Social Security Adjustment - Social Security's cost of living adjustment (COLA) for 2026 will be 2.8% [2] - The 2.8% increase is slightly above the previous year's 2.5% [2] - The adjustment is based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for urban wage earners [3] Impact on Beneficiaries - The 2.8% increase will result in an average increase of $56 per month for the average beneficiary [5] Concerns and Criticisms - Critics argue that the CPI for urban wage earners doesn't accurately reflect the spending habits of retirees, particularly regarding housing, healthcare, and groceries [3][4] - Experts suggest that the current index is outdated and doesn't reflect seniors' actual spending [6] - The Senior Citizens League is actively advocating for a more relevant index [6] Potential Future Changes - There is ongoing discussion about the need to find a more accurate index that reflects the spending patterns of seniors [6]

The Federal Reserve is making loans cheaper. The federal funds rate is currently around 4.11%. By the end of 2026, this rate is expected to fall below 3.5%.Wall Street is excited, but middle class Americans aren't likely to benefit much from this decline in interest rates. Low rate and high liquidity environments benefit the guys who have money in markets, benefit the guys who already have the wealth. The top 0.1%: they have seen their wealth nearly double since 2020 to over $23 trillion.Stocks accounted fo ...

As upside inflation pressures fade and job growth weakens, the Federal Reserve appears poised to cut short-term interest rates again on Oct. 29 at the end of its two-day meeting complicated by missing economic data due to the ongoing government shutdown. Although inflation ticked up in September and remains above the Fed’s 2% target, analysts expect the central bank to proceed with another quarter-point rate cut, viewing cooling labor market risks as more pressing than lingering price pressures, according ...

Core Insights - Home prices in the U.S. rose 1.5% in August year-over-year, a slight decrease from the 1.6% increase in July [1] - The pace of home price increases is lagging behind the current inflation rate of 3%, leading to a real-term erosion of housing wealth for the fourth consecutive month [2] - High mortgage rates have contributed to the stagnation in home prices, with the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate decreasing from just below 7% in June to 6.19% by the end of August [3] Market Trends - Buyer demand is being negatively impacted by mortgage rates remaining above 6.5%, limiting transaction activity during the typically busy summer season [4] - The New York metropolitan area experienced the highest annual price gain at 6.1%, while cities like Tampa, Phoenix, and Miami saw declines of 3.3%, 1.7%, and 1.7% respectively [5] - Significant price weaknesses were noted in the West, with San Francisco down 1.5%, Denver down 0.7%, and San Diego down 0.7%, indicating a broader trend of declining prices in certain metropolitan areas [5]

Core Insights - Americans' opinions on the U.S. economy have declined due to concerns about the job market and rising prices, with the government shutdown now being a significant worry [1][4] - The Conference Board's confidence index decreased to 94.6 in October from 95.6 in August, marking the lowest level since April [1][2] Economic Indicators - The confidence index is slightly above Wall Street's projection of 94.2 [2] - Consumers' expectations for the economy over the next six months fell to 71.5, the lowest since June, while present conditions improved slightly from 127.5 to 129.3 [2] Labor Market Sentiment - Metrics regarding the labor market remain low, with 18.4% of consumers indicating jobs are "hard to get" and 27.8% stating jobs are "plentiful," reflecting a slight increase from September [3] Government Shutdown Impact - The ongoing government shutdown has been noted as a key concern among consumers, although rising prices and inflation remain the primary influences on economic views [4]

Inflation is stubbornly high, tariffs might not be temporary and wage pressures are rising. ...

Monetary Policy Uncertainty - The Federal Reserve (Fed) faces uncertainty due to the government shutdown disrupting data releases, complicating decisions on interest rate cuts [1] - The market anticipates the Fed to cut interest rates at its upcoming meeting, but the meeting's outcome is less predictable than usual [1] - Disagreement exists within the Fed regarding the need for further interest rate cuts in December, with concerns split between the labor market and inflation [2] Inflation and Economic Data - September's Consumer Price Index (CPI) indicates that inflation pressures are not as severe as previously feared, but remain above the Fed's 2% target [3] - Limited recent data makes it difficult to reconcile the debate on future interest rate cuts [3] Balance Sheet Management - The Fed is expected to discuss ending the runoff of its $6.6 trillion asset portfolio, which includes bonds and securities purchased during and after the pandemic [3][4] - The Fed has been gradually reducing its holdings from a peak of $9 trillion in 2022 [4] - Recent funding pressures in overnight lending markets suggest the Fed may halt the runoff [4] Future Leadership - A new Fed chair will be appointed in May 2026, raising questions about potential future aggressive interest rate cuts [5]

The BIGGEST Mention Market of the MONTH&& I got my plays.We going HARD on the NO'sGovernment Shutdown, data may be sparse.Plays Below______Inflation 50 + Times | NO◦ Has hit 5/6 times, with 4 being only 1-2 times over◦ Gov shutdown means data will be minimal, therefor i lean less talking in general, we take the coin flip for NOUnemployment / Employment 25+ Times | NO◦ Same idea as the above, data will be lower due to shutdown◦ Averages 29 mentions, with the opening part of the speeches closer to 13+ times, ...

We are joined right now by legendary investor Paul Tudtor Jones. He's the founder and CIO of Tutor Investment Corporation. Of course, the founder and board member at the Robin Hood Foundation.We should mention that on October 15th, Robin Hood's Foundation is hosting its 13th annual investor conference right here in New York City. And we'll talk about that. Uh, but a lot of headlines.You know, the Verizon guys, you know Shman pretty well, actually. >> Dan Schulman is chairman of Just Capital. So, that's a gr ...

Bank of America Chairman and CEO Brian Moynihan cautioned that while the American consumer remains a powerful force keeping the economy afloat, the middle class is beginning to feel the strain. Joining "Mornings with Maria" on Tuesday, Moynihan shared his outlook on the average U.S. consumer and warned the economy could slow down amid the ongoing government shutdown."You're still seeing growth among median income households, at up to … 75,000, 100,000. They're still growing, but they're growing at a slower ...