The word of the year is a number. Dictionary.com tapped* “67” — pronounced “six seven” — a bit of Generation Alpha slang that went viral. On the financial fast track, Empower research shows the number keeps popping up:

💸 A retirement fund is a top savings milestone for 67%
🎁 67% of Gen Z budgets for occasions, buying gifts ahead to spread costs
💳 To bolster retirement plans, 67% of Americans are taking steps to reduce debt
💰 Leaving an inheritance is a priority for 67% of families

And one more 67: It’s full retirement age for people born after 1960 to claim Social Security benefits.

— The Editors

⚡Charging ahead: Alphabet’s Waymo will roll out robotaxis in Las Vegas, San Diego, and Detroit in 2026* for a total of seven cities with driverless service. It will also add Zeekr-built vehicles to its fleet. The global robotaxi market is forecast to increase more than 4,000%* — from about $4.4 billion this year to $189 billion in 2034.

🏀 $1B fast break: Women’s basketball keeps picking up speed. Global revenues are on track to top $1 billion this year, and average WNBA ticket prices reached $88* last year, up 75% compared to 2023. Fans packed arenas in 2025, with a record 2.5 million* people at over 226 games before the season wrapped in October.

📆Year-end tune up: With seven weeks left in the year, taxpayers can accelerate 2025 savings by acting before December 31: Consider maximizing workplace retirement plan contributions (up to $23,500), gifting appreciated assets, and using Qualified Charitable Distributions when eligible. These moves can help reduce taxable income and keep long-term goals on track. Read more on The Currency™.

📈 Growth merge: Kimberly-Clark will acquire Kenvue in a $48.7 billion* cash-and-stock deal, putting Kleenex and Huggies under the same roof as Band-Aid and Listerine. The combined company targets about $32 billion in annual revenue, with closing expected in the second half of 2026, pending approvals.

Money mileage

A six-digit salary lands differently by region. Housing sets the pace: Local prices and taxes shape how far $8,333 in gross monthly pay from a $100K salary stretches.

New York and San Francisco face premium rents that can claim up to 44% of pay; higher prices — and in New York City, a local tax — compress the same salary. Austin and Tampa pair sub-coastal rents (about $1,995 and $2,070, respectively) with no state income tax and generally lower day-to-day costs, stretching purchasing power. Denver sits in the middle lane with rent around $2,075, a predictable 4.4% flat state income tax, and everyday costs near national averages.

Registry math
 
Some engaged couples are swapping place settings with a new wish-list item: 20%* of wedding registries now include house funds.

With the average age of first-time home buyers increasing to 40,* some are looking for a way to buy a house sooner. Nearly two in five (38%) house hunters get a gift or loan from family or friends to break into the market.

Home prices have continued to edge up. The national median sales price for an existing home hit a record high of $429,400 in the second quarter of 2025.

Sleet fleet                      

Oklahoma’s annual snowplow naming contest* tapped K-12 students to name 24 plows — from Clearopathra and Sleetwood Mac to Snowbi Won Kenobi — and residents can follow on a statewide tracker as the fleet hits the road this winter.

Costs can add up fast with colder-than-average temperatures anticipated in parts of the U.S. this winter, and private home snow-removal services run about $125 per visit nationally.

In case you missed it — read on

• Arizona calling: Top 10 retirement spots ranked

• Seven-year stretch: 22% choose longer car loans for the pay off

• Accountants wanted: Hiring (and salaries) rising fast