Trade Street Wealth Advisors

10/26/2026

💳 Carrying a credit card balance is becoming more common among Gen Z, even as other generations are moving in the opposite direction.

A Deloitte and ConsumerSignals survey found that the share of adults ages 18 to 29 carrying a balance from month to month rose more than 19% between late 2023 and mid-2026. Over that same period, the share declined among every other adult generation.

And with average credit card interest rates around 21% in August, those balances can become expensive.

For younger adults juggling housing costs, student loans, and everyday expenses, there's another challenge: deciding how to balance paying off debt with saving for the future.

High-interest debt can make it harder to build emergency savings or contribute toward long-term goals. But factors such as interest rates, available savings, and workplace retirement benefits can all influence which financial priorities deserve attention.

The important takeaway? A credit card balance isn't just about what you owe today. It's also about how interest may affect what you have available tomorrow.

Deloitte finds the share of Gen Z borrowers carrying credit card balances rose nearly 20% from Q3 2023 to Q2 2026.

10/26/2026

How many years before you are ready to be "retired"?

It's one of the most important numbers yet.

TIAA's 2026 longevity literacy research found that workers who expect a shorter retirement save less consistently than those who expect a longer one.

That makes sense, but it also means the people who assume their retirement will be short are the same ones who may be building portfolios with shorter time horizons.

Once someone has already reached 65, the numbers shift.

According to Social Security Administration data:

📌 A 65-year-old man has roughly a 24 percent chance of living past 90

📌 A 65-year-old woman's chances are higher, closer to 35 percent

📌 For a 65-year-old married couple, there is about a 50 percent chance that at least one spouse lives past 90

The practical implication is not "assume you will live to 100."

It's that a retirement income strategy built around the "average lifespan" often assumes a person will die on schedule. Most people do not.

If retirement is on your horizon, the question to ask is, "What happens to my income strategy if I live to 95?"

10/26/2026

Many have heard they should avoid probate; do you understand what probate is and how it works?

10/23/2026

There’s nothing better than hearing from happy clients! We’re so grateful for your trust and kind words. Thank you for allowing us to be part of your journey!

10/23/2026

Do you have intellectual property? Have you incorporated it into your estate strategy? Read more about how you might incorporate your IP into your estate strategy in this detailed article.

10/22/2026

Trust & Will's 2026 Estate Planning Report found that 56 percent of adults don't have core documents in place, including:

📝 A will: who gets what, and who is in charge of making it happen

🏥 A healthcare directive (or living will): what you want if you cannot speak for yourself

✍️ Two powers of attorney, one for medical decisions and one for financial decisions, each naming a specific person

📄 A letter of instruction: the practical map to where accounts live, who your professionals are, and what your kids or pets need

The friction is that estate work forces a family to sit with mortality, name specific people for specific roles, and make decisions that feel too permanent to rush.

Without something in writing, though, families are left improvising during one of the most difficult moments of their lives.

Most say they fully intend to get to it, but too many put it off until it's too late.

Don't put it off. Talk to a financial professional who can help.

10/21/2026

For decades, the focus was on accumulating. Saving, building, preparing. Retirement flips that dynamic.

Suddenly, the goal is to draw on what you’ve built, coordinate multiple income sources, and balance today’s spending with what’s ahead. Life expectancy data suggests many retirees may spend 20 or more years in this next chapter.

That’s not a footnote. It’s the whole story.

The early years of retirement are worth being intentional about. The routines you establish, the way you approach your time and your finances, tend to set the tone for what follows.

That’s something worth talking about.

Source
OECD Life Expectancy at Age 65, 2026

10/21/2026

Children with special needs may need ongoing help after their parents are gone.

Planning for a child with special needs can be complicated, confusing, and even overwhelming.

10/20/2026

One of the biggest changes in retirement isn’t financial. It’s social. Work provides structure, sure. But it also provides community. Colleagues, shared goals, and a reason to be somewhere at a specific time.

When that falls away, many retirees find themselves rebuilding their social lives from the ground up. Community groups, volunteer organizations, and new social circles often fill the gaps, but it takes time.

Research shows that more than one-quarter of adults age 65 and older volunteer each year. That’s not a coincidence. For many people, contributing to something larger is part of what makes retirement feel meaningful. If you’re navigating this transition, you’re not alone.

Source
AARP, May 28, 2025

10/20/2026

No two days look exactly alike around here, but there's usually a little coffee, a lot of conversation, and plenty happening behind the scenes.