Author: TECH

When people talk about retirement planning, it’s common to hear the term “net worth” tossed around. And it’s natural to track your net worth with the hope of growing it over time. But if you want to set yourself up for a secure retirement, net worth isn’t the figure you should be focusing on. Instead, you should focus on a completely different number — your savings. Image source: Getty Images. To understand why you shouldn’t focus on net worth in the course of retirement planning, it’s important to understand how that number is calculated. Your net worth is the total…

From small moments of joy to major celebrations, we bring you inspiring stories from around the world to brighten your week. This is your reminder to take a moment to savor the simple acts of kindness and happiness in your day. “Kindness is a gift everyone can afford to give.” – Unknown   Enjoy this week’s uplifting stories! A boy spends months saving to surprise his sister A woman’s first snowfall experience brings pure joy A support group helps women find strength after divorce A family finds kindness after being stranded in a blizzard   Positively Uplifting Stories | January…

Lois Jurgens says goodbye to her salt-glazed 30-gallon Red Wing crock, surrounded by creamy white zinc-glazed pots up for auction (Photo Permission from Bramer Auction and Realty) Like many elderly folks in the midwest whose families used stoneware crocks for sauerkraut, Lois Jurgens held onto one for 40 years. It sat on her porch weathering decades of harsh Nebraska winters until early this month when she was planning for a yard sale. She had a notion the heavy crock might be worth $100 if it could be put up for auction, instead of selling at a yard sale, so she…

In an attempt to study soil health, a group of scientists from Australia’s Flinders University planted microphones in the ground to see if the acoustics of ants and worms would be a solid indicator of biodiversity.Not to fast forward to the end of the song, but … they were.“It’s a bit like going to the doctor,” ecologist Jake Robinson told The Guardian. “They put a stethoscope on your chest, take a health check, listen to your beating heart. … We’re doing something similar in the soil.”Since the tapping sounds of millipedes or gliding echoes of a snail are indiscernible to…

An evidence-informed, AI-enabled daily contemplative practice to help people actively shape their whole-person health & well-being Human–AI approaches can support people in building inner capacity—helping them actively shape their whole-person well-being” — Kathy Andersen, Creator MIAMI, FL, UNITED STATES, January 21, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Transcend Pulse has been released as a daily AI-enabled contemplative practice designed to support mental and physical health and whole-person well-being, offering an easy, structured, and adaptive approach that integrates seamlessly into daily life. As mental and physical health challenges continue to rise, individuals are increasingly seeking accessible, everyday tools to support emotional resilience and overall…

It’s important to know what to expect from your 2026 raise.If you weren’t exactly jumping for joy when the Social Security Administration announced a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for 2026, you were probably in good company. While this year’s raise is higher than the 2.5% COLA seniors received in 2025, it’s far from overly generous. You may be wondering whether 2026’s Social Security COLA will actually hold up well to inflation this year since, historically, the program’s raises have failed to do so. Here’s what we know so far — and what you may want to gear up for. Image…

Millions of benefits recipients across the United States are to get their January money next Wednesday, as the Social Security Administration (SSA) nears the end of this month’s payment schedule.On Jan. 28, the SSA is to issue payments to certain recipients of retirement benefits, Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and survivor pay.Three Wednesdays: Social Security’s staggered payment systemOf the 70.5 million Americans who get one of the above benefits, most are paid on the second, third or fourth Wednesday in each month. A recipient’s designated Wednesday depends on the date of birth of the worker whose Social Security taxes have…

Overwork and burnout are affecting many Americans. The American Psychological Association’s 2023 Work and Well-being Survey found that 77% of Americans suffered from workplace stress. Over half of the respondents reported symptoms of burnout, which ranged from emotional exhaustion to wanting to quit. Many Americans feel under constant pressure to get ahead and are not able to take a break. Employees report that their workplaces do not encourage mental health or work-life balance. As a result, an increasing number of Americans have turned to meditation. Some use it to take a break at work, others to refocus, or more generally…

Courtesy of Colin Crowel via Gofundme His truck was the vehicle equivalent of Frankenstein, a green mish-mash of dents and dings and disjointed panels. The 2000 Chevy Silverado became something of a famous eyesore in South Bend, Indiana, earning sideways glances and second looks wherever Mo Riles went. “I thought it was A.I. and didn’t know if it was real,” one diner patron told Steve Hartman of CBS News. “It’s unbelievable how the thing even moves,” said another. “I did a double take because I couldn’t believe the sight of it,” a woman added. Before long, the disbelief spread to…

A new year always brings changes. 2026 will be no exception, including when it comes to Social Security. There are four Social Security changes that retirees especially need to know about this year. Most retirees are probably already aware that they’re receiving a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in 2026. The average monthly Social Security retirement benefit increased from $2,015 to $2,071. Don’t get too excited about those higher benefits, though. They’re intended to offset the impact of inflation. However, the inflation metric used to calculate Social Security COLAs – the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers…