Tax Refund Scams

I am a big believer in personalization in all aspects of life. The road to your goals, financial or otherwise, is paved by the personalized steps you’re willing to take and in the direction you wish to work. Driving all of that should be more than an idea or a simple plan. What is needed is a personal mission statement. A mission statement creates a sense of purpose and authenticity that acts as a compass and drives all your decisions in the right direction.

When creating your mission statement, be sure to keep it brief. Just one to two sentences will do. Approach it the same way you would approach starting your own company, reflecting your goals, your dreams, and your values. At the same time, be sure that it extends beyond your professional life and encompasses your personal life and your lifetime goals as well. Once you have your personal mission statement, be sure to read it or recite it daily.

Lastly, make sure that your actions reflect your personal mission statement. Your mission statement is meaningless if you’re not committing action to it. If your statement reflects your family values, be sure to make time for your family. If your mission statement focuses on financial independence, make sure that you’re sticking to a budget and have an all-encompassing plan. Be sure what you’re doing reflects what you claim to value.

Life can move fast, and everyday decisions can distract from your long-term vision. To ensure that you stay true to what you value and on course with your goals, create a mission statement to act as your compass and ensure that your life truly reflects you.

The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual.

Starting December 16, 2025, Meta will begin using what you say or ask in Meta AI chats to personalize what you see on Facebook and Instagram.

• Example: If you ask Meta AI for hiking tips, you may start seeing more hiking posts or ads.
• Meta says it will not use AI chats about sensitive topics such as politics, religion, or health.
• Users will begin receiving notifications about this change in October.

What This Means for You

Your social media experience may start to feel more personalized, but it also means Meta will collect and analyze more information about your interests based on your AI conversations.

Possible Risks

• Less Privacy: Your AI chats could influence what ads or posts you see. Even if Meta says it is not reading your full conversations, it is still learning from them.
• Unintended Targeting: You may start seeing ads or content you did not expect, based on what you mentioned to Meta AI.
• Misunderstandings: If the AI misinterprets what you say, it could lead to inaccurate suggestions or assumptions about your interests.
• Data Sharing Concerns: More information about you increases the risk if Meta’s systems are ever compromised or misused.

What You Can Do

You do not have to stop using Meta AI, but you can take steps to control how much it learns from you.

1. Limit what you share with Meta AI.
   Avoid asking personal or sensitive questions.
   Treat AI chats like public posts and do not share anything private.
2. Review your ad preferences.
   Go to Settings → Ads Preferences on Facebook or Instagram.
   Adjust “Ad Topics” and “Activity Used for Ads” to limit personalization.
3. Use the “Why am I seeing this” option.
   Tap the three dots on any ad or post to understand why it was shown and make changes.
4. Turn off AI features where possible.
   You can skip or decline to use Meta AI in searches or chats.
5. Stay alert for prompts.
   Meta will notify users about this update. Take a moment to read the message before clicking “Agree.”

Bottom Line

Meta’s AI is designed to make your social media feed feel more relevant, but it also means the company is using new kinds of data about you. If you use Meta AI, be thoughtful about what you share and take a few minutes to review your privacy settings so you stay in control.