There are only about two months left in 2026, so this is the perfect time for a money reset.

The 2026 401(k) limit is $24,500, plus an $8,000 catch-up if you're 50+ (or $11,250 if you're 60–63), per the IRS figures.

Here's the part most people miss: 401(k) money comes out of your paycheck, so your real deadline is your last December paycheck, not Dec. 31.

If you want to contribute more this year, ask your payroll or benefits team to bump your percentage now so the change kicks in on time.

And if your employer offers a match, make sure you're getting every dollar of it. That's free money, queens.

Remember our Emergency Savings 101 issue? Your emergency fund should live in a separate high-yield savings account.

The FDIC national average for savings accounts is just 0.38% APY, while top high-yield accounts are paying over 4% right now.

A few examples from Bankrate's November list (unsponsored):

Personally, I use Wealthfront, which is a little lower at 3.55% right now. I love that my Wealthfront account is pretty much a checking account, so I’m not stuck if I ever need to access my savings.

That being said, I haven’t tried any of the accounts above. The higher rates are definitely worth checking out. It adds up!

*Some higher "up to 5%" rates you'll see advertised come with direct deposit requirements or only last for a few months, so read the fine print.

With inflation at 3.7% and gas up so much over the past year, the budget that worked last year might not work today.

Take 20 minutes to compare your last three months of spending against your plan and adjust.

Here's how the market closed today (Nov. 4), per Reuters:

S&P 500: Up about 1.6% (7,688.62)
Nasdaq: Up about 1.4% (25,736.51)
Dow: Up about 3% (+1,569 points to 53,356.12)

🗳️ Democrats won both the House and Senate, and Wall Street loved the clarity. The Dow had its best day of 2026.

📈 Big Tech led: Microsoft rose 6.7%, Amazon rose 6.1%, and Alphabet rose 3.2%. Investors are betting that a slower AI build-out saves these cash-rich giants money.

📉 Data center stocks tanked on fears of tighter AI rules. Hut 8 fell 23%, IREN fell 11%, and Core Scientific fell 10%. Chip stocks hit a six-month low.

🚗 Tesla fell 3.3% and SpaceX fell 3.9%. Elon Musk spent nearly half a billion dollars backing Republican candidates.

☀️ Solar stocks rose (the Invesco Solar ETF was up nearly 6%) on bets that clean-energy support stays in place. Energy stocks fell 4.8% as oil prices dropped.

*Remember: don't panic-sell when the market dips. Buy regularly and think long-term. Always do further research before making investment decisions.

✨ Wash Sale Rule ✨

Ever heard of "tax-loss harvesting"? It's when you sell an investment that's down to lock in a loss, which can lower your tax bill. Very popular this time of year 👀

But here's the catch: the wash sale rule says if you buy the same (or "substantially identical") investment within 30 days before or after selling it, the IRS doesn't let you claim that loss.

So you can't sell a stock on Monday for the tax break and buy it right back on Tuesday. Sneaky, I know 😅

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