![\"U.S.](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/32ad84146a9fb6d4f683cc9f42ab756c.jpeg\")
Kyle Mazza\/Anadolu via Getty Images <\/p>\n Kyle Mazza\/Anadolu via Getty Images <\/p>\n
Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in the content below.<\/p>\n
Ever since the Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump\u2019s sweeping tariffs were illegal, a key question has emerged: who, if anyone, could get that money back?<\/p>\n
Several prominent political leaders say the Trump administration should return the funds directly to American families \u2014 and do so \u201cimmediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker penned a scathing letter to Trump demanding refunds for families in his state.<\/p>\n
\u201cI demand a refund of $1,700 for every family in Illinois,\u201d Pritzker wrote (1).<\/p>\n
The letter included an invoice totaling $8,679,261,600 \u2014 calculated as 5,105,448 Illinois families multiplied by $1,700 each \u2014 stamped with a red \u201cPast Due \u2013 Delinquent\u201d notice.<\/p>\n
California Gov. Gavin Newsom also called on the Trump administration to immediately \u201ccough up\u201d refund checks.<\/p>\n
\u201cDonald Trump should return that money immediately \u2014 $1,751 per family,\u201d Newsom said after the Supreme Court struck down the tariffs (2), citing a Yale report estimating that tariffs cost the average U.S. family $1,751 last year (3).<\/p>\n
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul has joined the effort as well, recently sending a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent calling for similar action.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn behalf of over 20 million New Yorkers, I demand the Trump Administration refund approximately $1,751 for every New York household, for a total tariff refund of approximately $13.5 billion to New Yorkers,\u201d Hochul wrote (4).<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not just governors pushing for refunds.<\/p>\n
A group of Senate Democrats has introduced The Tariff Refund Act of 2026, which would require the federal government to return the tariff revenue it collected \u2014 with interest \u2014 within 180 days (5).<\/p>\n
\u201cTrump\u2019s illegal tariff taxes cost small businesses, consumers and families up to $175 billion. That money must be repaid immediately,\u201d said Sen. Edward J. Markey, one of the bill\u2019s sponsors.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the legal battle continues.<\/p>\n
On Monday, a federal appeals court rejected the Trump administration\u2019s attempt to delay the process of refunding billions of dollars in tariffs (6).<\/p>\n
For many households, the possibility raises an obvious question \u2014 what would be the smartest way to use the money if refunds do materialize?<\/p>\n
Whether you\u2019re thinking about strengthening your finances, preparing for uncertainty or putting extra cash to work, here are a few ways Americans could consider using a potential windfall.<\/p>\n
The U.S. stock market has been a powerful engine of wealth creation. Trump has pointed to that strength, recently saying that \u201cthe only thing that\u2019s really going up big? It\u2019s the stock market and your 401(k)s\u201d (7).<\/p>\n
The benchmark S&P 500 returned about 16% in 2025 and is up roughly 79% over the past five years, underscoring the strength of the long-running rally.<\/p>\n
Of course, consistently picking winning stocks isn\u2019t easy. That\u2019s why legendary investor Warren Buffett argues that most people don\u2019t need to pick individual companies at all to benefit from the stock market\u2019s long-term growth.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn my view, for most people, the best thing to do is own the S&P 500 index fund,\u201d Buffett has famously stated (8). This approach gives investors exposure to 500 of America\u2019s largest companies across a wide range of industries, providing instant diversification without the need for constant monitoring or active trading.<\/p>\n
The beauty of this approach is its accessibility \u2014 anyone, regardless of wealth, can take advantage of it. Even small amounts can grow over time with tools like Acorns<\/a>, a popular app that automatically invests your spare change.<\/p>\n Signing up for Acorns takes just minutes: Link your cards and Acorns will round up each purchase to the nearest dollar, investing the difference \u2014 your spare change \u2014 into a diversified portfolio.<\/p>\n That morning coffee for $4.25? It\u2019s now a 75-cent investment in your future.<\/p>\n With Acorns, you can invest in an S&P 500 ETF with as little as $5 \u2014 and, if you sign up today with a recurring investment, Acorns will add a $20 bonus<\/a> to help you begin your investment journey.<\/p>\n Read More: I\u2019m almost 50 years old and don\u2019t have retirement savings. Is it too late to catch up?<\/a><\/p>\n Read More: Non-millionaires can now invest in this $1B private real estate fund starting at just $10<\/a><\/p>\n Beyond stocks, real estate has long been another cornerstone of wealth-building in America.<\/p>\n In fact, Buffett often points to real estate when explaining what a productive, income-generating asset looks like. In 2022, Buffett stated that if you offered him \u201c1% of all the apartment houses in the country\u201d for $25 billion, he would \u201cwrite you a check\u201d (9).<\/p>\n Why? Because regardless of what\u2019s happening in the broader economy, people still need a place to live and apartments can consistently produce rent money.<\/p>\n Real estate also offers a built-in hedge against inflation. When inflation rises, property values often increase as well, reflecting the higher costs of materials, labor and land. At the same time, rental income tends to go up, providing landlords with a revenue stream that adjusts with inflation.<\/p>\n Of course, you don\u2019t need $25 billion \u2014 or even to buy a single property outright \u2014 to invest in real estate. Crowdfunding platforms like Arrived<\/a> offer an easier way to get exposure to this income-generating asset class.<\/p>\n Backed by world-class investors like Jeff Bezos, Arrived allows you to invest in shares of rental homes with as little as $100<\/a> \u2014 all without the hassle of mowing lawns, fixing leaky faucets or handling difficult tenants.<\/p>\n The process is simple: Browse a curated selection of homes that have been vetted for their appreciation and income potential. Once you find a property you like, select the number of shares you\u2019d like to purchase and then sit back as you start receiving any positive rental income distributions from your investment<\/a>.<\/p>\n For a limited time, when you open an account and add $1,000 or more, Arrived will credit your account with a 1% match<\/a>.<\/p>\n Mogul is another option. It\u2019s a real estate investment platform offering fractional ownership in blue-chip rental properties<\/a>, which gives investors monthly rental income, real-time appreciation and tax benefits \u2014 without the need for a hefty down payment or 3 a.m. tenant calls.<\/p>\n Founded by former Goldman Sachs real estate investors, the team hand-picks the top 1% of single-family rental homes nationwide<\/a> for you. In other words, you gain access to institutional-quality offerings for a fraction of the usual cost.<\/p>\n Each property undergoes a rigorous vetting process, requiring a minimum 12% return even in downside scenarios. Across the board, the platform features an average annual IRR of 18.8%. Offerings often sell out in under three hours<\/a>, with investments typically ranging between $15,000 and $40,000 per property.<\/p>\n You can sign up for an account and then browse available properties here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Trump has often touted the strength of the U.S. economy. But as history has shown, it may not be wise to put all your eggs in one basket \u2014 especially amid ongoing geopolitical conflicts and global uncertainty.<\/p>\n Ray Dalio, founder of the world\u2019s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, has offered a clear perspective on positioning during times of geopolitical turmoil.<\/p>\n \u201cAs for investing, sell out of all debt and buy gold because wars are financed by borrowing and printing money, which devalues debt and money and because there is a justifiable reluctance to accept credit,\u201d he wrote on X (10).<\/p>\n Gold has long been viewed as the ultimate safe haven. It can\u2019t be printed out of thin air like fiat money and because it\u2019s not tied to any single currency or economy, investors often flock to it during periods of economic turmoil or geopolitical uncertainty, driving up its value.<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t the first time Dalio has highlighted gold\u2019s importance. Last year, he told<\/a> CNBC that \u201cpeople don’t have, typically, an adequate amount of gold in their portfolio,\u201d adding that \u201cwhen bad times come, gold is a very effective diversifier.\u201d<\/p>\n Over the past 12 months, gold prices have surged by more than 70%.<\/p>\n One way to invest in gold that also provides significant tax advantages is to open a gold IRA with the help of Priority Gold<\/a>.<\/p>\n Gold IRAs allow investors to hold physical gold or gold-related assets within a retirement account, thereby combining the tax advantages of an IRA with the protective benefits of investing in gold<\/a>, making it an option for those looking to help shield their retirement funds against economic uncertainties.<\/p>\n When you make a qualifying purchase with Priority Gold, you can receive up to $10,000 in precious metals<\/a> for free.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t need a massive investment portfolio to start building wealth. Even your spare cash \u2014 like a potential tariff refund \u2014 can earn income, rather than sitting idle in a low-yield account.<\/p>\n To get started, a high-yield account like a Wealthfront Cash Account<\/a> can be a great place to grow your emergency funds, offering both competitive interest rates and easy access to your cash when you need it.<\/p>\n A Wealthfront Cash Account currently offers a base variable APY of 3.30% and new clients can get a 0.75% boost during their first three months on up to $150,000 for a total APY of 4.05%<\/a>. That\u2019s 10 times the national deposit savings rate, according to the FDIC\u2019s January report.<\/p>\n With no minimum balances or account fees, as well as 24\/7 withdrawals and free domestic wire transfers, your funds remain accessible at all times. Plus, Wealthfront Cash Account balances of up to $8 million are insured<\/a> by the FDIC through program banks.<\/p>\n Join 250,000+ readers and get Moneywise\u2019s best stories and exclusive interviews first \u2014 clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now.<\/a><\/p>\n We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines<\/a>.<\/p>\n @JBPritzker (1<\/a>); CNN-News18 (2<\/a>); The Budget Lab (3<\/a>); New York State Executive Chamber (4<\/a>); United States Senate Committee on Finance (5<\/a>); CBS News (6<\/a>); NTD (7<\/a>); CNBC (8<\/a>), (9<\/a>); @RayDalio (10<\/a>)<\/p>\n This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Kyle Mazza\/Anadolu via Getty Images Moneywise and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue through links in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":504471,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[229732,28,155,12,101,2013,1168,28861,1170,644,724,126143],"class_list":{"0":"post-504470","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-economy","8":"tag-american-families","9":"tag-business","10":"tag-dave-ramsey","11":"tag-donald-trump","12":"tag-economy","13":"tag-gavin-newsom","14":"tag-jeff-bezos","15":"tag-kathy-hochul","16":"tag-real-estate","17":"tag-trump-administration","18":"tag-warren-buffett","19":"tag-wealthfront-cash-account"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/504470","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=504470"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/504470\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/504471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=504470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=504470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=504470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}