Category: Finance

Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on Monster.

If your job search feels slower, more selective, or harder to break into right now, you are not imagining it. New Monster research suggests many employers are putting more energy into keeping the talent they already have than expanding headcount.

In Monster’s 2026 Hiring WorkWatch Report, a survey of 800 U.S.-based hiring decision-makers, 52% say retaining existing employees is their top workforce priority in 2026, compared with 45% who prioritize hiring new talent.

Employers also report that finding qualified candidates is still difficult: 64% say they struggle to do so. That helps explain why many organizations are investing more in internal development and skills-building.

So what does a retention-first year mean for you as a job seeker? It does not mean hiring is off. It means hiring can be more deliberate, and candidates may need to be more specific about the value they bring.

Hiring is still happening, but employers are being pickier

Even as retention leads the priority list, employers are still hiring. The process may feel slower and more selective as teams focus on fit, skills, and cost.

Monster’s research highlights several operational factors that can slow hiring, including:

• Finding qualified candidates (64%)
• Salary and benefit expectations (44%)
• Addressing skills gaps (30%)
• Competition from other employers (27%)
• Meeting remote and hybrid expectations (24%)

What to do

Make your resume and LinkedIn profile highly specific to the roles you want. Lead with skills and results, not just responsibilities. Share what you improved, saved, shipped, or supported. If you are pivoting, translate your experience into the exact language of the job description.

Upskilling is a real employer strategy, especially around AI

Employers are not just talking about AI. They are investing in it:

• 74% plan to invest in AI training or upskilling for employees in 2026
• 41% already use AI in hiring or workforce management
• 31% plan to adopt AI tools soon

What to do

Build practical AI fluency. Focus on how you use AI to do your work, not just general interest. Be ready to explain your approach to accuracy, verification, and judgment. If you have used AI tools for writing, analysis, customer support, project work, or productivity, describe the workflow and the outcome.

Return-to-office policies are affecting hiring and your options

Workplace policy is part of the hiring puzzle:

• 54% of employers say return-to-office mandates have made hiring harder
• 72% expect their current hybrid or on-site policies to remain unchanged
• 22% plan to increase in-office requirements

What to do

Decide your non-negotiables early, such as remote, hybrid, or commute distance, then search accordingly. If you are open to hybrid or on-site roles, say so clearly. Flexibility can widen your opportunity set. If you prefer remote work, strengthen your candidacy with tight positioning, a skills match, and work samples.

Retention-first years can be leverage years for the right move

When employers prioritize keeping talent, internal advancement and development can matter more. For job seekers, that can cut two ways. Some roles may open more slowly. At the same time, employers may value candidates who can fill real gaps and ramp quickly, especially in mid-level roles.

What to do

If you are employed, consider asking about growth paths, training budgets, or internal mobility. If you are job searching, show how you will help solve immediate problems for the team.

Employers are worried about the economy, and that shapes decisions

When asked about top workforce concerns in 2026, hiring leaders most often pointed to:

• Economic uncertainty (48%)
• Retaining talent (41%)
• Attracting qualified candidates (39%)
• Pressure to raise wages (36%)
• Skills gaps (29%)
• Keeping pace with AI and automation (26%)

What to do

Expect more scrutiny on compensation. Be prepared with a clear range and rationale. Emphasize reliability, adaptability, and the ability to learn, especially if the company is navigating change.

Bottom line: Hiring has not stopped, it is becoming more intentional

The big signal from the data is that many employers are prioritizing stability in 2026. They are keeping strong employees, building skills internally, and adopting AI thoughtfully.

For job seekers, standing out will depend less on broad claims and more on specific proof: the skills you have, how you apply them, and the results you have delivered.

A full renovation is expensive, disruptive, and often unnecessary. In many cases, what makes a home feel tired is not the layout or the finishes. It is clutter, poor lighting, and furniture that no longer fits the way you live.

Before you start pricing new cabinets or decor, look at what you already own. With a few deliberate changes and a free afternoon, you can make your space feel more open, functional, and comfortable without spending a dime.

1. Clear the visual noise

The most transformative thing you can do for a room costs absolutely nothing. Physical clutter acts as visual noise that your brain constantly processes. A UCLA study found a direct link between managing a high density of household objects and elevated cortisol levels, the primary stress hormone.

Start by clearing your flat surfaces. Kitchen counters, dining tables, and entryway consoles act as magnets for random objects. Remove everything from these surfaces, wipe them down, and only return items you use daily. Stash the rest out of sight or donate what you no longer need.

2. Shop your own rooms

You likely have beautiful items you rarely see, sitting in hidden corners or unused rooms. Moving decor from one room to another instantly refreshes a space.

Take a walk through your home and look at your possessions with fresh eyes.

• Swap the rugs: A bedroom rug might look perfect under the dining table.
• Relocate lighting: Move a cozy reading lamp from a spare bedroom into your main living area.
• Rotate art: Swap paintings or framed photos between hallways and living spaces.

3. Maximize natural light

We often underestimate the psychological impact of a well-lit room. Research led by Monash University showed that greater daytime light exposure is associated with improved mood and better sleep quality. You can increase the light in your home without installing new windows.

Start by thoroughly washing your windows inside and out. Dust and grime accumulate slowly, filtering out a surprising amount of sunlight. Next, check your window treatments. Ensure curtains can be pulled entirely clear of the glass during the day. If a bulky piece of furniture is partially blocking a window, move it.

4. Rethink the focal point

Most living rooms default to pointing every piece of furniture at the television. This creates a static, theater-like environment rather than a conversational living space. Rearranging your furniture is a physical task, but it requires $0 and can entirely change how a room functions.

Identify a new focal point — a fireplace, a large window, or a piece of art. Angle your seating to encourage conversation. Pull your sofa a few inches away from the wall to create a sense of spaciousness. It sounds counterintuitive, but leaving breathing room around your furniture makes the entire room feel larger.

5. Optimize your lighting

Beyond natural sunlight, your artificial lighting dictates the evening ambiance. Many homes suffer from harsh overhead lighting. You can fix this by changing how you use the lamps you already own.

Turn off the main overhead lights and rely exclusively on floor and table lamps. If you have a lamp sitting unused in a guest room, bring it into the living room to create layered, warm pools of light. It can dramatically change the mood of the room at night.

6. Deep clean the forgotten zones

A house feels different when it is genuinely clean. Routine vacuuming handles the surface, but taking an afternoon to address neglected areas pays off immediately.

Focus on the baseboards, the top of the refrigerator, and the grilles on your air vents. Wiping down your interior doors and kitchen cabinets removes smudges you might have stopped noticing. The effort is minor, but the payoff is noticeable.

Make the reset last

Once you refresh your space, the real payoff comes from keeping it that way. A home feels better when it runs smoothly.

Spend 10 to 15 minutes each evening resetting the main areas. Fold blankets, clear surfaces and load the dishwasher. Waking up to order instead of clutter changes how the day begins.

If you are looking for additional ways to stretch your dollars, organizations like AARP offer discounts on dining, travel, eyeglasses, prescriptions and more. Membership starts at $15 per year with auto-renewal. Join now and save hundreds.

The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.

You’re contributing enough to your 401(k) to get your employer match. Maybe you’re even maxing out your 401(k).

You don’t have high-interest debt, or you’re working on a strategy to pay it off.

What’s next?

Wouldn’t we all like to know? I’ve worked at NerdWallet for almost six years and I don’t have the answer. But I talked to some certified financial planners and found some ideas.

“You can max out two retirement plans at the same time,” he says. “You can stash a lot.”

“Sometimes people will come to me and they say, ‘Well, I have all these student loans. Should I just put all of my money towards the student loans and not put any money into savings or investments or retirement?’” says Adrienne Davis, a Bowie, Maryland-based CFP for Zenith Wealth Partners.

“And that’s when I say, ‘Absolutely not.’ We want to make sure that we are still preparing for the future.”

Lazetta Rainey Braxton, a CFP based in New Haven, Connecticut, says prepping for the future means diversifying your investment vehicles.

“I really really want all of my HENRYs to have a taxable brokerage account,” says Braxton, founder of The Real Wealth Coterie.

Investing in the stock market through a brokerage account is something too many people shy away from, Johnson says. Social media influencers have made it seem like getting rich can be fast and easy, he says. But securing the big bag is usually a long game.

“The majority of the wealth has been built through generations,” he says. “It takes time.”

“If you want to have property, that’s a good way to pass on wealth,” says Naima Bush, a Northern Virginia-based CFP and chartered financial consultant for Fruitful Advisory.

Say you get a raise or bonus. You’re eyeing a new luxury car. Do you want the $1,500-a-month car note that goes with it? That’s money that could be invested, Davis says.

Even small things bought regularly can add up. You might love that $45 Fenty Beauty body butter, Bush says. But do you really need it?

“It’s OK to have the Trader Joe’s or the lower-cost brand,” she says.

“The easiest way to avoid lifestyle creep is to allow a little bit of lifestyle to creep,” he says.

Most of the CFPs I talked to, like me, didn’t learn much about money growing up.

And many HENRYs are first-generation wealth builders, Bush says.

That can come with pressure to provide for family members.

If helping relatives is important to you, most of the CFPs advocate setting boundaries. You can allot a certain amount for giving, Davis says, and when it’s gone, it’s gone.

Johnson says boundaries can seem easy to set, but hard to maintain.

“Lets be honest, we’re all human,” he says. “Even for me, I don’t see a situation where I say, ‘I’m going to put myself first,’ and not help my mom.”

Braxton says some of her high-earning clients live frugally to balance long-term care for aging parents. You just have to be honest with yourself and your advisor about how you want to live and spend your money.

“What are the non-negotiables?” she says. “What would hurt your heart if you weren’t able to do it?”

Beyond that, she says, your heirs should know enough about money to maintain what you’ve built.

Johnson says he’s seen people inherit a life insurance lump sum, and within a year, it’s spent.

“All the wealth can be gone really quickly if the knowledge isn’t passed down with the money,” Johnson says.

Both Braxton and Johnson tell parents to start early teaching kids about credit, debt, spending, saving and investing.

That’s what she wants for more children, she says.

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Reaching your 50s usually means your peak earning years are arriving. It is also the perfect time to check your retirement progress.

According to the latest How American Saves report from Vanguard, the average 401(k) balance for participants aged 55 to 64 is $271,320.

A benchmark like that can either make you feel incredibly secure or deeply worried. But before you react to that number, you need to understand how it is calculated.

The problem with average balances

An average balance of more than $270,000 sounds fantastic. It paints a picture of a highly prepared generation.

However, averages in finance can be highly distorted. A tiny percentage of corporate executives with multi-million dollar accounts pulls the overall average drastically upward.

If you look at that average and feel like your own account is lacking, do not panic. You are comparing yourself to an inflated number.

What the median numbers reveal

To get a true reality check on how your peers are doing, you have to look at the median balance.

Vanguard reports that the median 401(k) balance for workers aged 55 to 64 is actually $95,642. This means exactly half of all participants in this age bracket have more than this amount saved. The other half have less.

This figure is a much more accurate reflection of the everyday worker. It accounts for people who faced layoffs, medical emergencies, or periods of high inflation.

Maximize your employer match

If your balance sits closer to the median and you want to accelerate your growth, review your current contribution rate.

If your employer offers a match, contributing enough to get it can be one of the highest-impact moves you can make, assuming you meet any vesting rules.

Workers aged 50 and older can also make catch-up contributions. Directing a portion of any new raise straight into your retirement account can change your financial trajectory.

Use a rollover IRA for old accounts

Many people change jobs several times before reaching their 50s. You might be paying high administrative fees for an old workplace plan you no longer monitor.

Moving those funds into a rollover IRA gives you immediate control over your money.

Corporate retirement plans usually restrict you to a small menu of mutual funds. An IRA gives you access to a massive variety of low-cost index funds. Lowering your investment fees keeps more money in your own pocket.

Automate your strategy

You do not need to be a financial expert to manage your rollover funds. Digital platforms have made professional-level management highly accessible.

Robo-advisors can automate diversification and rebalancing based on the plan you choose. They automatically ensure your portfolio stays aligned with your timeline.

For many people, steady investing over time may beat the stress and risk of frequent market timing.

Your next financial step

Comparing your retirement account to national statistics is only useful if it sparks action. Focus entirely on the variables within your direct control.

Track down your old workplace accounts. Review your current contribution rates. Ensure your money is invested as efficiently as possible.

Consistent actions taken in your 50s will set the foundation for a much more comfortable retirement.

If you are looking ahead to your retirement, and you have over $100,000 in savings, consider getting advice from a pro. SmartAsset offers a free service that matches you to a vetted, fiduciary advisor in less than 5 minutes.

Wall Street stocks tumbled on Monday, as ongoing fears of artificial intelligence-related disruption and the fallout from Friday’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling sent investors fleeing from high-risk equities

A broad selloff sent all three major U.S. stock indexes more than 1% lower by the closing bell, as risk appetite was dampened by a combination of persistent fears over potential disruption due to emergent artificial intelligence technology and Trump’s erratic statements on trade policy, which fueled much of the market volatility during the first year of the president’s second term.

Financial stocks were off 3.3%, while software-related firms slid 4.3% amid ongoing AI disruption fears.

“The question about AI is twofold: How much is it going to cost, and who all is going to be disrupted?” said Tom Hainlin, national investment strategist at U.S. Bank Wealth Management in Minneapolis. “You’ve seen the market react to headlines, it’s ‘sell first, assess later.’”

He added: “It’s a perspective of what may happen as opposed to what has happened.”

On Friday, the top court in the nation issued a 6-3 ruling that Trump overstepped his presidential authority by enacting reciprocal tariffs under an economic emergency law, a ruling that provoked condemnation from the president, who threatened a 15% temporary tariff on all imports, despite having reached trade agreements with many U.S. trading partners.

Gold prices, benefiting from a flight to safety, surged 2.6%.

“The Supreme Court decision wasn’t unexpected,” Hainlin said. “But you put these uncertainties on top of each other, the heightened geopolitical situation in the Middle East, tariff uncertainty, and potential AI displacement and that’s leading investors to a broad risk reassessment.”

A powerful winter storm buried much of the U.S. under more than 15 inches of snow and paralyzed travel in the Northeast. At airports in the New York City area, 89% to 98% of flights were canceled, according to Flightaware.com. Airlines and travel/leisure-related stocks tumbled 3.8% and 3.7%, respectively. Dow Transports dropped 2.9%.

With only 77 of the companies in the S&P 500 yet to post results, fourth-quarter earnings season has neared the finish line, a smattering of high-profile companies are expected to report this week, most notably vanguard artificial intelligence chipmaker Nvidia due on Wednesday. Home improvement rivals Home Depot and Lowe’s are also on the docket, which is rounded out by Salesforce and Universal Health Services.

Of the companies that have reported, 73% have beaten expectations, and analysts now expect aggregate year-on-year S&P 500 earnings growth of 13.9%, significantly higher than the 8.9% forecast as of January 1, according to LSEG data.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 821.91 points, or 1.66%, to 48,804.06, the S&P 500 lost 71.76 points, or 1.04%, to 6,837.75 and the Nasdaq Composite lost 258.80 points, or 1.13%, to 22,627.27.

Among the 11 major sectors of the S&P 500, financials suffered the biggest percentage, while consumer staples led the gainers.

The healthcare index advanced 1.2%, boosted by a 4.9% gain in Eli Lilly after rival Novo Nordisk’s obesity drug CagriSema underperformed Eli Lilly’s drug Zepbound in a head-to-head trial.

Among other movers, Domino’s Pizza climbed 4.1% after the fast-food chain’s fourth-quarter same-store sales beat Wall Street estimates.

PayPal jumped 5.8% after Bloomberg News reported that the payments firm is attracting takeover interest.

Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 2.2-to-1 ratio on the NYSE. There were 390 new highs and 204 new lows on the NYSE.

On the Nasdaq, 1,432 stocks rose and 3,277 fell as declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 2.29-to-1 ratio.

The S&P 500 posted 41 new 52-week highs and 18 new lows while the Nasdaq Composite recorded 67 new highs and 264 new lows.

Volume on U.S. exchanges was 18.39 billion shares, compared with the 20.62 billion average for the full session over the last 20 trading days.

(Reporting by Stephen Culp; Additional reporting by Shashwat Chauhan and Ragini Mathur in Bengaluru; Editing by Aurora Ellis)

Stories on the Nerdy Investor include:

🧠 Commentary on how new technologies, like artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, are shaping the economy.

🏦 Government and Federal Reserve policy forecasts, and what they mean for investors.

📚 A “Term of the Month” section, giving readers an introduction to an advanced strategy or a new asset class.

📊 A detailed breakdown of how to interpret economic data like CPI and jobs reports.

🗓️ Upcoming earnings dates and estimates for the highest-volume stocks.

It’s written by NerdWallet lead investing writer and spokesperson Sam Taube, supported by the NerdWallet investing team. Together, they have decades of experience covering important financial events like IPOs, mergers, ETF launches, market crashes and elections.