Wealth and Wisdom: Week of June 1, 2026
- Jun 1
- 4 min read
If you’ve got a young one at home looking for a summer job, it’s not looking good right now. Outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas predict this will be the worst summer for teen employment – since 1948.
Why? The businesses that typically take on part-time summer help – resorts, hotels, amusement parks, for example – are being hit hard by inflation and soaring fuel prices, just like the rest of us.
Rising prices are cramping the lifestyles of retired Americans as well. Recent surveys show retirees now believe inflation is the biggest financial threat they face.
How to cope? Figure out where you’re currently spending money, separate needs from wants, and wants from wishes – then look for ways to economize one category at a time. For retired investors, make sure your portfolio is paying you an income that’s rising faster than your cost of living. And if you’ve been following Wealth and Wisdom for any time at all, you’ll know those are exactly the things we focus on.
Retirees have always feared outliving their savings – and soaring prices are now making that threat more real. (Reading time: 3 minutes)
Inflation poses a triple-threat for those transitioning into retirement. Here’s how you can adapt and overcome it. (Reading time: 4 minutes)
The average retired couple spends about $60,000 per year – but where those dollars go changes as we age. (Reading time: 3 minutes)
There’s no magic bullet for lowering food costs – but there are several practical strategies you might be overlooking. (Reading time: 2 minutes)
Before the war in Iran, the Fed was planning its next interest rate cut. But thanks to the inflation it caused, rates may soon be heading the other way. (Reading time: 4 minutes)
Many Americans plan to stay on the job to make ends meet – but new research shows that most people now retire earlier than planned. (Reading time: 4 minutes)
The IRS requires you to take money out of pre-tax retirement savings at age 73 – but that doesn’t mean you have to spend it all. (Reading time: 4 minutes)
You have until December 31 to take your RMD each year. Should you take it early in the year, later in the year – or spread it out? (Reading time: 6 minutes)
The U.S. House of Representatives has yet to prohibit members and their staffs from betting on their own actions through prediction markets. (Reading time: 3 minutes)
Digital payment methods are replacing how we pay our bills. (Reading time: 2 minutes)
Words to the Wise
“Buy straw hats in the winter, when nobody wants them, and sell them in the summer, when everybody needs them.”
– Russell Sage
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