This Week in Money (October 9, 2026)
Here are a few of the stories in money you may have missed this past week.
U.S. stocks rose today with the S&P 500 gaining 0.6%, the Dow climbing 423 points (0.8%), and the Nasdaq adding 0.6%, making it a record-setting week. Markets navigated continued oil price volatility amid uncertainty about the Iran War, while the 10-year Treasury yield reached its highest level since 2002.
The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is at its highest level in nearly three years.
Weather problems can quickly become financial problems, ranging from unexpected hotel stays to missed connections and food expenses during lengthy delays. A potentially record-breaking El Niño could create headaches for some holiday travelers, particularly in the southern U.S.
Forecasters say states including Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Southern California could experience wetter and stormier conditions.
The FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement is facing a tougher environment as inflation makes it harder for Americans to save aggressively. At the same time, strong stock-market returns have helped some FIRE investors grow their portfolios faster than expected.
Check out the article for a closer look at how inflation is impacting the FIRE movement and how retirement expectations differ across generations.
A recent Rightway Parking analysis of 55 of the busiest U.S. airports looked at flight delays, cancellations, longer-term delay trends, and driving distance and time from the corresponding city. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport ranked as the top two most stressful, while Salt Lake City International Airport and San Jose Mineta International Airport ranked among the least stressful.
Check out the article for the complete lists of the 10 most stressful and 10 least stressful U.S. airports.
Halloween spending is expected to rise to $13.5 billion, up from $13.1 billion last year.
Although cocoa prices have fallen from their record highs in 2024, the chocolate on store shelves today was largely produced using cocoa purchased months earlier when prices were still elevated. That’s why consumers are continuing to see higher costs, which are still reflected in current retail chocolate prices.
Check out the full article to discover how shoppers are looking for ways to save, and how health-conscious choices are changing Halloween treats.
A new large-scale study suggests mental accounting remains a powerful influence on financial decisions. Researchers studied 5,589 people across 21 countries and found that people still respond differently to identical amounts of money depending on the context. For example, many view overtime pay as earned income but treat a tax refund as a bonus to be spent freely.
The study also found that this behavior was more prevalent in higher-income countries and weaker in lower-income countries, potentially because people with less discretionary spending may focus more on the actual monetary value rather than the context surrounding it.
Until next week - stay informed, stay intentional. ✨
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