Wealth and Wisdom: Week of March 16, 2026
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
The crisis-of-the-moment – unless of course it’s changed again since I wrote this sentence – is oil. The Iran war is causing a major disruption in the flow of oil around the world, driving up the price of crude, gasoline, and jet fuel. In the best case, we can expect a lot more uncertainty until the conflict gets resolved – and let’s not forget that the U.S. is much less vulnerable to oil shortages today thanks to increased domestic production and technology.
But until things settle down, expect the costs of anything tied to oil – airfares and other travel, for example – to potentially keep rising. Add in the soaring cost of electricity (see Item #2 below), and our wallets are getting hit hard. We did get some good news last week that consumer prices rose at an annual rate of 2.4% in February, holding steady as expected. That CPI number does not reflect what’s since taken place in Iran, however.
And the long-frozen housing market is finally showing some signs of thawing, as lower mortgage rates – recently below 6% – and slower growth in home prices are bringing buyers back out again. Encouraging news if you’re thinking of making a move.
Our firm’s take on how the Iran conflict might affect oil prices – and how it might affect your portfolio. (Reading time: 3 minutes)
For a number of reasons, electricity bills have increased almost 40% in the last five years – and they’re not likely to come down anytime soon. (Reading time: 4 minutes)
Politicians like to boast about the creation of “401(k) millionaires” – without mentioning that hardship withdrawals are now at a record high. (Reading time: 2 minutes)
A new government report says Social Security’s surplus will be exhausted in 2032 – a year earlier than previously expected. (Reading time: 3 minutes)
As hard as it sounds, your best chance requires staying optimistic and focused on the long term. (Reading time: 6 minutes)
Staying on the same page financially can add thousands of dollars to a married couple’s retirement savings. (Reading time: 3 minutes)
When it comes to a successful retirement, doing the right things are often less important than simply avoiding big mistakes – like these. (Reading time: 4 minutes)
Every case is different – so ask yourself these 5 questions before rolling your retirement account over to an IRA. (Reading time: 5 minutes)
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is making Roth IRA conversions even more attractive. (Reading time: 5 minutes)
If you’re curious, this is pretty good description of what my family and I do for a living. (Reading time: 4 minutes)
Words to the Wise
“The intelligent investor realizes that stocks become more risky, not less, as their prices rise, and less risky, not more, as their prices fall.”
– Jason Zweig
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