This week: Markets brace for a bond shock → the Fed hikes while pressure mounts → crypto regulation collapses → rents and borrowing costs hit breaking points → a health scare reminds me what actually matters → and why I'm doubling down on Goggins.
THE BIGGEST LESSON:
I've been sick this week, nothing serious, just tonsillitis and a bit of a fever. But it's amazing how being unwell for a day or two puts everything into perspective. It reminds you how important health really is, above everything else.
I felt completely useless. No energy to do anything, sleeping through the day, brain fog. All I wanted was to feel better, and it took me back to the Confucius quote:
"A healthy person wants a thousand things, but a sick person only wants one"
Without health, wealth is nothing. We can't fully control our health, but there's plenty we can control to stay as healthy as possible. I'm no expert — you already know what those things are. Hopefully this is just another reminder, in case you needed one.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
Like every week, this one felt more chaotic than the last. Here are the top 10 headlines from the UK and across the globe that could affect your ability to build wealth:
1. The Crypto Clarity Act Is Dead (For Now) Crypto stocks slid after the bill failed to pass, leaving regulation stuck in limbo between the SEC and CFTC.
2. US Federal Reserve Enacts a 0.25% Rate Hike Despite pressure from President Trump, Chair Kevin Warsh and the Fed raised interest rates for the first time in three years to keep inflation in check.
3. AI Chiefs Demand Safety Regulation as Trump Rejects Slowdown A historic safety pact between Anthropic's Dario Amodei, OpenAI's Sam Altman, and Elon Musk to slow advanced AI progress sparked backlash over suspected ulterior motives, while President Trump dismissed the concerns, vowing the US will bypass strict regulation to win the global AI race.
4. UK Energy Bills Facing a Projected 25% Spike in January British households are bracing for a major price surge in early 2027, driven by tight global supply as Middle East conflicts continue disrupting oil and gas markets.
5. Inflation Grows 0.2% in August, 0.5% Over Two Months The cost-of-living crisis isn't easing, inflation is now tracking toward 4% by Christmas, double the Government's official target.
6. UK Borrowing Costs Hit Their Highest in the G7 A global bond rout pushed 30-year UK gilt yields to 5.95% this week, 15 times their 2020 lows, signalling a painful reckoning for public debt and household budgets alike.
7. Public Sector Pay Surges as Private Sector Wages Stagnate Public sector wages grew 6.3%, more than double the private sector's six-year low of 2.9%. With private workers making up 82% of the workforce, the squeeze is being felt broadly, though cooling private pay could open the door to Bank of England rate cuts.
8. One in Five Working-Age Brits Now Economically Inactive 21.5% of UK adults aren't contributing economically, the highest level in years. Youth inactivity is climbing fast, and while AI takes much of the blame, the real causes run deeper.
9. Private Rents Explode at Record Pace as Supply Dwindles Average UK rents rose 3.8% year-on-year in August, pushing the typical monthly bill to £1,400. High mortgage rates and low supply are the culprits, and it's exactly why I firmly sit in the "buy" camp. Losing control over your housing costs like that just isn't worth the risk.
10. Is This the End of the United Kingdom as We Know It? After an unprecedented "separatists' summit" in Cardiff, the pro-independence first ministers of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland signed a pact declaring Westminster's time is coming to an end. As a proud Englishman, I believe the bond between our nations is worth cherishing, and losing it to political fracture would be a real tragedy.
SOMETHING YOU CAN COPY:
I've put a big focus on health this week, so I wanted to recommend a book that got me inspired to start taking exercise seriously. It's helped me build the mental toughness to do far harder things than I thought my body was capable of.
Can't Hurt Me by David Goggins. You can't help but be impressed by this man's mindset. Embarrassing truth: when I'm on a hard run and need motivation, you'll find me shouting "GOGGINS" to get me through it. Don't ask me why — it just works.
So if you need a kick up the backside and like a motivational autobiography, this book is for you.
QUOTE OF NOTE:
With a net worth of over $500m, business philosopher Jim Rohn left us this reminder of what really matters:
"Take care of your body. It's the only place you have to live in."
— Jim Rohn
THE TAKEAWAY:
I'm doubling down on Goggins. Once you get to know this man, it's hard not to be motivated by him. If you don't want to invest in the book, here's a 4-minute YouTube video to get you inspired:
Hope it helps. See you next week 🫡
