Foster & Associates, Inc.

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.

11/02/2026

Last week’s sell-off raised new questions about the market outlook. This week on , Brian Klimke breaks down what drove the weakness in tech stocks, why investors are focused on earnings guidance over headline results, and how key economic data, geopolitics, and the midterm elections could shape markets in the days ahead.

“Cetera Financial Group” refers to the network of independent retail firms encompassing, among others, Cetera Advisors LLC, Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, Cetera Investment Services LLC (marketed as Cetera Financial Institutions or Cetera Investors), and Cetera Financial Specialists LLC. All firms...

10/29/2026

🤖 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?

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

10/27/2026

💳 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.

10/26/2026

How many years before you are ready to be "retired"?

It's one of the most important numbers yet.

TIAA's 2026 longevity literacy research found that workers who expect a shorter retirement save less consistently than those who expect a longer one.

That makes sense, but it also means the people who assume their retirement will be short are the same ones who may be building portfolios with shorter time horizons.

Once someone has already reached 65, the numbers shift.

According to Social Security Administration data:

📌 A 65-year-old man has roughly a 24 percent chance of living past 90

📌 A 65-year-old woman's chances are higher, closer to 35 percent

📌 For a 65-year-old married couple, there is about a 50 percent chance that at least one spouse lives past 90

The practical implication is not "assume you will live to 100."

It's that a retirement income strategy built around the "average lifespan" often assumes a person will die on schedule. Most people do not.

If retirement is on your horizon, the question to ask is, "What happens to my income strategy if I live to 95?"

10/26/2026

Who you gonna call? This week, CIO Gene Goldman is joined by two very special guests as he suits up for Halloween with his baby twins in a Ghostbusters-inspired edition of .
Beyond the costumes, Gene breaks down the biggest event on investors’ radar: the upcoming Fed meeting. Will policymakers hold rates steady, signal a December hike, or surprise markets? Tune in as he explores inflation trends, Fed messaging, and the key signals investors should be watching this week.

“Cetera Financial Group” refers to the network of independent retail firms encompassing, among others, Cetera Advisors LLC, Cetera Advisor Networks LLC, Cetera Investment Services LLC (marketed as Cetera Financial Institutions or Cetera Investors), and Cetera Financial Specialists LLC. All firms...

10/23/2026

The AI trade isn't ending. It's expanding. Cetera's latest commentary examines what's driving the recent selloff, where they see opportunities emerging, and why staying invested still matters.

The AI trade isn't ending. It's expanding. Our latest commentary examines what's driving the recent selloff, where we see opportunities emerging, and why…

10/22/2026

Trust & Will's 2026 Estate Planning Report found that 56 percent of adults don't have core documents in place, including:

📝 A will: who gets what, and who is in charge of making it happen

🏥 A healthcare directive (or living will): what you want if you cannot speak for yourself

✍️ Two powers of attorney, one for medical decisions and one for financial decisions, each naming a specific person

📄 A letter of instruction: the practical map to where accounts live, who your professionals are, and what your kids or pets need

The friction is that estate work forces a family to sit with mortality, name specific people for specific roles, and make decisions that feel too permanent to rush.

Without something in writing, though, families are left improvising during one of the most difficult moments of their lives.

Most say they fully intend to get to it, but too many put it off until it's too late.

Don't put it off. Talk to a financial professional who can help.

10/20/2026

Social Security recipients will receive a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in 2027, translating to approximately $75 more per month on average.

The increase comes as inflation continues to affect everyday expenses. September's Consumer Price Index showed prices rising 3.7% over the past year.

But will the adjustment be enough? A September AARP survey found that roughly three-quarters of adults age 50 and older didn't believe a 3.5% COLA would keep pace with rising prices.

The actual increase will vary by recipient, and expenses such as health care, housing, and groceries may affect how far that additional income goes.

The Social Security Administration projects a 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment for older adults and people with disabilities starting in 2027.