Family WealthCare Center

10/25/2026

🏠 Mortgage rates climbed above 7% last week, and more borrowers started looking for a different way in.

The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage rose to 7.12%, while adjustable-rate mortgages offered rates more than a percentage point lower. That difference helped push ARMs to 9.8% of all mortgage applications, up from 8.4% two weeks earlier.

🔑 The appeal is easy to understand: an ARM may offer a lower initial rate and monthly payment. But that rate doesn’t stay fixed forever. Once the initial period ends, it can adjust higher or lower depending on where rates are at that time.

Meanwhile, overall mortgage demand fell, with purchase applications down 1% for the week and refinancing applications down 3%.

A lower rate today can be tempting. What it does after the fixed period ends is the part worth thinking through before you sign.



Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/23/nearly-10percent-of-borrowers-opted-for-riskier-mortgages-last-week.html

10/24/2026

Caring for someone you love is one of the most generous things a person can do.

It's also one of the most financially complex.

Caregivers often have to manage out-of-pocket costs and long stretches away from the workforce. In some cases, that can lead to reduced income. Those gaps can add up over time and add stress to an already difficult situation.

If you or someone close to you is in a caregiver role, it's never too late to create a strategy.

10/23/2026

Most of the tax benefit for charitable giving disappeared years ago. Nearly 9 in 10 Americans now take the standard deduction, which means most donations no longer help manage a tax bill at all.

And yet people keep giving.

Maybe that says something. The deduction was never really why anyone gave. The cause was.

Talk to your tax, legal, and accounting professionals about how recent tax law changes could affect your giving strategy.

10/22/2026

❄️ Heating oil prices are climbing, and some households are facing difficult decisions as winter approaches.

In Maine, the average price reached $5.97 per gallon in early October. One homeowner estimates her family could spend nearly $5,000 heating their home this winter.

Nationwide, the U.S. Energy Information Administration expects households that rely on heating oil to spend 21% more than last winter.

Some fuel suppliers say customers are ordering smaller deliveries because filling an entire tank has become too expensive.

For families already managing rising everyday expenses, keeping the house warm may take an even larger share of their household budgets this winter.

Amid surging inflation and a rise in fuel prices, Americans who rely on heating oil to warm up their homes this winter are bracing for increased financial strains.

10/21/2026

The Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances reveals some eye-opening statistics about the "Great Wealth Transfer."

The average inheritance for American households is $46,200. However, for the top 1 percent of households that number jumps to $719,000.

It's essential to have a strategy in place to manage your inheritance.



Source: Finance.Yahoo.com, June 24, 2026

10/20/2026

LPL Research examines how personal AI agents may disrupt businesses that rely on consumer inertia while leaving strong competitive moats intact.

Here's our Weekly Market Update:
https://www.familywealthcarecenter.com/weekly-market-commentary-october-19-2026-1-9e150

10/19/2026

🛍️ What if you and another shopper paid different prices for the exact same groceries?

AI could make that scenario more common.

Retailers are exploring personalized pricing, which may use data such as browsing habits, ZIP codes, and purchasing behavior to determine what individual shoppers are willing to pay.

In one Instacart pricing experiment, researchers found that identical grocery baskets cost some shoppers up to 23% more than others. Instacart disputed aspects of those findings and later ended the experiment.

As AI becomes more involved in retail, it raises an interesting question: Will the price you see depend on who's shopping? 🤖

Retailers want to harness the power of artificial intelligence to set personalized prices for shoppers, a consumer protection expert says.

10/18/2026

Military Family Month recognizes the spouses, children, and parents who hold things together while a loved one serves.

Frequent moves, long separations, and the quiet stress of uncertainty are part of that story too, even when no uniform is involved.

If someone in your life carries that kind of steadiness, this is a good month to tell them you noticed.

10/18/2026

Heating oil could make winter noticeably more expensive for millions of households this year. 🏠

The U.S. Energy Information Administration expects heating oil to average $5.26 per gallon this winter, up 34% from last year. Even with a warmer winter expected to reduce consumption, households that primarily use heating oil are projected to spend about 21% more, averaging $2,115 from November through March.

The impact is especially concentrated in the Northeast, where about 3.4 million households rely on heating oil. Meanwhile, households using natural gas or propane are expected to see lower average heating costs this winter.

Actual bills will still depend heavily on the weather and local fuel prices. For households looking to reduce energy use, steps like sealing air leaks, maintaining heating equipment, and lowering the thermostat while away or asleep may help trim consumption. 🌡️

A tight global diesel market is driving up heating oil prices, with households in the Northeast facing the biggest impact.

10/16/2026

The Big Mac Index turns forty this year. Forty years old and still fun to explain at parties. Check out what this classic burger can tell us about the purchasing power of our dollar.