxi Network
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Colombia's Central Bank Just Held Rates At 11.25%
Colombia's Central Bank Just Held Rates At 11.25%
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Vietnam's Inflation Just Spiked. The Iran War Is The Reason.
Vietnam's Inflation Just Spiked. The Iran War Is The Reason.
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Cerebras Doubles IPO Target To $4 Billion On $10 Billion In Demand
Cerebras Doubles IPO Target To $4 Billion On $10 Billion In Demand
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Veeva Joins The S&P 500 After A 30% Drop In 2026
Veeva Joins The S&P 500 After A 30% Drop In 2026
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Indian Refiners Just Bought 60 Million Barrels Of Russian Crude. Most Of It Skipped The Dollar.
Indian Refiners Just Bought 60 Million Barrels Of Russian Crude. Most Of It Skipped The Dollar.
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Berkshire's Yearly Bazaar Drew Lighter Crowds As Greg Abel Took The Buffett Spotlight
Berkshire's Yearly Bazaar Drew Lighter Crowds As Greg Abel Took The Buffett Spotlight
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Hershey's Profits Just Jumped 93%. Ice Breakers Has An Ozempic Tailwind
Hershey's Profits Just Jumped 93%. Ice Breakers Has An Ozempic Tailwind
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Saudi PIF Will End LIV Golf Funding After The 2026 Season
Saudi PIF Will End LIV Golf Funding After The 2026 Season
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Ethereum for Beginners: What It Is and Why Smart Investors Are Paying Attention
Ethereum for Beginners: What It Is and Why Smart Investors Are Paying Attention
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Trump Just Signed An Order Creating TrumpIRA.gov With A $1,000 Federal Match
Trump Just Signed An Order Creating TrumpIRA.gov With A $1,000 Federal Match
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
GE HealthCare Just Cut Its Profit Forecast And The Stock Dropped 13%
GE HealthCare Just Cut Its Profit Forecast And The Stock Dropped 13%
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Avis Just Posted A Wider Loss Than Expected And The Stock Fell Again
Avis Just Posted A Wider Loss Than Expected And The Stock Fell Again
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Fidelity Just Ended Hybrid Work And Ordered 21,000 Employees Back Five Days A Week
Fidelity Just Ended Hybrid Work And Ordered 21,000 Employees Back Five Days A Week
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Sri Lanka Just Disclosed A Second Missing Payment Days After Hackers Stole $2.5 Million
Sri Lanka Just Disclosed A Second Missing Payment Days After Hackers Stole $2.5 Million
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
How To Rebalance Portfolio: The Strategy That Forces You To Buy Low And Sell High
How To Rebalance Portfolio: The Strategy That Forces You To Buy Low And Sell High
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Alternative Investments Explained: What They Are And Why They Matter
Alternative Investments Explained: What They Are And Why They Matter
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
The World's First Industrial-Scale Green Fertilizer Plant Just Got A $665 Million Greenlight
The World's First Industrial-Scale Green Fertilizer Plant Just Got A $665 Million Greenlight
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Anthropic Just Doubled Its Claude Code Cost Estimate To $13 A Day
Anthropic Just Doubled Its Claude Code Cost Estimate To $13 A Day
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
U.S. Natural Gas Just Hit A Record Negative Streak While Europe's Doubled
U.S. Natural Gas Just Hit A Record Negative Streak While Europe's Doubled
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Uber Adds Hotel Booking Through Expedia And A Voice Booking Bot From OpenAI
Uber Adds Hotel Booking Through Expedia And A Voice Booking Bot From OpenAI
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Brent Crude Just Hit $114 As Trump Threatens Iran And UAE Quits OPEC
Brent Crude Just Hit $114 As Trump Threatens Iran And UAE Quits OPEC
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Starbucks Just Raised Its Outlook In A Quarter When Almost Nobody Else Did
Starbucks Just Raised Its Outlook In A Quarter When Almost Nobody Else Did
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Airtel Just Set Up A $2 Billion London IPO For Its Mobile Money Unit
Airtel Just Set Up A $2 Billion London IPO For Its Mobile Money Unit
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Nearly Half Of People Who Retired Last Year Did So Earlier Than Planned
Nearly Half Of People Who Retired Last Year Did So Earlier Than Planned
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
OpenAI Just Put Its Models On AWS A Day After Loosening Its Microsoft Deal
OpenAI Just Put Its Models On AWS A Day After Loosening Its Microsoft Deal
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Ryanair CEO Warns European Airlines Will Fail If Jet Fuel Stays At $150
Ryanair CEO Warns European Airlines Will Fail If Jet Fuel Stays At $150
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
AI Stocks Slide On Report OpenAI Missed Revenue Targets
AI Stocks Slide On Report OpenAI Missed Revenue Targets
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Bitcoin Just Failed Its Run At $80,000. Oil And Iran Are The Reason
Bitcoin Just Failed Its Run At $80,000. Oil And Iran Are The Reason
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
UPS, GM, Coca-Cola, Spotify, and JetBlue All Report Earnings Tuesday Morning
UPS, GM, Coca-Cola, Spotify, and JetBlue All Report Earnings Tuesday Morning
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Nearly 40% Of Rental Listings Now Come With A Free Month Or Waived Fees
Nearly 40% Of Rental Listings Now Come With A Free Month Or Waived Fees
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
BlackRock's IBIT Just Took In $284 Million In One Day As Q1 ETF Inflows Hit $18.7 Billion
BlackRock's IBIT Just Took In $284 Million In One Day As Q1 ETF Inflows Hit $18.7 Billion
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
DeFi Hackers Stole More Than $600 Million In Less Than Three Weeks
DeFi Hackers Stole More Than $600 Million In Less Than Three Weeks
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Iran Just Offered To Reopen The Strait Of Hormuz If The U.S. Lifts Its Blockade
Iran Just Offered To Reopen The Strait Of Hormuz If The U.S. Lifts Its Blockade
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Ube Goes Mainstream At U.S. Coffee Chains As Philippine Supply Tightens
Ube Goes Mainstream At U.S. Coffee Chains As Philippine Supply Tightens
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Tillis Clears Path For Kevin Warsh To Become The Next Fed Chair
Tillis Clears Path For Kevin Warsh To Become The Next Fed Chair
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Trump Cancels U.S. Trip To Pakistan For Iran Peace Talks
Trump Cancels U.S. Trip To Pakistan For Iran Peace Talks
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
The AI Boom Is A Power Story, Not Just A Software One
The AI Boom Is A Power Story, Not Just A Software One
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Mortgage Refi And Buy Apps Both Jumped Last Week
Mortgage Refi And Buy Apps Both Jumped Last Week
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
38% Of Real Estate Investors Expect 2026 To Get Better
38% Of Real Estate Investors Expect 2026 To Get Better
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
China Is Moving To Curb US Money In Its AI Firms
China Is Moving To Curb US Money In Its AI Firms
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Procter & Gamble Beat Q1, And The Read On Your Wallet Matters
Procter & Gamble Beat Q1, And The Read On Your Wallet Matters
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Crypto Traders Are Abandoning The Trump Memecoin And The Numbers Show It
Crypto Traders Are Abandoning The Trump Memecoin And The Numbers Show It
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
Adobe Just Approved A $25 Billion Stock Buyback After A Brutal Year
Adobe Just Approved A $25 Billion Stock Buyback After A Brutal Year
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026
AST SpaceMobile Just Got FCC Approval For Commercial Satellite Phone Service
AST SpaceMobile Just Got FCC Approval For Commercial Satellite Phone Service
Milena Thomas • May 5, 2026

Blogs

May 5, 2026
How to Create Multiple Income Streams: A Beginner's Playbook
By Milena Thomas
  • Most people rely on a single income stream from their job - which is also the most heavily taxed.
  • Multiple income streams come from a mix of cash flow, dividends, side businesses, real estate, and royalties.
  • The fastest path for most beginners is starting with one extra stream - usually dividends or a side hustle - and stacking from there.
Read More
May 5, 2026
The 60/40 Portfolio Explained: A Beginner's Guide
By Nate Gregory
  • A 60/40 portfolio holds 60% in stocks and 40% in bonds (or other fixed income).
  • It's designed to balance growth from stocks with stability from bonds.
  • Your "right" mix depends on age, time horizon, income needs, and how well you sleep when markets drop.
Read More
May 5, 2026
How to Invest in Silver: A Beginner's Guide
By Jackson Moreland
  • Silver is both a precious metal and an industrial metal, used in solar panels, electronics, and medical tech.
  • Investors can buy silver four main ways: physical bars and coins, ETFs, mining stocks, or futures contracts.
  • Most beginners are best served by allocating a small slice of their portfolio to silver - usually between 1% and 3%.
Read More
May 1, 2026
Asset Allocation by Age: The Right Portfolio Mix at Every Stage of Life
By Andre Savage
  • Younger investors should hold mostly stocks because they have decades to recover from crashes and benefit from compounding.
  • Allocations gradually shift toward bonds and stable income as retirement approaches, but stocks remain important even past age 65 to outpace inflation.
  • Annual rebalancing is essential - it forces you to buy low and sell high while keeping your portfolio aligned with your actual life stage.
Read More
April 30, 2026
Stablecoin Explained: Why Some Cryptocurrencies Actually Aren't Volatile
By Jackson Moreland
  • Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies pegged to stable assets like the US dollar, giving crypto-style speed and access without the volatility of Bitcoin or Ethereum.
  • Fiat-backed stablecoins like USDC are the safest option, while algorithmic stablecoins have failed spectacularly and should generally be avoided.
  • Stablecoins fit a portfolio as cash reserves with better yields, a hedge against crypto volatility, and a fast, cheap rail for international transactions.
Read More
April 30, 2026
Buy Now, Pay Later Risks: Why This "Easy" Payment Method Is Dangerous to Your Wealth
By Nate Gregory
  • Buy now, pay later services like Klarna, Affirm, and Sezzle are debt products designed to feel harmless while keeping users in a cycle of overspending.
  • BNPL exploits psychological debt blindness, triggers late fees, and damages credit scores without helping users build positive credit history.
  • Building real wealth means waiting 30 days, paying upfront when you have the cash, and avoiding systems built to extract money from your future income.
Read More
April 30, 2026
Dividend Payout Ratio: The Secret Metric That Shows If a Stock Is Safe or Risky
By Jackson Moreland
  • Dividend payout ratio is total dividends paid divided by net income, showing the percentage of earnings a company returns to shareholders.
  • A 20-50% payout ratio is generally safe and sustainable, while ratios above 75% often signal a dividend cut is coming.
  • High dividend yields can be warning signs, not opportunities - safety and dividend growth matter more than the headline yield number.
Read More
April 30, 2026
Ethereum for Beginners: What It Is and Why Smart Investors Are Paying Attention
By Milena Thomas
  • Ethereum is a blockchain platform that runs smart contracts, while Ether (ETH) is the cryptocurrency that powers the network.
  • Use cases include decentralized finance, NFTs, gaming, supply chain tracking, and digital identity - many still experimental.
  • Most investors should treat Ethereum as a small allocation hedge using dollar-cost averaging, not a get-rich-quick lottery ticket.
Read More
April 30, 2026
Dollar Cost Averaging Strategy: How to Beat Emotion and Build Wealth Steadily
By Nate Gregory
  • Dollar cost averaging means investing the same amount at regular intervals regardless of what the market is doing.
  • The strategy automatically buys more shares when prices are low and fewer when prices are high, lowering your average cost over time.
  • DCA removes emotion, eliminates the need to time the market, and turns volatility into a mathematical advantage for long-term investors.
Read More
April 30, 2026
The BRRRR Strategy: How to Build Real Estate Wealth Without Big Money Down
By Andre Savage
  • BRRRR stands for Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat - a five-step framework for scaling real estate without saving for big down payments.
  • The strategy works by buying distressed properties below market value, adding value through smart renovations, and pulling out equity through refinancing.
  • Tax advantages like depreciation and mortgage interest deductions make BRRRR a powerful tool for owners willing to manage tenants and contractors.
Read More
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