Your Money

This week’s inflation report may offer some reassurance. Headline numbers appear calmer than they did a year ago. Markets notice. Policymakers notice. The media certainly notices.

But retirees experience inflation differently.

Social Security benefits receive annual cost of living adjustments tied to CPI. That index reflects a broad basket of urban consumer spending. It is useful. It is consistent. But it is not tailored to retirement.

Healthcare is the key difference.

For 2026, health care cost growth is projected around 5.8 percent, while Social Security benefits are projected to rise roughly 2.4 percent. That gap, if realized, means medical costs alone could grow more than twice as fast as benefits. For retirees who allocate a meaningful portion of monthly spending to premiums, out of pocket expenses, and care, that difference compounds quickly.

This is why retirement planning is not just about investment returns. It is about matching income sources to real expense patterns.

At PWM, we focus on preserving long term purchasing power, not just generating income. That means building portfolios designed to outpace inflation over time through a disciplined mix of public and private real estate, infrastructure, and equity exposure.

Health Cost Growth Expected to Outpace Social Security
by Ted Godbout

Your Life

Curiosity is often associated with youth. But cognitive research suggests it may matter even more later in life.

Older adults who continue engaging with new ideas, new skills, and unfamiliar subjects show stronger memory performance and greater cognitive resilience over time. Mental stimulation appears to help preserve brain function well into later decades.

This does not require dramatic reinvention. It can be as simple as reading outside your usual interests, learning something unfamiliar, or asking deeper questions in everyday conversations.

Curiosity is not about achievement. It is about remaining mentally open.

Are you curious? It might help you stay sharp as you age
by Holly Ober

Complexity Simplified

Milk, eggs, and bread are rarely near the store entrance. That is intentional. Grocery stores are designed around exposure. Essentials sit in the back because nearly everyone needs them, forcing customers to walk past dozens of other items. More exposure means more impulse purchases.

The simple way to avoid shopping bill surprises is an old-fashioned list. A written list and a defined path reduce the extra decisions the store is designed to create.

Why Are Grocery Stores Designed Like That?
by Heide Brandes

Trivia