Happy weekend! It’s Apr. 6th, 2024. We have three great stories to wrap up the past few weeks in markets, business, and the economy for you and your family.

Here are the highlights:

• America’s total solar eclipse is on Monday. It’ll be the last total solar eclipse until August 2044.
• Battle for board seats at Disney. Here’s how it played out.
• Cash back for retirement? One fintech giant is paying people to save for retirement.

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America’s Last Total Solar Eclipse Is One You Won’t Wanna Miss

It might feel like it was just yesterday that America saw a total solar eclipse — and your memory doesn't deceive you. On Aug. 21, 2017, the Great American Eclipse swept America, with over 200 million Americans experiencing stunning totality. And on Monday, Americans will get another view of this generational event… assuming it doesn’t get blocked by clouds.

• When is it? Late in the morning on Monday, Apr. 8, the Moon will begin to block the Sun nationwide. As long as clouds don’t block your view, everybody in America will be able to see a partial eclipse. However, for the lucky few in the path of totality, breathtaking views await. At 1:27pm CT, Texas will become the first state to plunge into darkness. And over the hours to come, totality will move northeast across Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire. The eclipse will then exit the U.S. in northern Maine at 3:35pm EDT.
• Where are the best places to watch? In the U.S., the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has been modeling cloud cover for the day of Apr. 8, releasing daily updates showing eclipse-watchers where the best views will be. Updates will be posted daily between now and Apr. 8 on the Weather Prediction Center’s Twitter account. As of today, the best viewing locations are most likely to be in New England and parts of the midwest.
• How do I know when totality is? If you are in or near the path of totality, you can use this NASA tool to find out when to look up. Plug in your zip code and see what your view will look like. If you’re close enough to the path of totality, consider driving to the path — the difference is night and day.

Why does it matter for EarlyBird families?

This will be the last total eclipse in the Continental U.S. for 20 years — which means you’ll have to wait until Aug. 23, 2044 for the next one. That makes this Great American Eclipse more like the Greatest Eclipse... at least of our lifetimes. Across the path of totality, viewing will peak at 4 minutes and 28 seconds, nearly twice as long as the 2017 eclipse. You won’t want to miss this special event with your family — or the chance to document it in the EarlyBird app. If you can: take the day off, get in the car, or book a flight! Just remember: 20 years is a long time… and tomorrow is never promised. You can’t get moments like these back; they are quite literally once in a lifetime.

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Battle for the Board: Disney’s Proxy Battle is Over

Nearly two years ago, the world was taken aback as former Disney CEO Bob Iger retired from retirement. The 14-year veteran returned to lead Disney as part of a surprise shakeup, replacing his chosen successor, Bob Chapek. Since then, the company’s CEO has faced challenge after challenge — but as if running a $220 billion dollar enterprise isn’t hard enough, the Disney chief has been fending off challenges from his own investors.

• What’s the boardroom drama? Billionaire activist investor Nelson Peltz, along with former Marvel Entertainment chairman Ike Perlmutter, have been campaigning for seats on Disney’s board for two years. They, along with other activists, claim that Disney has lost its way — and pointed to the company’s failed succession planning as a reason to shake up Disney’s current 12-member board.
• What did they do? Peltz and Perlmutter combined their billions worth of Disney stock to campaign for a seat at this year’s shareholder meeting. For months, the pair made their case to investors — seeking votes in an effort to gain a mandate for changes they wished to make to the company. But in the end, despite looking like a close race, institutions and individual investors sent Peltz packing — he received just **[31%](https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-bob-iger-wins-proxy-vote-against-nelson-peltz-trian-2024-4#:~:text=This proxy fight is expected,spent weeks talking to investors.)** of shareholder votes.
• What now? Disney’s Bob Iger described the shareholder vote, which is also known as a proxy vote, as a “distraction” and committed to getting back to what really matters. The 73-year-old Iger will remain the CEO of the company through 2026 according to his contract — and between now and then, he’ll have to figure out what the future of Disney will hold, as well as his own replacement.

Why does it matter for EarlyBird families?

U.S. elections get a lot of coverage, but many important issues don’t get as much attention — that includes proxy elections for companies. Proxy elections decide which people serve on the boards of companies, which policies that companies adopt officially, and how executives get paid. In the coming weeks, in partnership with iShares, we’ll share ways that EarlyBird investors can play a role in these important elections through BlackRock’s new Voting Choice program.

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Cashback on Retirement Savings? Robinhood’s New Offer to Serious Investors

Gone are the days of Robinhood being treated like an app for speculative investors buying shares of GameStop or AMC Entertainment. Going forward, it wants people to treat it like a serious app for serious investors. And to get their business, it’s dangling a deal unlike anything else.

• What’s the deal? While big banks charge fees and keep your interest for themselves, Robinhood is offering paying customers money to save for retirement. For just $5/mo, Robinhood Gold customers can unlock a 3% match on contributions to a Robinhood IRA or Roth IRA account for members.
• But there’s more… For a limited time, the company is matching 3% of all inbound transfers from outside retirement accounts — so if you have a 401(K) or IRA sitting around at Fidelity or Vanguard, Robinhood will pay you to move it and keep it at the brokerage for a period of time. That means that you could pay $5/mo to potentially make thousands of dollars off just moving your money.
• And there’s even more… The finance app has rolled out a slew of new features for members of its Robinhood Gold subscription service, including a 5.25% interest rate on cash deposits and a new credit card offering 3% cashback on all purchases. Starting May 1, it’ll also match 1% of all deposits made to its brokerage, contingent on the money staying for a period of time.

Why does it matter for EarlyBird families?

While there are a large number of fintech companies experimenting with giving customers bonuses for opening accounts and making deposits, there are very few which are offering free money in exchange for saving over a long period of time. At $5/mo, an avid investment saver (or an avid spender, if you’re eying that 3% credit card) could quickly pay for Gold — and more. So if you’re an avid retirement saver, Robinhood’s new products might be worth a look.

What else is up?

• March Madness finals on Apr. 8: The eclipse isn’t the only thing to look forward to… This weekend, the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments will start to wrap up — marking an end to the bigger women’s tournament in history, which has broke ratings and ticket price records. And, of course, UConn will have a shot to win a national championship for its second year in a row after yet another men’s season to remember.
• Election is now six months away: Not to scare you, but it’s time to prepare yourself for a deluge of political ads. The US national election is now just six months away. Control of the Presidency, Senate, and House are up for grabs — and it’s fair to say that it’s anybody’s game at this point. See what it’ll take for Trump or Biden to win their rematch.
• Time to wrap up your taxes: Last call, tax day is less than a week away (Apr. 15.) If you haven’t already filed, save your money and skip popular tax prep services for cheaper alternatives. Cash App Tax (free) will make filing a breeze for people with simple returns — while more complicated filers can save hundreds with FreeTaxUSA ($15) or TaxAct ($37-115).