Here’s my one big, bold prediction for 2026: Something is going to happen this year that makes you question your investments. I don’t know exactly what it will be, and I don’t know when it will happen. But I’m confident about this much: at some point, you’ll see a headline, hear a prediction, or watch the markets for a few days and feel that little knot in your stomach that says, “Am I still doing the right thing with my money?” That moment is what this article is about. Beca

What’s sending gold prices through the roof? What’s behind the uptick in market volatility we saw in January? Both are connected to how the rest of the world sees us these days, which is clearly reflected in the value of the U.S. dollar . The dollar has fallen more than 12% in value vs. global currencies in the past year – a four-year low. President Trump said last week he was not concerned about a weakening dollar, arguing that it helps U.S. manufacturers and exporters by ma

How to declutter your finances Show notes: All right... if you’ve had enough with all the papers you don’t know whether to keep... all the account statements... important notices you get in the mail every day... the legal documents you don’t know where to file... If you’re ready to get serious... about getting rid of some financial clutter... If you’re ready to rid yourself of the mental clutter that comes with it... Well, don’t hit pause... I’m about to share with you... a s

The financial markets continue to absorb much of the uncertainty we’re experiencing these days. And judged the final numbers, 2025 will be remembered as a decent year by historical standards. Consumer inflation was 2.7% in December, down from a high of 3.0% in September. That’s still well above the Fed’s 2.0% target, and prices for essential items remain stubbornly high. Thanks to rising food prices, a jump in health insurance costs, runaway home prices, and slower income gro

If you plan to retire in 2026 – or just want to be a big step closer – now’s the moment to line up a few practical projects you can chip away at over the next twelve months. Don’t think “perfect plan.” Think “progress.” Pick three to start in the first quarter, then add more as you build momentum. 1. Put your retirement date in writing. Circle a target year (even a ballpark) and sketch out the basics: monthly spending  for housing, travel, grandkids, hobbies. Then list your i

This is the time of year when we pay far too much attention to market predictions – and far too little attention to what those experts were forecasting just one year ago. Wall Street strategists are almost universally bullish on the market’s prospects for 2026, caught up in the prospect of falling interest rates, rising corporate earnings, and the promise of artificial intelligence to change our lives for the better. The Wall Street Journal  points out that the S&P 500 has cl

Expect the unexpected this year Show notes: You want a prediction for 2026? Okay... I’ll give you one... Something’s going to happen this year... that’s going to make you second-guess what you’re doing with your investments... I don’t know what exactly it will be... or when it will happen... but you need to be ready for it... Spend the next few minutes with me... and you will be... This is the Help Me Retire Podcast…  with your host… Mike Brown… Senior Wealth Advisor with Ray

Happy New Year! If 2026 is the year you want to get serious about retiring, you’ll want to see my latest client briefing webinar: Your 2026 Game Plan . We’ve gotten a lot of very positive feedback on this presentation, and I think you’ll find some helpful ideas for getting this year off to a good start. We will continue our monthly briefings in 2026, with one significant change: four of them will be held in-person (January, April, June, and October) and available to clients o

Are you financially prepared for 2026? Mike talked with clients this month about the market, portfolios, and a 5-step action plan to be ready for the New Year. Be a part of the #TrueWealth movement. Follow Brown Family Wealth Advisors on Facebook  and LinkedIn .

There is at least one new positive surprise – and one new lump of coal – in our economic Christmas stocking this week. First, the good news: thanks to an oversupply of oil, lower demand at the pump, and newer cars with higher fuel efficiency – the price of gas is now at its lowest price since April 2021. Demand has been dropping about 2% a year on average over the last four years. Analysts worry the trend might reverse, though, now that the Trump administration is rolling bac

Getting ready for 2026 Show notes: If you plan to retire in 2026... or maybe you just want to be one big step closer to it... I’ve got some practical ideas to put on your retirement to-do list... in this episode of the Help Me Retire Podcast... This is the Help Me Retire Podcast…  with your host… Mike Brown… Senior Wealth Advisor with Raymond James Financial Services… and head of Brown Family Wealth Advisors… Mike is the best-selling author of Your Way to True Wealth: How to

At its final meeting of 2025, the Fed’s Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) lowered its target interest rate by a quarter-point last week. It’s a clear sign that while inflation is still higher than the Fed wants, policymakers feel an economic slowdown is the greater threat. Whether it’s persistently high prices, endless political turmoil, or more than a million layoffs in November – the highest level since the COVID pandemic – Americans clearly have their daubers down these

When most people think about retirement, their biggest fear is running out of money. But for many retirees, the opposite happens: they don’t spend enough . Multiple studies — from J.P. Morgan, BlackRock, and the Employee Benefit Research Institute — show that retirees, even those with strong portfolios, often live far below their means. They’ve saved diligently for decades, but when the time comes to enjoy what they’ve built, they hesitate. Here’s why that happens — and how t

In the early days of our marriage, Tammy and I held our budget together by giving Christmas gifts we made by hand. It was a lot of work, but it got us through those first lean Christmases without taking on extra debt, and it turned out to be much more fun than we’d expected. History seems to be repeating itself with today’s Generation Z – late teens and 20-somethings – who are noticeably tightening their belts a notch this holiday season as reported in the Wall Street Journal

Live long and prosper Show notes: Here’s the good news... you’re probably going to live longer than you think... almost certainly longer than your ancestors... The challenge is... keeping your finances... your health... your independence strong for as long as you live? Some insights... in this episode of The Help Me Retire Podcast... This is the Help Me Retire Podcast…  with your host… Mike Brown… Senior Wealth Advisor with Raymond James Financial Services… and head of Brown

“One of the greatest obstacles in estate planning is the perpetuating of death denial. Most people don’t want to plan for post-death lives because death is a scary topic to even think about.” Think of estate planning as a gift to your family. It allows you to share your wishes and protect the people you care about most. Watch Mike when he spoke about a step-by-step process to help you provide for your loved ones and spell out your exact wishes during this highly emotional tim

You’re going to be hearing a lot about the cost of health care in 2026, and for good reason – health insurance premiums are expected to rise at two to three times the rate of inflation. Employers will likely pay an average of 6.5% more per employee next year – the biggest jump in 15 years ( Mercer.com ).  ACA Marketplace premiums are projected to increase by a median of 9% in 2026 (Segal Health Plan Cost Trend Survey). And Medicare’s Part B premium will increase by 9.7% in

For weeks we’ve been talking about a market that’s gotten out a little far over its skis – with investors willing to pay prices for stocks that are well above their historically normal valuations. Last week, the euphoria started showing signs of cooling. It’s too soon to know if the market is just letting a little air out of the tires (to torture another metaphor), or whether we’re in for a more significant downturn. The real question, of course, is to what extent you should

Are you spending enough in retirement? Show notes: Most of what you hear about retirement planning focuses on making sure you don’t run out of money... But many retirees have the opposite  problem... they don’t spend enough ... It might seem like a nice problem to have... but it’s still a problem... and I’ve got some ideas to solve it in this episode of the Help Me Retire  podcast... This is the Help Me Retire Podcast…  with your host… Mike Brown… Senior Wealth Advisor with R

We are hearing about a new way to make life more “affordable,” to use the new buzzword of the day: instead of a 15-year or 30-year mortgage, let’s create a 50-year mortgage. That way, your monthly payments will be much lower and you’ll have more money to spend on groceries and other essential items whose prices are being driven up by tariffs. Here’s the problem with that logic, as illustrated recently by Barron’s : A $400,000 mortgage at 6.3% would save you about $280 dollars