Life’s full of financial dualities – just starting your career and saving for its end, paying for the present and planning an eventual legacy. 

Beyond money, Memorial Day is dichotomy in action, with heads bowed in remembrance and lifted skyward to welcome the sunny season. 

As many drift away for the long weekend, travelers who choose to fly on a Sunday can land up to 5% savings* off the average ticket.

– The Editors

Take me out to the ballgame: The world’s highest paid athletes collectively scored an estimated $3.44 billion* over the past 12 months before taxes and agents’ fees, up 16% from last year’s record-setting earnings. 

Paycheck to play ✅: Some budgeters are taking to TikTok on payday to record the details of their spending and saving habits.* They say the accountability is a game-changer in improving their ongoing financial routines. 

Off to the races: Those just starting their careers may benefit big from paying themselves first early on. Let the Gen Zers in your life know that compound interest has the potential to provide a 60% investment earnings increase over time if they start their retirement savings in their mid-20s versus their early 30s. 

Vroom vroom 

Buckle up for rising car insurance rates;* premiums rose 15% in some states over the past year, with the nationwide average revving up to $2,014 a year. 

With insurance at a premium, drivers are still sticking by their mileage – some 42M+ Americans are likely to travel this weekend,* up 7% from last year. 

Travel matters: a recent Empower survey revealed that a third of U.S. adults view financial freedom as vacationing at their leisure. If you’re hitting the road this summer, check out our list of R&R retreats that won’t break the bank. 

Raise the roof 

We’ve talked about the national debt ceiling a few times now, and the clock is ticking closer to when the bill comes due and Congress must decide* whether to add to the nation’s $31.5 trillion debt or allow the U.S. government to default on its obligations for the first time in history. 

After weeks of turbulent talks on the floor, President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy met this week and described their meeting as “productive” but still reached no deal.* Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said June 1 is the “hard deadline” to increase the limit. See ya next week. 

As we await a final outcome, we’re homing in on the ways we can impact our personal economy, a worthwhile endeavor when some 38.5% of American adults say they struggle to make ends meet.* 

Willfully written 

We’re in the midst of the greatest wealth transfer in U.S. history, with around $16 trillion changing hands in the next decade (with women expected to be top beneficiaries).* 

Facing your mortality, or that of your loved ones, can come with a wave of difficult emotions. But that shouldn’t deter people from penning a plan, advises a senior estate planning specialist with Empower. 

One of the greatest challenges of estate planning may be deciding how (and to whom) you dole out your life’s earnings, with some gifting their assets to friends,* while others are working through expectations in blended families.* 

Choosing who gets what is only one portion of estate planning; perhaps equally important is who you select to oversee and implement your final wishes. 

Our estate planning pro suggests carefully considering who can fill various key roles, from your account executor to child guardian to healthcare agent. Your inner circle may evolve throughout life; keep up the periodic conversations to ensure the people you tap are up for the task. Get the full take on choosing your support team. 

Name your price: How do you wanna soak up the sun? ☀️

We’re all headed somewhere (even if it’s just to the backyard). How much do you intend to spend this season on vacations? Take our one-question poll and see how your summer fun compares to that of our fellow readers next week.

(Psst, as you prepare for your getaway, consider building up a sinking fund to cover the expected upcoming expense; this could help you avoid a dour homecoming to credit card debt.) 

*Empower Retirement, LLC, and its affiliates are not affiliated with the author or responsible for the third-party content provided from links to external material.