Abington Financial Group - Financial Planners

11/05/2026

Medicare is the tip of the iceberg. 🧊

More than half of people nearing retirement expect Medicare to cover all their healthcare costs.

The reality? A 65-year-old retiring in 2026 could spend $185,500 on healthcare in retirement.

For a couple: $371,000.

And that’s before long-term care.

The costs you don’t see can sink a retirement strategy.

💬 That's the kind of number worth bringing into a conversation with your financial professional long before retirement starts.

11/04/2026

⛽ Gas prices are easing, and Americans are feeling a little better about the economy.

Consumer confidence rose to 91.7 in October, up from 84.2 in September, according to The Conference Board.

The national average for gasoline also fell from $4.48 to $4.27 per gallon in October.

But there's a catch: Gas still costs considerably more than the $3.05 average from a year ago.

Are you feeling more optimistic about the economy, or are everyday expenses still weighing on your outlook?

Americans’ confidence in the economy rebounded somewhat in October as gas prices fell modestly but remain elevated

11/03/2026

One investment gained 270 percent in the first five months of 2026. Two months later, it gave back 67 percent. 😳

Why do smart people chase numbers like that? Psychologist Daniel Kahneman said it best: "Stories trump statistics." 🧠

A hot streak always comes with a story. The story is what sells. The math is what stings.

Riches to rags is an old pattern, and so is the reverse. When a return looks too good to be true, give the story the same scrutiny you'd give the number.

If a market headline has your attention, run it past us before it runs your portfolio. 💬

11/02/2026

The Fed held interest rates steady in October, but not everyone agreed with the decision.

After raising rates in September, the Federal Reserve kept its benchmark interest rate at 3.75% to 4%. Two officials voted for another quarter-point increase.

What's behind the disagreement?

The economy continues to grow, consumer spending remains strong, and unemployment is relatively low. But inflation remains above the Fed's 2% target, with consumer prices rising 3.7% over the past year.

For consumers, the decision matters because the Fed's benchmark rate influences borrowing costs for credit cards, auto loans, and other types of debt. It can also affect interest earned on savings accounts.

Economists are now watching the Fed's December meeting for signs of another possible increase. For now, rates are holding steady, but the inflation debate is far from over.

The U.S. central bank left borrowing costs unchanged this month after hiking rates in September for the first time in three years.

10/31/2026

Not every monster wears a costume this month. Some show up as a text pretending to be your bank. 👻

Three cybersecurity myths worth burying this October:

🎃 "Some of my accounts are too small to bother with." False. Most attacks aren't personal. Automated bots test thousands of accounts at a time, looking for a weak spot.

🎃 "Only older adults fall for scams." Absolutely false. FTC data has consistently shown adults in their 20s are reporting fraud, too.

🎃 "I'd know a phishing email if I saw one." Maybe once. AI-generated phishing has erased the classic tells: broken grammar, misspellings, and awkward phrasing.

This time of year, it's worth taking a moment to look past the obvious scares and pay attention to the sneakier ones, too.

10/30/2026

Part-Time Office Assistant / Receptionist
Hours: 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, Monday through Thursday
Pay based on experience
We are seeking a friendly, dependable, and organized Part-Time Office Assistant / Receptionist to provide administrative support and serve as a primary point of contact for our office.
Responsibilities
• Serve as a point of contact for visitors, customers, and callers
• Answer, screen, and direct incoming phone calls
• Schedule and coordinate appointments
• Perform data entry and maintain accurate records
• Organize and maintain paper and electronic filing systems
• Assist with client onboarding
• Process forms, records, and other office paperwork
• Order and maintain office supplies
• Assist with social media and event planning
• Coordinate travel arrangements
• Assist with additional clerical and administrative duties as needed
Preferred Qualifications
• Previous office, administrative, receptionist, or customer service experience preferred
• Strong communication and customer service skills
• Basic proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook
• Good organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to handle confidential information appropriately
• Dependable and able to work independently
• Professional and friendly demeanor
If interested, please email resume to [email protected] or [email protected]

10/29/2026

Nationwide's 2026 study surfaced three key lessons from parents:

🎯 Not starting early enough.
More than 25 percent of recent retirees wish they had started sooner. Fifteen years of compounding early in a career can make a HUGE difference.

🎯 Not raising the contribution rate as your income grows.
Thirteen percent of recent retirees wish they had contributed more to their savings each year.

🎯 Claiming Social Security at 62.
More than a third of boomers plan to claim benefits the moment they become eligible, even though doing so cuts the monthly benefit by 25 to 30 percent for life.

According to the SSA, waiting past full retirement age adds 8 percent per year, up to age 70.

Across the research, three things seem to matter most:

1️⃣ Starting early
2️⃣ Getting an outside perspective rather than relying on instinct alone
3️⃣ Treating retirement as something that unfolds over decades rather than a single date on the calendar

10/28/2026

💳 Carrying a credit card balance is becoming more common among Gen Z, even as other generations are moving in the opposite direction.

A Deloitte and ConsumerSignals survey found that the share of adults ages 18 to 29 carrying a balance from month to month rose more than 19% between late 2023 and mid-2026. Over that same period, the share declined among every other adult generation.

And with average credit card interest rates around 21% in August, those balances can become expensive.

For younger adults juggling housing costs, student loans, and everyday expenses, there's another challenge: deciding how to balance paying off debt with saving for the future.

High-interest debt can make it harder to build emergency savings or contribute toward long-term goals. But factors such as interest rates, available savings, and workplace retirement benefits can all influence which financial priorities deserve attention.

The important takeaway? A credit card balance isn't just about what you owe today. It's also about how interest may affect what you have available tomorrow.

Deloitte finds the share of Gen Z borrowers carrying credit card balances rose nearly 20% from Q3 2023 to Q2 2026.

10/28/2026

🤖 An AI assistant that handles your emails and pays your bills? That sounds pretty convenient.

But how much access are you comfortable giving it?

Personal AI agents are designed to handle tasks on your behalf, sometimes using sensitive information like banking details and email accounts. And while they may save time, some cybersecurity professionals warn that granting them too much access carries risks.

One concern is something called prompt injection, where malicious instructions hidden in a website or email could trick an AI agent into doing something you never authorized.

🔐 A couple of questions worth asking before giving an AI agent access to sensitive information:
▪️What information does it need? Researching products doesn’t necessarily require access to your accounts.
▪️Can it make purchases? There’s a difference between comparing prices and authorizing transactions.

Convenience and privacy don’t always go hand in hand. Reviewing what an agent has done on your behalf may help spot actions you never intended.

The more access you give personal AI agents, the more capable they can be. But should you trust them?