Look Forward
Look Forward
Jonathan Clements | May 23, 2020
IT’S BEEN AN UNHAPPY few months. Stepping outside means risking our health. One out of six U.S. workers is unemployed or soon will be. The stock market has suffered its worst decline since 2007-09. And while we can take steps to help ourselves, the situation is largely out of our control.
Feeling glum? One of my abiding interests is happiness research, and that research offers ideas that can make our current situation a little cheerier. But how?
We can think of any occasion—perhaps it’s a fun experience we’re planning or a purchase we want to make—as having three elements: the time before, the event itself and the time after. Each offers the opportunity for happiness, but it takes effort on our part.
1. Before. I’ve stopped asking friends and family whether they have any plans for the weeks ahead, because the question seems almost silly. Many folks are reluctant to, say, eat at restaurants or go to the beach—and, depending on where we live, these things may even be prohibited. But if we can’t make plans, what’s there to look forward to? The fact is, one of life’s great joys is anticipation.
My suggestion: Create two wish lists, one for today’s world and one for our post-pandemic life. The current list might include things like restaurants we want to order from, hikes we’d like to take and items we want to purchase online.
Yes, I realize there’s currently a debate about the ethics of online shopping—and whether we should limit ourselves to ordering essentials, so we don’t put fulfillment and delivery workers unnecessarily at risk.
I’m not going to weigh in on that. But if you are inclined to buy online, I’d spend time scouring the internet and considering different items, so you add to your anticipation.
And if you decide to make some purchases, lean toward items that can be shared with others, such as kitchen utensils that’ll allow you to make a special meal for your family or games that require multiple players. Most things in life are better when they can be shared with others.
Meanwhile, even if we can’t imagine climbing on an airplane today or going to a concert, we should make a second wish list that includes, say, places we’d like to visit and performers we’d like to see. We might do some research online, and then hatch plans with friends and family.
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3 Savings Moves To Make Post-Fed Rate Hike
By Matt Richardson September 17, 2026 CBS News MoneyWatch: Managing Your Money
With interest rates rising again, savers will want to take certain steps now to take advantage.
Savers on Thursday woke up to a new financial climate marked by the first interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve in more than three years. Now at a range between 3.75% and 4.00%, a new, higher federal funds rate is expected to lead to even higher rates for savers than they've already been accustomed to in recent years. And while that change will look different based on the account type and the bank in question, savers are undoubtedly now entering a more profitable period, especially if the Fed proceeds with another interest rate hike when it meets again in October.
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Simple strategies to help fund your future.
Fidelity Viewpoints
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Define clear goals and make a plan to help guide your financial decisions.
Set up automatic transfers to help boost your savings and keep you on track.
Build up your emergency savings to cover unexpected essential expenses
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Americans are carrying more debt than ever before. Total household balances now approach $19 trillion, reflecting a steady increase over the past decade.1 In 2025, millennials in their mid-30s held roughly twice as much nonhousing debt—including student loans, auto loans, and credit card debt—as baby boomers did at a similar age.2
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Retirement may seem like the most stable period of your life, with no work demands, no kids to cart around and lots of free time. But this dynamic new chapter comes with its own twists and turns. Your lifestyle, expectations and finances continue to change. And in 2026, big shifts are coming — from Social Security payments and Medicare expenses to how you save and spend.
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Set yourself on the path to saving with these habits
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Set financial goals and create a plan to achieve them.
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U.S. consumers can request a free annual credit report from major agencies.
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I've been reading and writing about personal finance for more than thirteen years. In that time, I've consumed a lot of books about money. Lately, I've found that it's fun to revisit old favorites.
Recently, for instance, I've been re-reading Brett Wilder's The Quiet Millionaire [my review]. It's different than most personal finance books. It's targeted at those who are farther along their financial journeys rather than at those just starting out. Still, there are bits and pieces in The Quiet Millionaire that are applicable to everyone.
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Bad financial information doesn't come only from scammers; even our loved ones can unwittingly steer us wrong. That's why knowing what not to do with your money is often your biggest asset. In general, there are two little words that should set off everybody's suspicion meter: Trust me. Anyone who gives you this line—whether a financial adviser or your significant other—is disrespecting you.
Powerball Winner Wished He 'Tore Up Ticket' After $315m Jackpot Destroyed Him
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The world's largest lottery is launching in the UK this week - offering a fortunate British player the chance to become more than £300million ($400m) wealthier. Powerball, an American lottery game, awards massive jackpots that are distributed over a 30-year period.
Today (July 23) marks the inaugural UK draw with an estimated top prize exceeding £300m - the biggest jackpot ever made available in Britain. Allwyn, which operates the National Lottery, has opened the game to UK participants, who will be entering alongside American players.
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How much money is enough?
It’s a philosophical money question that often arises out of discontent. We see someone of substantial means, like a celebrity, live a troubled life. Or, we ourselves experience great fortune yet feel unhappy.
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I love scotch; she hates it.
There are many things my wife and I don't agree on, but money isn't one of them. We are intentional spenders, buying only what mutually aligns with our needs or values. For instance, disinterested in paying for the trappings of an ostentatious wedding, we tied the knot at New York's City Hall; our reception was watching our first son play at a public playground in the East Village on a warm fall afternoon.
We've been happily together for 16 years, which makes me wonder: Does love make the financial side of marriage work, or is it the other way around?
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And in the grander ambitions of its architects, it was meant to do something more: to grow up into a true global currency, the first serious rival the US dollar had faced since World War II.
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Every year around this time, a silent killer sneaks its way onto European shores and slaughters people by the tens of thousands. Last year, it killed more people in just three months than the number of civilians killed in the war in Ukraine all year. It killed three times as many people as traffic accidents do. And it killed FOUR times more Europeans than gun violence killed in America. I'm not talking about COVID. Or even the legions of migrants invading the continent.
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Last Edited Sep 16, 2026| Angelena Mascilli
Cash bucketing – or categorizing your funds based on specific expenses or goals – can help you organize your financial life.
Cash and other liquid assets may be the ideal place for buckets of money that you may need to access soon to cover expenses or capitalize on new investment opportunities.