🎵 New groove

Finding a new groove doesn’t have to mean a total overhaul. Looking at what shifted in 2025 and then making one or two tweaks can help money feel steadier in 2026.

Last year came with many notable money moments. Even after a choppy start (the S&P 500 slid more than 10% in Q1), 2025 finished strong: The S&P 500 rose 16.4% for the year, the Dow gained 13%, the Nasdaq climbed 20.4%, and the Russell 2000 added 11.3%.

A fresh financial start can take advantage of a backup plan or new budget to help keep momentum going. Empower research shows Americans have a median of $500 in emergency savings, and 42% say their current savings wouldn’t help if they lost their job. Building even a small cushion — and making smart use of tax-advantaged accounts like a traditional IRA, 401(k), or 403(b) — can help keep the year’s goals on track.

— The Editors 

🛍️ Label lift: Store brands are on the rise — private-label sales were slated to reach $277 billion in 2025, up from a record $271 billion in 2024. Walmart’s Bettergoods line has been a big driver of the retailer’s recent earnings growth, and labels like Costco’s Kirkland Signature and Target’s Good & Gather keep pulling in loyal shoppers.

️📆 Tax tempo: The first estimated-tax deadline of the year is coming up fast. If quarterly payments are on your to-do list, January 15 is the date to flag.

💡 Watt now: Power bills may be ready for a new groove. The Energy Department expects the average U.S. residential electricity rate to rise another 4%* this year, on top of the 6.9% rise in electricity costs from November 2024 to November 2025.

⬆️ Pay bump: Minimum wage hikes kicked in across 19* states on January 1, with the largest jump in Hawaii at $2 per hour (from $14 to $16). See how 2026 taxes could affect take-home pay.

ICYMI: Articles worth a read

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Gridlock costs

Rush hour is stretching into more of the day in some cities. The time the average driver spends stuck in traffic hit record* highs — up about 17%* from 2019 to 2024. And it's not just lost time: Wear-and-tear is getting pricier, too. Motor vehicle repair costs rose 9.7%* year-over-year in November, and maintenance and servicing were up 5% over the same period, according to the Consumer Price Index.
 
But not every city is taking the same route. New York City rolled* out congestion pricing on Jan. 5, 2025, adding tolls for drivers in some of Manhattan’s most gridlocked areas. One year in, the early results point to a shift: 23.7 million fewer vehicles, 25% less traffic, and 22% less air pollution.

Market mood

Pending home sales jumped* to a nearly three-year high, up 3.3% in November — a sign that more buyers are getting back in the mix. If a move is on the horizon, it’s a smart moment to track rates, inventory, and what affordability looks like in the target zip code.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) set conforming loan limits for 2026 — the maximum mortgage size that can be eligible for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to purchase and guarantee. The standard limit for a one-unit home is $832,750 in most of the U.S. (up from $806,500), and in high-cost markets, the limit rises to $1,249,125. Read more about the loan limits for the new year on The Currency^TM.

In the groove

The playlists are paying. Beyoncé* is now a billionaire — propelled in part by her Cowboy Carter Tour which reportedly topped $400 million in ticket sales and $50 million in merchandise sold at the shows. Overall, the price of concert tickets are up 34%* from six years ago, averaging $128.46 in Q3 2025.

Holiday listening paid off, too: Michael Bublé’s catalog logged* over 752 million streams through December 24, and one estimate puts the artist’s streaming take for the season at about $15.9 million.