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Discover wasteful spending trends -- and how high-yield savings accounts and budgeting tools can help curb impulse buying and grow your cash.

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Americans shelled out $103 billion on state lottery tickets in 2023 and earned a prize payout of $69 billion. Does that make playing the lottery a good investment?

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Jack Caporal

Jack Caporal

Research Director

Jack Caporal is the Research Director for The Motley Fool and Motley Fool Money and has worked full-time for the company since 2021. Jack leads efforts to identify and analyze trends shaping investing and personal financial decisions across the United States. His research has appeared in thousands of media outlets including Harvard Business Review, The New York Times, Bloomberg, and CNBC, and has been cited in congressional testimony. He previously covered business and economic trends as a reporter and policy analyst in Washington, D.C. He serves as Chair of the Trade Policy Committee at the World Trade Center in Denver, Colorado. He holds a B.A. degree in International Relations with a concentration in International Economics from Michigan State University.

Expertise

Data collection, analysis, and visualization; consumer research & insights; financial education

Past Experience

Reporter and Policy Analyst

Joel O'Leary

Joel O'Leary

Full-Time Personal Finance Writer

Joel O’Leary is a full-time Personal Finance Writer at Motley Fool Money, covering credit cards, bank accounts, investing, mortgages, and other personal finance topics. Joel has been writing about personal finance since 2018, previously leading editorial content for the How To Money podcast and serving as a resident writer at Budgets Are Sexy. He bought his first rental property at age 18, funding the down payment with savings from his high school job at McDonald’s -- a testament to his lifelong passion for smart money decisions. His work aims to make personal finance accessible and actionable for everyday readers. When he’s not writing, Joel enjoys surfing and spending time with his family.

Expertise

Credit cards, banking, investing, insurance, personal loans

Past Experience

Writer & Editor, How To Money
Resident Blogger, Budgets Are Sexy

Recent Research

View All Research Learn More Link Arrow
Feb. 12, 2026 | By Jack Caporal

The Largest Robo-Advisors: AUM, Users, and Returns

Vanguard runs the largest robo-advisor by AUM, with over $300 billion in assets. Read on to learn more.
Feb. 11, 2026 | By Jack Caporal

Average American Credit Card Debt Heading Into 2026

Credit card debt totaled $1.28 trillion as of the fourth quarter of 2025. Read on for more credit card debt statistics and trends.
Feb. 11, 2026 | By Jack Caporal

Average American Household Debt in 2025: Facts and Figures

American households carry more than $18 trillion in debt, and the average household debt is $105,056. Read on for more household debt statistics.
Feb. 6, 2026 | By Jack Caporal

The Median Monthly Mortgage Payment in 2025 by State, City, and More

The median monthly mortgage payment is $2,034 -- read on for mortgage payment statistics by city, state, income, and more.
Jan. 29, 2026 | By Jack Caporal

America's Wasteful Spending Habits: From DoorDash to Dead Subscriptions

Discover wasteful spending trends -- and how high-yield savings accounts and budgeting tools can help curb impulse buying and grow your cash.