Wealth and Wisdom: Week of September 15, 2025
- Mike Brown
- Sep 15
- 3 min read
If there’s a silver lining in the lousy employment numbers we’ve seen lately, it could be this: 30-year fixed mortgage rates dropped below 6.3% last week. That’s the lowest level since last October – reflecting a clear expectation that overall interest rates are coming down.
I am currently re-reading The Road to Serfdom – the 1944 classic by economist F.A. Hayek – for reasons I’m at a loss to explain. But the eerie similarities between what the author saw coming more than 80 years ago and what’s happening today seem to me worth paying attention to, regardless of your own economic and political persuasions.
A case in point:
A new Gallup poll says Americans may be losing faith in the free enterprise system. (Reading time: 3 minutes)
If you could have foreseen the 9/11 attacks, the tech/telecom crash, the Great Financial Crisis, and the Covid pandemic, you might not have invested 30 years ago. It’s a good thing you didn’t own a crystal ball. (Reading time: 2 minutes)
Owning companies that consistently increase their dividends is at the centerpiece of our investment philosophy. Here are some of the reasons why. (Reading time: 4 minutes)
Make these 7 key habits part of your savings plan and you’ll have a much greater chance of building real wealth over time. (Reading time: 2 minutes)
Saving is the simple part – the key is how best to spend what’s left of each paycheck. A new book from one of my favorite authors comes out next month. (Reading time: 6 minutes)
Current tax laws reward people who save for retirement. All you need to decide is when you want to enjoy those rewards. (Reading time: 3 minutes)
For the next four tax years, taxpayers age 65+ will get an extra $6,000 standard deduction. Read here to see if you qualify. (Reading time: 4 minutes)
As of the end of this month, the federal government will stop issuing paper checks to Social Security recipients. It’s all direct deposit from now on. (Reading time: 4 minutes)
Whether work keeps them active, they love their jobs, or just like the money – 75% of Americans plan to work in some fashion after they retire. (Reading time: 4 minutes)
Learning something new every day is good for you – regardless of your age. Here are some great ways to do it in retirement. (Reading time: 9 minutes)
Words to the Wise
“The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery.”
– Winston Churchill
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