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When Is the Right Time to Retire?
Determining when to retire is one of life’s biggest decisions, and the right time depends on your personal vision for the future. Have you considered what your retirement will look like, how long your money needs to last and what your expenses will be? Answering these questions is the first step toward building a successful retirement plan.
Our guide, When to Retire: A Quick and Easy Planning Guide, walks you through these critical steps. Learn ways to define your goals and align your investment strategy to meet them. If you have $1,000,000 or more saved, download your free guide to start planning for the retirement you’ve worked for.
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Consumers Take a Breather
December retail sales disappointed. Headline sales were flat while the control group fell 0.1% month-over-month. Adjusted for inflation, that's a decline of around 0.3-0.4%. Spending had been running above income growth through 2025, meaning consumers were saving less each month to finance purchases. There are limits to how far that can go.
U.S household savings as a share of income fell through 2025
Two forces could help incomes in 2026. Tax cuts passed last year will hit personal finances through refunds and adjusted withholdings, with the Congressional Budget Office estimating a $150 billion boost to households. And the labor market is showing some signs of improvement after a weak 2025.
Signs of Life in the Labor Market
January payrolls came in at 130,000, an upside surprise. Strip out federal employment cuts and private payrolls rose 172,000, averaging 100,000 over the past three months. That's an improvement on 2025, when private payrolls rose just 30,000 per month on average. The unemployment rate fell to 4.3%, down from its recent peak of 4.5%.
