Our Scans · (FS.6.06) Personal Finance · Weekly Summary

• [New] By 2040, 51% of households aged 60 and over could benefit from accessing their housing wealth in retirement through later life lending. FCA
• [New] The Trump administration will issue new rounds of grants to bolster coal-fired power plants and is blocking the shutdown of yet another fossil facility shortly before its retirement. RTO Insider
• [New] The Employee Benefit Research Institute is now estimating that upwards of 40% of American households are at risk of running out of income in retirement. Federal News Network
• [New] AI is reshaping work: the WEF projects ~170M new jobs and ~92M displaced by 2030 (net +78M), with a ~56% wage premium for AI-skilled workers. Unico Connect
• [New] Increased robot adoption could contribute to a widening of the wage gap between the top 10% and bottom 50% of earners by 5-12% over the next decade without policy intervention. Robozaps
• [New] 30% of the current aerospace workforce, approximately 12,750 employees, will reach retirement eligibility by 2027. KiTalent Management & Executive Search
• [New] Social Security's retirement trust fund is projected to face a funding shortfall in 2032, a year earlier than last year's projections, while Medicare's hospital insurance trust fund will be unable to pay full benefits in 2033, which is unchanged from last year's estimate. WSLS 10
• [New] Although mortgage rates stabilized temporarily earlier in 2026, recent geopolitical tensions and inflation fears are once again creating upward pressure on borrowing costs. Kalkine
• [New] The North of England, Scotland and Wales will outperform more expensive southern markets while mortgage rates remain elevated, benefiting from stronger affordability levels. Mortgage Strategy
• [New] Average UK house prices are expected to fall by 2% in 2026 as rising mortgage costs dampen buyer demand. Mortgage Strategy
• [New] Robotaxis will compete against Uber and Lyft drivers who, at least in the United States, might earn less than minimum wage to drive and maintain rather ordinary vehicles (and, notably, to load and unload luggage that their customers may not want or be able to lift). Southern California Law Review
• As Greek banks continue modernising their infrastructure, open banking is gradually creating opportunities in personal finance management, lending, payments and embedded finance. The Fintech Times
• Despite the fact that almost all of AI's real-world implementations have proved underwhelming, AI is projected to be worth more than $16 trillion - a number that only makes sense if AI replaces vast swathes of the wage-earning human workforce. Daniel Boone Regional Library
• With older adults growing at a faster rate than any other age group in the United States, states will see increasing demand for health care while more people leave the workforce for retirement. National Governors Association
• Natwest and Barclays have become the latest lenders to sweeten up their mortgage deals, as hopes remain high that a peace deal will be reached in the Middle East that would bring calm to the interest rate environment. City AM
• Mortgage bills in the UK are expected to rise by up to £1,950 a year as a consequence of the war in Iran, it emerged this week. The Money Pages
• In the US, a GitHub portfolio of automation projects will do more for your salary than ISTQB Foundation Level. KORE1
• Mortgage rates will stay elevated until there is a verified peace agreement in Iran, and this week's inflation data makes that case even clearer. Bankrate
• The impact of the conflict in the Middle East has pushed 30-year mortgage rates back over 6%, which could cause additional headwinds as the year progresses. West Fraser Timber Company

Last updated: 22 June 2026