🥇 Good as gold

Gold is in the spotlight after a record-breaking 2025. Prices have seen big swings this year as investors watch political and trade developments unfold. Read the latest developments on The Currency^TM.

Gold will be measured against a different bar beginning February 6: About 3,500 athletes will compete to be good as gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, with officials expecting* 2 million visitors.

With about 10% of global tourism spending coming from sports, Italy is eyeing a big win: The host country has invested about $4.1 billion in the games and is aiming for $6.2 billion in revenue after the final medal is awarded.

— The Editors 

🏈 Game plan: Resale tickets for Super Bowl 60 in Santa Clara, California, are averaging* near $8,000, while 30-second TV ads cost* up to $8 million for the Seattle Seahawks–New England Patriots matchup. Don’t forget the protein-packed chips and snacks if you’re hosting friends.

🥅 Good score: The average FICO Score in the U.S. is 715 as of late 2025, placing it in the "good" credit range (670-739). Just 1.5% of Americans have bragging rights to a perfect 850 — but scores near 800 are often enough for the best credit terms.

🌭 Top dog: Inflationary pressures have sparked several food industry realignments in recent years. Coney Island hot dog brand Nathan’s Famous was snatched* up by Smithfield Foods for $450 million. Smithfield won’t change Nathan’s hot-dog eating contest, where champ Joey Chestnut downed 70.5 franks and buns last year.

Winning tone?

Workers are turning to AI chatbots to navigate tough conversations with colleagues. About 35% have used AI to help with sensitive messages, according* to email-verification platform ZeroBounce.  Getting personal may be key to getting people to warm up to the automation: 56% find the AI help most useful when paired with a human touch.

Personalization is also important for financial guidance. Empower research shows 62% of Americans value the human component of financial advice, especially for high-stakes decisions like investing.

Prize picks

Warehouse club shelves can reveal much about local cultures. That curiosity is driving* U.S. travelers to Costco stores in places like Japan, Sweden, and Taiwan. Some love the rare finds — foie gras in France and fish jerky in Iceland — while others want to see if Costco hot dogs taste the same abroad.

Americans closer to home spent an average of $552.50 at Costco in December, according to Empower Personal Dashboard^TM data. Gen X led the way with an average monthly spend of $612.80.

Let the games continue

Word games are a big winner* for The New York Times, which just released its first two-player offering, Crossplay. Brainteasers logged 11.2 billion plays in 2025 and are driving 9% annual subscription growth, with about half paying $30 monthly for an all-access bundle.

Hands-on games have also seen a resurgence in recent years. In the latest Consumer Price index, prices for games, hobbies, toys, and related goods saw a 1.3% monthly gain. 

👀 In case you missed it — read on

• Why retirement planning shouldn’t stop at work
• Winning strategies to avoid short-term capital gains taxes
• How compound interest can accelerate wealth building