Posts by Doug Peterson
Financial Literacy Just Hit a 10-Year Low — Here’s Why That’s Not Your Fault
Here’s a number that should stop you mid-scroll: American adults just posted the lowest financial literacy score in a decade. Not a bad quarter. Not a rough year. The lowest in ten years of tracking, according to the TIAA Institute’s 2026 study — with the share of adults in the “very low knowledge” category climbing from 20% to 25% since 2017.
Read MoreThe Same Money Doesn’t Buy the Same Life Anymore
For many people, the math has quietly changed. You may be earning the same income, or even a little more, but it no longer supports the same lifestyle it used to. Groceries cost more. Insurance costs more. Property taxes, utilities, restaurants, travel, repairs, healthcare, gifts, subscriptions, and basic life all seem to have crept up.
Read MoreBuilding Margin for the Life You Actually Want
One question I’ve been thinking about for much of my life is this: What would I do even if I weren’t paid to do it?
Not because money doesn’t matter. It does. But because there is something powerful about discovering the work, service, or contribution that feels deeply aligned with who you are.
Read MoreWhen Life Gets Unpredictable: Getting My Priorities Straight
Over the past year, I’ve talked a lot about predictability—and how when it disappears, so does confidence. Recently, that idea became very real for me.
Last year, I was actually looking forward to a couple of surgeries—both knees. Not exactly something most people get excited about, but for me, it meant more mobility, less pain, and a better quality of life. It felt like a step forward.
Read MoreWhen Predictability Disappears, So Does Confidence (One Year Later)
A year ago, I wrote about how predictability creates confidence—and how quickly confidence disappears when life feels uncertain. That hasn’t changed. But what has changed… is how long people have been living in that uncertainty. Because this isn’t a moment anymore.It’s starting to feel like the norm. What I’m Seeing Now (2026) Over the past year, I’ve had dozens of conversations with clients and prospective clients. And the themes are incredibly consistent: That loss of…
Read MoreWhy a Six-Figure Income Still Feels Tight — And What You Can Do About It
Lately I’ve been hearing a recurring theme from clients: “We make good money, but it still feels like we’re just trying to stay afloat.”
That sentiment mirrors a recent discussion sparked by an article in the New Hampshire Bulletin titled “How Much Does It Cost to Stop Being Poor in America?” The article questions whether the official poverty line actually reflects what it costs to live a stable, functioning life in modern America.
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