{"id":552,"date":"2026-05-31T07:37:54","date_gmt":"2026-05-31T07:37:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reliablemovingcrews.com\/?p=552"},"modified":"2026-05-31T07:37:54","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T07:37:54","slug":"feeling-the-affordability-squeeze-youre-not-alone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reliablemovingcrews.com\/?p=552","title":{"rendered":"Feeling the affordability squeeze? You’re not alone"},"content":{"rendered":"
NEW YORK, May 28 (Reuters) – Inflation, affordability and war are just a few of the issues dominating the headlines right now \u2014 and their effects are being felt everywhere, from the grocery store to the gas pump<\/svg>, opens new tab<\/span> to your retirement account.<\/div>
How is it all impacting you? Please \u200breach out to me with your personal finance comments and questions via the link in my bio below. \u200cWhile you\u2019re at it, be sure to follow our On the Money coverage. And connect with me on LinkedIn<\/svg>, opens new tab<\/span>, where I\u2019m always posting the latest Reuters<\/svg>, opens new tab<\/span> news.<\/div>

5 WAYS MAHJONG CAN TEACH US ABOUT MONEY<\/h2>
Before we dive into the headlines, I have an important question for you: Do you play mahjong?<\/div>
Mahjong is soaring in \u200bpopularity<\/svg>, opens new tab<\/span>, especially among young people who are looking for screen-free fun. But did you know the game mirrors many \u200bof the decisions people face in their financial lives \u2014 making a plan, managing risk and pivoting when \u2060the unexpected happens?<\/div>
If you play \u2014 and even if you don\u2019t \u2014 read my recent article and share your thoughts about mahjong by \u200bemailing me.<\/div>

IS INFLATION THE MOST IMPORTANT POLITICAL ISSUE FOR AMERICANS?<\/h2>
What starts at the checkout line often ends at the ballot box.<\/div>
The \u200bwar in Iran is driving up the price of gasoline and groceries, making inflation one of the defining issues in U.S. politics right now.<\/div>
With the midterms just months away, be sure to listen to this conversation on our Econ World podcast, starring host Carmel Crimmins. She talks to Sally Buzbee, Reuters U.S. \u200beditor, and U.S. economics editor Dan Burns about the political and economic consequences of America\u2019s affordability crisis.<\/div>

READ. WATCH. LISTEN.<\/h2>
Costlier flights, hotels divide \u200bUS summer travel into haves and have-nots <\/div>
Meet Ferrari\u2019s new electric car Luce, priced at $640,000<\/div>
High gas prices spur Americans to improvise, from bus rides \u200cto toy \u2060cars <\/div>
Space ETFs booming in anticipation of SpaceX IPO<\/div>
America’s baby celebration boom: Where new parents spend the most<\/svg>, opens new tab<\/span><\/div>
The AI bots are coming and the young are booing, not applauding <\/div>
Investors hunt for AI winners in small-cap US tech stocks <\/div>
US mortgage rate rises to nine-month high, worsening affordability again <\/div>
Thanks to AI, metals producers have pricing power \u2014 for now<\/div>

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BABY BOOM?<\/h2>
The U.S. is getting older \u2014 \u200band having far fewer babies. \u200bHere’s why that matters to \u2060your wallet.<\/div>
First, fertility rates are at a record low and trailing what\u2019s needed for the population to replace itself. Current projections show that by around 2030, deaths will exceed births each year.<\/div>
All of \u200bthis is important to the economy as well as the sustainability of social safety nets, \u200bparticularly programs for \u2060the elderly like Social Security and Medicare that are the foundations of the U.S. social compact. The more working-age people who pay taxes into the system to support a given number of retirees, the more sustainable the system is over the long run.<\/div>
Check out this \u2060informative Reuters \u200bgraphic which looks at these demographic trends, and why they matter to your \u200bmoney.<\/div>
Speaking of babies: The U.S. is about to roll out Trump Accounts with $1,000 in seed money for children born between 2025 and 2028 who have a valid \u200bSocial Security number.<\/div>
If eligible, be sure to download the app ahead of the official launch in July.<\/div>