Today in Markets & Money: “Still Expensive, Still Boring”
Ethan Teng
Published August 22, 2025
2 min read
🏷️ Inflation & Rates
CPI is at 322.13 (Core 328.66). Translation: stuff still costs more than it should, but at least it’s not sprinting away like in 2022. The Fed Funds Rate is stuck at 4.33%, and long-term inflation outlook is basically: meh, we’ll chill around 2%.
💸 What this means for your wallet:
Your grocery bill won’t magically shrink, but you can stop panic-Googling “how to raise chickens in a condo.”
💵 Treasury Yields
- 1-year: 3.90%
- 5-year: 3.81%
- 10-year: 4.29%
The 10-year is higher than the 5-year. That’s the bond market saying: “Relax, we’re not falling apart.”
💸 What this means for your wallet:
Those brag-worthy 5% CDs? Gone. Now it’s “eh” yields short-term, or lock in longer and hope inflation plays nice. Bonds = boring again, but boring is back on the menu.
📈 The Stock Market
The S&P 500 closed at 635.55, down a dramatic 0.40%. High of 637.97, low of 633.81. Basically: the market sneezed and then went back to scrolling TikTok.
💸 What this means for your wallet:
Your 401(k) is fine. Don’t log in. Seriously. You’ll only stress yourself out.
🏡 Mortgages & Housing
30-year fixed mortgage: 6.58%. It peaked at 7.04% in January, hovered around 6.9% for months, and now it’s… basically the same.
💸 What this means for your wallet:
If you bought a house before 2022, congrats—you’re living the dream. If you’re house-hunting now, you’ll pay too much and still complain about the bathroom tile.
🎤 Fed Watch
The Fed left rates alone because they’re still paranoid about inflation. Picture Powell crossing his arms, glaring, and saying: “Don’t even think about cuts yet.”
💸 What this means for your wallet:
Credit card APRs aren’t budging. Student loans aren’t magically cheaper. Sorry.
🧾 Bottom Line
Markets are on autopilot. Nothing’s crashing, nothing’s booming. It’s boring. Boring is healthy. Use the lull to make sure your money habits don’t suck.
💡 Money Move of the Day
Check your savings account yield. If it’s under 4%, your bank is robbing you in broad daylight. Move your cash to a high-yield account or short-term Treasury. Easy win, zero effort.
👋 This is exactly the kind of stuff Ask Linc was built for: pulling in your actual financial data plus today’s market context to answer the real question—“So what does this mean for me?”
Ask Linc–style Question of the Day:
👉 “If my emergency fund is sitting in a 0.5% savings account, should I move it into a 6-month Treasury instead?”
That’s the kind of everyday call Linc helps you make. Try it at asklinc.com.