Employers anticipate a 6.7% increase in health benefit costs for 2026, averaging over $18,500 per employee, driven by a 9.4% rise in prescription drug spending, particularly for GLP-1 drugs, according to Mercer. In response, employers are offering more diverse health plans and specialized programs to manage costs and improve affordability.

Members of Generation Z are embracing career minimalism, prioritizing stability and financial success over traditional career advancement. A Glassdoor survey indicates 68% of Gen Z workers are uninterested in management roles unless they offer higher pay or titles. This generation prefers horizontal diversification, including side hustles and jobs in resilient industries to be sure of long-term employability amid AI advancements. Gen Z's approach challenges traditional notions of career growth, emphasizing work-life balance and authenticity.

As retirement approaches, long-term care insurance is becoming increasingly important as a way to protect assets from the high costs of chronic care. Traditional stand-alone LTC policies have evolved into asset-based LTC and life insurance with chronic illness riders, offering more flexible and efficient ways to fund potential care needs. "An insurance product is not a plan for a chronic care event," writes Jacob Kujala, vice president and insurance strategist at U.S. Bancorp Investments. "Rather, the product is a potential arrow in the proverbial planning quiver."

Business sustainability in 2026 is influenced by factors such as new technology, climate risk and data center energy requirements. Companies are shifting from compliance-driven commitments to actionable, ROI-focused initiatives, and key trends include AI analysis for data management, addressing climate risk, clean energy for data centers, the circular economy and a greater focus on ROI. These trends help businesses make more informed decisions, assign resources effectively and show tangible financial returns from sustainability efforts.

Improve your emotional resilience and rational decision-making skills by adopting the philosophy of the Stoics, writes LaRae Quy, who highlights the importance of maintaining calm during crises, focusing on controllable factors and living a meaningful life based on personal values. "Stoicism in leadership involves managing your circumstances and emotions, rather than allowing your emotions to control you," Quy notes.

The Senate Finance Committee held a recent hearing on the Affordable Care Act, focusing on whether to extend enhanced premium tax credits set to expire this year. Democrats support a one-year extension to maintain affordability, while Republicans, including Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., propose redirecting funds to health savings accounts to empower patients directly. President Donald Trump and Brian Blase of the Paragon Health Institute support the HSA plan, but details on administration remain unclear.

The US economy added 119,000 jobs in September, surpassing expectations, according to a delayed Bureau of Labor Statistics report. However, the unemployment rate rose to 4.4%. The mixed results could perpetuate the uncertainty surrounding the Federal Reserve's upcoming December policy meeting. "This isn't going to change anybody's mind," said David Seif of Nomura.

Financial advisors are encouraging clients to meet the Dec. 31 deadline for required minimum distributions to avoid penalties, and they are recommending taking more than the minimum to maximize tax benefits. Advisors are also emphasizing the importance of recordkeeping for deductions.

A study in Nature Communications found that long COVID follows eight symptom trajectories, varying in severity and duration. Researchers tracked 3,700 adults and found 10% developed long COVID, with 81% of those still having symptoms a year later. "The variability we identified will enable future studies to evaluate risk factors and biomarkers that could explain why patients vary in time of recovery, and help identify potential therapeutic targets," said lead researcher Tanayott Thaweethai.

A series of papers in The Lancet highlights the global rise in consumption of ultraprocessed foods as a significant public health threat, linking these foods to chronic health conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Researchers call for policy reforms to address the production, marketing and consumption of ultraprocessed foods and to improve access to healthful foods.