Wealth and Wisdom: Week of October 5, 2026
What’s going on in the bond market? And why should you care?
Despite a better-than-expected report on inflation a few days ago, the Fed is still under pressure to push rates higher – and keep them higher for longer.
The reason goes beyond inflation. Soaring budget deficits and the mounting federal debt are starting to take center stage now, as government borrowing is increasingly “crowding out” private borrowers. And when the people needing to borrow money outnumber the people willing to lend it, the cost of money must rise. The cost of money is reflected in interest rates, and the bond market is starting to signal that enough is enough.
Our first item below offers a good explanation of how this might affect you – and why we should all be paying attention. Some now believe the federal debt will become a campaign issue between now and the November election.
As in your household and mine, the more debt we take on the fewer options we have when it comes to spending what we’ve earned. The federal government has the unique advantage of being able to print money, of course – but that only causes more inflation.
Unless you somehow won’t need to buy anything for the foreseeable future, and even if you don’t need to borrow money to do it – you’ve clearly got a dog in this fight.
The stock market gets all the headlines, but the bond market is even larger. And when bonds start getting this much attention, it pays to listen. (Reading time: 5 minutes)
This economist believes rates will remain high until government spending is brought under control – and there are few signs of that happening soon. (Reading time: 3 minutes)
Social Security benefits will be reduced by 26% in 2032 unless Congress enacts reforms – but a new government report says the cuts could go even deeper. (Reading time: 4 minutes)
The technology is there – and so are the concerns over information security and privacy. Proceed with caution. (Reading time: 4 minutes)
If you’re planning to retire in the next 5 years, use the time remaining to check these items off your list. (Reading time: 4 minutes)
They don’t make sense for every situation – but if one or more of these situations apply to you, this popular strategy might be worth a look. (Reading time: 3 minutes)
You might not like the idea of paying taxes on income you don’t need or want – but there are some positive things you can do about it. (Reading time: 6 minutes)
Some people are more frugal than they need to be – a topic we discuss in depth on this episode of the Help Me Retire podcast. (Reading time: 7 minutes)
Here are 19 ways retailers are quietly enticing us to spend more money than we had planned to. (Reading time: 10 minutes)
Having a nice nest egg in retirement is a great start – but the other investments you make may turn out to be the real secret. (Reading time: 7 minutes)
Words to the Wise
“No government every voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth.”
– Ronald Reagan
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