Looking pretty golden, eh? – Gold surged past $4,000 an ounce for the first time, gaining over 50% this year as anxious investors seek safety amid political upheaval, economic uncertainty, and a weakening dollar. The rally marks gold’s best year since the 1970s, with demand fueled by both central banks and private investors shifting away from traditional havens such as US bonds and the dollar. (Source: The New York Times, as of 10/7/25)

Risky business – In the third quarter, non-profitable Russell 2000 Index stocks outpaced profitable ones by nearly 3% as recession fears faded and rate cuts boosted risk appetite. This suggests that investor enthusiasm may be driven more by a willingness to embrace risk than by any substantial improvement in earnings forecasts. (Sources: Compustat and FRED; calculation Hartford Equity Modeling platform; earnings estimate: FactSet)

Let me just scooch in there – The US now claims 20 of the world’s 25 most valuable companies, with Europe contributing just one—ASML at No. 25. Zooming out, the disparity grows: 58 US firms make up nearly three-quarters of the total market value among the global top 100, driven largely by the AI-fueled rise of Big Tech. (Source: Sherwood News) 

Soybeans are in a slump – Soybean futures have dropped sharply, largely due to China halting purchases. In 2024, China bought over half of all US soy exports—$24.5 billion—while the EU and Mexico only made up about $5 billion combined. The boycott coincides with a surge in US production, as soybean acreage grew nearly 40% from 1995 to 2024. (Source: The Wall Street Journal)

Another one bites the dust – French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned less than 24 hours after forming his cabinet, making his government the shortest-lived in modern French history. His abrupt departure has intensified calls for snap parliamentary elections and thrown France’s political landscape into deeper turmoil, with no party holding a working majority in Parliament. (Source: The New York Times)

It’s like it’s their job, or something – Congress has a long-standing habit of missing the deadline on federal spending bills. In fact, lawmakers have met the deadline for all required appropriations bills only four times in nearly 50 years, most recently in 1997. Chronic delays have led to a cycle of last-minute scrambles, stopgap fixes, and shutdown showdowns. (Source: Pew Research Center)

My bank account just coughed – As the number of Americans living paycheck-to-paycheck rises, roughly 42% of younger workers report having no money left after covering basic living expenses, and three-quarters of them say they’re struggling to save for retirement. Homeownership now eats up 51% of income, up from 33% in 2000, while healthcare costs account for 16% of after-tax earnings, up from 10% 25 years ago. (Source: CBS News)

The price of being basic – Americans now spend upward of $800 million annually on pumpkin spice items, of which there are more than 3,000 seasonal products—that’s up from $511 million six years ago. Part of this cost is referred to as the “pumpkin spice tax,” the extra amount charged over equivalent non-pumpkin options—around 7.4% in 2024. (Source: The Takeout) 

It’s her world and we’re just living in it – Taylor Swift released her 12th studio album, "The Life of a Showgirl," and it shattered streaming records. The album became the most-streamed album on Spotify in a single day in 2025, reaching that milestone in under 11 hours. At one point, 1.2 million users were streaming the album simultaneously. (Source: Rolling Stone)

Football, fortune, and fame – Cristiano Ronaldo has officially become football’s first billionaire player, with an estimated net worth of $1.4 billion. His earnings span two decades of salary, endorsements, and investments, including a record-breaking deal with Al-Nassr worth over $400 million. (Source: BBC)