The September Jobs Report: A Planning Conversation Beyond the Headline
The September 2026 Employment Situation report, released on October 2, showed payroll employment increasing by 29,000 and an unemployment rate of 4.2%. The Bureau of Labor Statistics described both measures as changing little. For working households and business owners, the report is a useful prompt to examine financial resilience without treating a national statistic as […]
September’s Inflation Report: What It Means for a Household Budget
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that consumer prices rose 0.6% in September 2026 on a seasonally adjusted basis and 3.7% over the preceding twelve months. Gasoline accounted for more than half of the monthly increase. Those figures describe national price movements, but a household experiences inflation through the particular expenses it pays. For families […]
A CD Is Maturing: What Should the Next Decision Consider?
Following the Federal Reserve’s September 2026 rate increase, a maturing certificate of deposit offers an opportunity to review the purpose of the funds. The next decision should reflect the terms available when the CD matures, rather than an assumption that the previous arrangement remains the best fit. A maturity notice can arrive during a busy […]
Why Treasury Yields Do Not Move in Lockstep With the Fed
The Federal Reserve’s September 16, 2026 rate increase put interest rates back into household conversations. Yet the central bank’s target for an overnight rate and the yield on a ten-year Treasury are different measures. Understanding that distinction helps explain why a bond portfolio can behave differently from the headline policy announcement. Treasury publishes a yield […]
After the Fed’s September Rate Increase, Give Every Dollar of Cash a Purpose
On September 16, 2026, the Federal Reserve raised its target range for the federal funds rate by a quarter of a percentage point, to 3.75%–4.00%. For households holding significant cash balances, that decision creates a reason to review available options. It does not produce the same answer for every account. A business owner preparing for […]