Victoria Tolbert-Ashley True Wealth Strategies

04/16/2026

Been on a short hiatus working on all the projects that need nurturing for 2026! Calendar is opening back up April 20th! Regular news updates and post coming back 4/18!

03/04/2026

I'm so excited! I just met with a publisher who wants to publish my book!

02/26/2026

Minutes from the Federal Reserve’s January meeting show that most policymakers want to see additional progress on inflation before supporting further rate reductions this year.



While two officials favored another quarter-point cut, the vast majority agreed the benchmark rate should remain steady for now at roughly 3.6%.



Here’s what stood out:
▪️Many participants believe the labor market has stabilized after late-2025 weakness.
▪️Inflation remains above the central bank’s 2% target, even as price growth has cooled.
▪️Some policymakers signaled openness to future easing if price pressures continue to decline — while others indicated they would prefer holding policy unchanged for an extended period.



Recent data adds context:
▪️Employers added 130,000 jobs in January.
▪️The unemployment rate slipped to 4.3%.
▪️The Fed’s preferred inflation gauge is expected to run near 3% year over year.



For now, officials appear comfortable waiting for more unmistakable evidence that price growth is sustainably moving toward the target before adjusting policy again.

Many Federal Reserve officials want to see inflation fall further before they would support additional interest rate cuts this year, particularly if the job market continues to stabilize, minutes of last month’s meeting show.

02/23/2026

How vulnerable is the U.S. workforce to automation?

New research suggests that roughly 20% of jobs are considered highly exposed to existing robotic and automation technologies. Roles in areas like transportation, manufacturing, retail, and food services are among those identified as more susceptible to task replacement.

Importantly, “vulnerable” does not automatically mean immediate job loss. Historically, technology adoption unfolds gradually. While some tasks may become automated, new roles often develop in oversight, maintenance, data management, and system design.

As automation capabilities expand, understanding which sectors may experience greater disruption can provide helpful context around long-term workforce shifts, productivity trends, and broader economic changes.

More than half of jobs in manufacturing and transportation could be automated over the next 20 years, according to Oxford Economics.

02/18/2026

A long-term study suggests that certain types of brain training may be linked to better cognitive health later in life.



Researchers followed nearly 3,000 adults aged 65 and older for 20 years. Participants who completed up to 23 hours of a cognitive “speed training” program — focused on improving visual processing and reaction time — were found to have a 25% lower risk of developing dementia compared with those who did not receive the training.



Other types of exercises, such as memory or reasoning training, did not show the same results.



Experts note that dementia is influenced by many factors, and no single activity prevents it. Still, the findings add to a growing conversation about how small, consistent habits may support long-term brain health.

Adults who played a specific type of cognitive speed training were found to have a dramatically lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s, new research finds.

02/11/2026

Health insurance costs may be shifting for millions of Americans.

Recent changes to Affordable Care Act premium subsidies mean many households are facing significantly higher monthly costs. As a result, some individuals may decide to drop coverage, which could affect pricing and participation across the broader insurance market.

For those who remain enrolled, experts note that a smaller, less diverse pool of participants may contribute to higher premiums over time. These developments highlight how policy changes can influence both individual household budgets and the overall healthcare landscape.

Some experts warn of a potential "death spiral" in the Affordable Care Act marketplace if young, healthy consumers drop coverage amid soaring costs.

02/09/2026

Higher everyday costs aren’t just showing up at the checkout counter — businesses are feeling the strain as well.

Recent data shows that companies are facing increased expenses, particularly in service-related areas such as transportation, trade, and labor. While some goods costs remained steady late last year, rising service-related expenses have added pressure to business operations.

Several trends stood out in the latest figures:
▪️Service-related expenses climbed at a faster pace than goods
▪️Trade and wholesale margins contributed meaningfully to higher costs
▪️Businesses appear to be absorbing some increases while passing along others

When companies face sustained cost pressures, it can influence pricing decisions, hiring activity, and longer-term investment choices — making business cost trends an important piece of the broader economic picture.

Service prices jumped in December while prices for goods stayed the same, thanks to a decline in energy costs.

02/04/2026

As preparations ramp up for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, volunteers and performers are already hard at work shaping the opening ceremony 🎭❄️

Inside a massive rehearsal space near Milan’s San Siro stadium, dancers, musicians, and volunteers are practicing a carefully choreographed production celebrating Italian culture, creativity, and collaboration. The ceremony will blend tradition with modern staging, offering viewers a glimpse of how large-scale global events come to life behind the scenes.

It’s a reminder that moments we experience in just a few hours often take months of coordination, creativity, and teamwork to bring together.

Classically trained dancers from La Scala’s academy are rehearsing for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony.

01/29/2026

Mortgage refinancing activity jumped again last week, marking the second straight surge as borrowers responded to a brief dip in interest rates. Applications to refinance rose sharply compared with both the prior week and the same period last year.

That momentum may be short-lived. Mortgage rates have since moved higher, driven in part by bond market volatility and renewed geopolitical tensions, raising questions about how long refinancing demand can hold.

Recent dynamics in the market include:
▪️ A spike in refinance applications following modest rate declines
▪️ Increased sensitivity to rate movements after a prolonged period of higher borrowing costs
▪️Continued affordability challenges for homebuyers despite more inventory coming to market

The latest data highlights how quickly mortgage activity can shift as interest rates and broader market conditions evolve.

Mortgage refinancing jumped sharply higher for the second straight week, as interest rates fell further, but that boom may be about to bust.

01/29/2026

A Colorado mother wired $2,000 to criminals who cloned her daughter's voice from online clips—in just 3 seconds of audio.

Her daughter was home the entire time.

AI has fundamentally changed how fraud works.

Criminals can now create fake voices, videos, emails, and documents that are nearly indistinguishable from real ones.

The emotional realism—especially of voice cloning—can make these scams devastatingly effective.

Three simple steps can help you manage your risk:
1️⃣ Create a family code word for emergencies. If someone calls asking for money, ask for the code. This defeats voice cloning instantly.
2️⃣ Verify before you act. Hang up and call back on a verified number. Real emergencies can wait 60 seconds.
3️⃣ Limit your digital footprint. Review social media settings and manage public videos/voice recordings that could be used against you.

The threat is real, but so is the solution: awareness, skepticism, and verification.

If you haven’t talked to your family, especially aging parents and young adult children, about these risks, don’t wait any longer.