This story is part of CNBC Make It’s Millennial Money series, which details how people around the world earn, spend and save their money.

Lauren Perraut has “always been drawn to blood, body parts, gross things,” she says.

The 32-year-old’s mom worked as a medical laboratory scientist at a blood bank for decades before retiring. Perraut would visit her mother’s lab as a kid and see those elemental parts of the body up close.

She liked “seeing things that most people don’t get to see,” she says.

That’s why when it came time to forge her own career path, Perraut opted to become a pathologists’ assistant. Pathologists diagnose medical conditions by observing patient specimens in a lab. As a PA, Perraut dissects organs and tests body tissue to prep them for the pathologist, and helps come up with a patient’s diagnosis.

Two perks of Perraut’s job: It offers high pay and doesn’t require a lengthy medical degree. She currently makes about $122,000 per year.

Perraut lives with her husband, Dylan, and 2-year-old son, Reed, in Lexington, Kentucky. Here’s how she built her career and how the couple manages their money.

Perraut attended Eastern Kentucky University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in medical laboratory science, knowing she wanted to work in health care. But she didn’t want to spend nearly a decade going to medical school and completing a residency program.

“I really value work-life balance,” she says.

As an undergrad, she discovered the pathologists’ assistant path, which only required a two-year master’s program. She graduated from Duke University School of Medicine with her master of health science, pathologists’ assistant in 2017 and started working full-time a week later.

“There’s a national shortage of medical laboratory workers,” she says. As a result, “there’s a really high demand for PAs right now.”

Perraut works about 40 hours per week and loves her day-to-day. “When I get to work, we usually have specimens set up for us to start working on,” she says. “Those can range from small biopsies that come from a colonoscopy to larger, more complex cancer resections.”

She also loves being a critical piece in a patient’s treatment. “I feel like my career is really high impact,” she says. “But most people don’t even know that I exist.”  

Perraut is the primary breadwinner in her family of three. Her husband makes about $60,000 per year as an academic advisor at the University of Kentucky.

Here’s how the family spent their money in June 2025.

• Savings and investments: $3,899 into retirement funds and a shared brokerage account
• Insurance: $3,333 for health, dental and vision insurance, as well as Dylan’s life insurance
• Discretionary: $2,176 for Amazon purchases like a hat and sunglasses for Reed, child care and home goods
• Housing: $1,966 toward their mortgage, electricity, water, sewage and Wi-Fi
• Food: $1,057 for groceries and a few outings to local restaurants
• Transportation: $442 for gas, parking and an oil change
• Subscriptions and memberships: $168 for Spotify, Peloton and their annual Sam’s Club membership
• Phones: $77

Saving is a top priority for Perraut and her husband, and they put around $3,900 into savings and investments per month. As of June, they had around $400,000 in retirement savings and about $113,500 in a shared brokerage account and a high-yield savings account. They also regularly contribute to a 529 college savings account for Reed, which has about $11,500 in it.

“Our goal is to save up enough to have the flexibility to retire when we want,” Perraut says.

In June, the couple’s second-biggest expense was insurance, including health, dental and vision. The bill’s not usually a cumulative $3,333 — they happened to pay Dylan’s annual life insurance of $2,968 that month.

The couple bought a three-bedroom house in 2021, and the only debt they currently have is their mortgage. They also pay about $1,696 for homeowners insurance annually, and their property taxes were about $3,427 in 2024.

Car insurance is annual as well and comes out to $1,537.

Surprise expenses in June included various medical supplies, like eyelid cleanser. And other than the occasional trip to McDonald’s or a local restaurant, the family doesn’t spend much on going out to eat.

“I feel like Dylan and I are both relatively frugal people,” says Perraut. “I don’t feel the need to buy super expensive things or go out to super expensive restaurants.”   

Perraut is very happy with the balance they’ve struck. “We both enjoy our jobs and we enjoy our routine,” she says. She doesn’t think she’ll want to retire early, even if she can afford to.

She loves their location as well. “I really enjoy living in Kentucky,” she says. “We’re pretty centrally located to bigger cities like Nashville or Indianapolis or Washington, D.C. We can drive to the beach within a day. We’re surrounded by horse farms and lots of bourbon.”

Perraut wants to encourage others to consider a similar career path in health. “Even since I’ve graduated, the salary range has increased significantly,” she says about pathologists’ assistant roles.

“I find a lot of joy in my job, and I really want to share that with others.”

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Trust is the cornerstone of any successful relationship. Without it, even the strongest emotional connection can feel unstable.

At its core, trust is having confidence that your partner is reliable, that they are someone who does what they say they will do. It has to be earned through honesty and emotional vulnerability over time.

As a Harvard-trained psychologist who focuses on relationships, I’ve found that partners who truly trust each other are willing to lean into difficult conversations. Here are 10 things they regularly talk about, even if it’s uncomfortable for them.

Managing finances is one of the top reasons couples fight, and one of the most important topics discuss. Partners who trust one another talk about everything from the shared budget to who will pay for what (and when) to financial priorities that lay the groundwork for spending.

Every person brings a different background, set of desires, and expectations into the bedroom. Trusting couples can speak honestly about what they like, what they don’t, and how to keep intimacy alive. These conversations are less about performance and more about connection and creating an enjoyable experience together.

If you’re raising children together, chances are your parenting styles won’t match exactly. Couples who trust their partner give and receive feedback, adjust when necessary, and stay focused on raising kids based on shared values, not just individual preferences.

We all carry baggage. Whether it’s from childhood, past relationships, or personal trauma, couples who trust each other feel safe enough to be vulnerable about the experiences that shaped who they are today. They open up about painful experiences, not to be “fixed,” but to be seen and understood.

Time is a finite resource. Couples in healthy relationships talk about how they want to spend it, both when together and apart. That includes expectations for quality time, travel, work schedules, and alone time. These conversations keep the relationship aligned and prevent misunderstandings.

We all have insecurities and shame about things we’ve done: stupid decisions we’ve made, embarrassment about current choices, and even realities that we struggle to admit to ourselves because it hurts so much. When you trust your partner, you can tell them your deepest secrets without fear that they will reject or berate you.

When someone makes a mistake, like being late to a planned event or making a choice that is bound to undermine trust, couples who trust each other tell the truth. Even if a mistake is large and ruptures trust, each partner understands building a life based on lies eventually undermines the framework of the relationship itself.

For most people, family members are among the most loved people in our lives. Yet, they also make for some of our most difficult relationships. Couples who truly trust each other talk about family dynamics, ask for help navigating challenging relationships, and support each other to make these relationships as healthy as possible.

Relationships inherently have power dynamics. Who makes decisions? Who compromises? Who leads and when? When in an argument, couples who trust each other navigate these power struggles together, engaging in a dance of intimacy. Sometimes they take a stand, and other times they back down in a respectful way.

Couples who trust each other are willing to share their aspirations and hopes for the future with each other, even the crazy or unlikely ones!

I always remind people that even the most connected couples aren’t perfect. They just know how to face imperfection and have hard conversations together — something that most people rarely do. And when that happens, it’s truly a gift.

Dr. Cortney S. Warren, PhD, is a board-certified psychologist and author of the new book “Letting Go of Your Ex.” She specializes in romantic relationships, addictive behavior, and honesty. She received her clinical training at Harvard Medical School after earning her doctorate in clinical psychology from Texas A&M University. Follow her on Instagram @DrCortneyWarren or Twitter @DrCortneyWarren.

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The worst thing you can ask at the start of any interaction is: “How are you?” 

You’re essentially telling the other person that the interaction will be like every other interaction. They’ll most likely respond, “My day’s been busy. Good but busy.” It’s boring and generates a social script. 

I’ve spent the last 17 years studying human behavior and what sparks connections between strangers. I’ve learned that trust can catch fire or die out right away, all due to small signals in those first seconds of an interaction. 

Here’s what to do if you really want to instantly gain trust.

Don’t ask what everyone else is asking, like “What’s up?” or “Been busy lately?” Try a question that’s still casual, but looking for excitement. This sets you up for a better interaction.

A few examples:

• Don’t ask: “How’s it going?” Instead, ask: “What’s the highlight of your week so far?”
• Don’t ask: “Have you been keeping busy?” Instead, ask: “Any big wins lately?”
• Don’t ask: “Working on anything lately?” Instead, ask: “Working on anything exciting these days?”

DON’T MISS: How to Build a Standout Personal Brand: Online, In Person, and At Work

If you want to generate trust with anyone, encourage them to tell stories about their lives. Be known for asking others what they are most looking forward to.

Here’s my trick:

• On Mondays and Tuesdays, I ask everyone, “Did you do anything fun this past weekend?” 
• On Thursdays and Fridays, I modify it to, “Are you doing anything fun this upcoming weekend?” 
• On Wednesdays, I ask, “Working on anything fun or exciting this week?” 
• Before any holiday or break, I ask, “Looking forward to anything fun for the holidays?”

Everyone on my team and in my life knows I’m going to be asking for fun or exciting plans, so they save them up to tell me all about them (or avoid me when life is boring). It’s a win-win!

When it comes to building trust, it isn’t just the questions you ask, but how you respond when someone tries to connect with you, too.

The biggest mistake I see people make is that when they start conversations, they immediately lead with negativity: “Ugh this terrible weather!” or “My schedule has been crazy!” Instead, save one interesting thing to lead with and be ready when someone asks you a boring question. 

The next time someone asks, “How are you?” try to respond with some humor or whimsy instead. You might try a reply like:

• “Good enough that I remembered to floss. So, a win.”
• “Running on caffeine and a dream.”
• “10 of 10 today, I just got one new follower on Instagram.”
• “Hanging in there like a cat on a motivational poster.”

Essentially, anything other than the standard “Busy, but good” will wake people up.

Words matter, but your body talks louder. Keep arms uncrossed and face them square to seem open. An open stance invites reciprocity; a closed one sparks doubt. 

A solid handshake — one to three pumps, firm but easy — says you’re sure of yourself and can even signal your personality traits. 

On video calls, lean in a bit to close the gap. If they nod, try nodding back. Matching or mirroring their body signals tells their brain you’re safe.

Test these tips in safe, low-pressure places, like chatting with a cashier, a neighbor, or a friend over coffee. 

I do it myself before big talks — with my family at dinner, strangers in line, Uber drivers during rides, you name it — and it sharpens how I come across, making the moves feel second nature.

The key is to start small, and be consistent.

Try the question about positive future plans at lunch, or the mirroring body language on a walk. Over time, you’ll notice people opening up quicker, smiling more, and engaging deeper, even in brief encounters.

Vanessa Van Edwards is a speaker, researcher and the author of ”Captivate: The Science of Succeeding with People″ and ”Cues: Master the Secret Language of Charismatic Communication.” She is the founder of Science of People, where she leads workshops and courses on science-based soft skills to help people become better communicators.

Want to stand out, grow your network, and get more job opportunities? Sign up for Smarter by CNBC Make It’s new online course, How to Build a Standout Personal Brand: Online, In Person, and At Work. Learn from three expert instructors how to showcase your skills, build a stellar reputation, and create a digital presence that AI can’t replicate. 

A recent InterNations Expat Insider survey ranks the best countries for expats in 2025.

InterNations surveyed 10,085 expats with a sample size of at least 50 participants per country to determine the final ranking. A total of 46 destinations across the globe were ranked based on five topical categories: working abroad, personal finance, quality of life, expat essentials, and ease of settling in.

Survey participants were asked to rate up to 53 factors on a scale of one to seven.

Kathrin Chudoba, Chief Marketing Officer at InterNations, tells CNBC Make It that the biggest takeaway from this year’s ranking is that people looking to live and work abroad are having positive experiences in Asian and Latin American countries, which have a strong showing on the list.

Spain is the only European country to land a spot in the top 10 best country for expats list.

“This confirms a trend that we have observed in the past three years or so and that’s the importance of personal finance amongst expats,” Chudoba says. “It clearly shows that expats haven’t been left untouched by the effects of economic uncertainty and high inflation.”

While the United States didn’t make the top 10, it did rank at No. 36 on the list, falling one spot from No. 35 last year.

Chudoba says the U.S. scored lower ratings across all the indices covered in the survey.

“In the eyes of our respondents, the U.S. suffers from a lack of affordability, availability and equal access, and also the health care quality was perceived as slightly substandard,” she says.

“In the political stability and personal freedom categories, the U.S. received the worst ratings in years with only 58% of expats in the U.S. saying they feel they can openly express themselves and their opinions. That’s worse than the global average of 63%.”

For the second consecutive year, Panama ranked as the best country for expats. According to the survey, 94% of expats are happy with their life abroad and found that Panama is the place to be for retirees.

35% of respondents are already retired and 18% say their primary motivation for moving was to retire there. In the quality of life ranking, Panama also ranked No. 3 and 35% plan to stay forever.

“It has a perfect mix of decent infrastructure at affordable prices in combination with a pleasant climate and most importantly, a culture that’s open, friendly and easy to integrate with,” Chudoba says.

Panama has long been known as an affordable destination for expats. For about $800 to $1,500 per month, you can live comfortably in small towns, villages and farming communities, according to the Global Citizen Solutions. Those looking to live in the Panamanian capital, Panama City, will require a higher monthly budget of up to $2,500. The overall cost of living in Panama for a single person is 36.3% lower than in the U.S.

Panama offers expats several different visa options, including the Friendly Nations visa, the Pensionado (“Pensioner” in English) Program, and the Remote Worker visa.

1. Panama
2. Colombia
3. Mexico
4. Thailand
5. Vietnam
6. China
7. UAE
8. Indonesia
9. Spain
10. Malaysia

Climbing from fifth place in 2024 to No. 2 this year, Colombia ranked as the second-best country for expats. The survey found that 81% of respondents are satisfied with their financial situation in Colombia.

Colombia also ranked highly in the quality of life index, with 92% of respondents stating that their disposable household income is sufficient to lead a comfortable life in the South American country.

“Similar to what makes Panama such a great place, Colombia also shines in the east of settling in index, meaning expats appreciate the friendliness of the population. They feel welcome. They find it easy to integrate into the local culture and to make friends,” Chudoba says.

Chudoba also points out that for Colombia, 36% of expats said they wanted to stay in Colombia forever, and another 47% said they have no clear plans of leaving the country.

The cost of living in Colombia is 62.2% lower than the United States, including rent. If that wasn’t low enough, the rent prices in Colombia are 76.2% lower than in America.

Similar to Panama, Colombia offers several visa options for expats seeking to reside in the South American country. Some of the most common types of visas are the Type M for Migrant and the Type V for Visitor. Both visas have subcategories like investment, work, retirement, student and digital nomad.

Want to stand out, grow your network, and get more job opportunities? Sign up for Smarter by CNBC Make It’s new online course, How to Build a Standout Personal Brand: Online, In Person, and At Work. Learn how to showcase your skills, build a stellar reputation, and create a digital presence that AI can’t replicate.

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For the first time in 2025, the Federal Reserve is reducing the cost of borrowing, including for credit cards, loans and auto financing.

As expected, the central bank cut the federal funds rate by 25 basis points on Wednesday, bringing it down to a range of 4% to 4.25%. That benchmark rate influences how much interest lenders charge on certain types of credit and loans.

The Fed has kept borrowing costs elevated for more than two years to help slow inflation, since higher rates make it more expensive for households and businesses to spend and borrow. On July 30, Fed chair Jerome Powell had described the rate as “modestly restrictive.” 

Despite higher borrowing costs, inflation rose to 2.9% in August from a year earlier, above the Fed’s 2% target. But the central bank is now shifting focus to a weakening labor market, as job growth has slowed in recent months. Both price stability and supporting the labor market are part of the Fed’s dual mandate.

President Donald Trump has been publicly pressuring the Fed to lower rates. On Sept. 15, he wrote on Truth Social: ”‘Too Late’ MUST CUT INTEREST RATES, NOW, AND BIGGER THAN HE HAD IN MIND. HOUSING WILL SOAR!!!,” referring to Powell.

Wednesday’s cut was already expected, but Trump’s ongoing criticism has put new pressure on the central bank’s long-held independence.

Wednesday’s quarter-point cut translates into small but noticeable savings across common types of debt. Here’s what that might look like, based on estimates provided by Bankrate.

Credit cards

Credit card interest rates are variable and directly tied to the Fed’s benchmark, meaning borrowers carrying a balance will see changes within a couple of billing cycles.

Average rates will fall by about a quarter percentage point, bringing the current average rate of 20.12% down slightly. For a balance of $5,000, it will amount to a few bucks off monthly interest payments.

Auto loans

New car loan rates don’t move in lockstep with the Fed, but they usually edge lower when borrowing costs fall. On a $35,000 loan over five years, payments would drop by about $4 a month with a quarter-point cut, based on Wednesday’s average percentage rate of 7.19%.

In February, the average 60-month loan rate was 7.91%. At that level, the same loan would have cost about $11 more per month than it does today.

Home equity lines of credit

A HELOC lets homeowners borrow against their equity — the portion of the home they own outright — through a revolving credit line, typically with a 10-year draw period followed by a repayment period of 10 to 20 years. Rates are variable and tied to the prime rate, which moves with the Fed’s benchmark, so borrowers usually see lower costs soon after a rate cut.

Based on a Sept. 1 average rate of 8.5%, a $50,000 balance would see payments drop by about $10 a month during the interest-only draw period and by about $7 once repayment begins, per Bankrate’s calculations.

Adjustable-rate mortgages

Unlike a 30-year fixed mortgage, an ARM begins with a set interest rate for an initial term — often five, seven or 10 years — before adjusting at regular intervals based on market benchmarks.

For a $250,000 five-year ARM with the current rate of 6.56%, a quarter-point Fed cut would lower payments by about $40 a month, but only once the loan resets to the new rate. New ARM offers can reflect Fed cuts within days as lenders adjust pricing.

More cuts may be on the way. With the job market faltering and new tariffs adding uncertainty to the economy, futures markets are pricing in as many as two additional cuts — totaling 75 basis points — by the end of the year, according to the CME FedWatch tool, which tracks investor expectations for Fed policy.

Those rate cuts would add further savings, but they’re less likely if inflation picks up again.

In a July 1 press conference, Powell said rate cuts would “depend on the data.” And in a speech on Aug. 22, he warned “upward pressure on prices from tariffs could spur a more lasting inflation dynamic.”

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