An October Musing on My 88th Birthday: Goodbye, September
Most of you will be reading this on my 88th birthday! I'll be celebrating in Southern California with my two sisters, my brother, my daughter Lise, and several dear friends. The number 8 is considered lucky in Chinese culture, and 88 is said to represent double fortune. The Japanese, unlike the Chinese, have a formal celebration for turning 88. Either way, I'm hoping some of that double luck carries over to my travels. This will be my first flight since back surgery, and I still have a few months to go before I'll know whether the operation was fully successful.
September was a month of worries, for many of us and for me as well, and it's not even Halloween yet.
Sad Losses
The month opened with the death of Gloria Steinem, about a week after the loss of Dolly Parton. I admired and was influenced by both women. Steinem was brilliant, accomplished, and a fierce advocate for women's rights. Dolly was a gifted entertainer who brought joy, humor, and heart to millions through her music, films, and philanthropy. Each was truly one of a kind. I imagine Dolly would be saddened to see her family now reportedly fighting over her estate.
Remembering 9/11
Then came the 25th anniversary of 9/11, a reminder of how profoundly that day changed life in America. Beyond the nearly 3,000 lives lost, we also lost a basic sense of security. We are still learning how many survivors and first responders who helped with the cleanup have since suffered, or died, from illnesses linked to the toxic air they were exposed to in the aftermath.
AI (Artificial Intelligence) – Pros and Cons
As if we needed more to worry about, warnings about artificial intelligence continued to grow louder, especially after a young Anthropic employee, Jacob Coxon, resigned and published a letter warning that AI could pose an existential risk to humanity within the next decade.
We hear constant predictions that AI will take our jobs and make us obsolete, yet far less attention is paid to the ways it is already helping people, quietly and effectively, in health care and countless other fields. On a personal level, my experience has been quite the opposite of the doom-and-gloom forecasts. AI has made our work easier and freed up more time to spend directly with clients. It has become something of a virtual assistant, particularly useful for someone like me, who forgets things more often than I'd like to admit.
Messages from the Bond Market
Then came another round of unsettling headlines, this time focused on the bond market, with warnings such as "A Perfect Storm Is Raging in the Bond Market" and "Surge in Bond-Market Volatility Signals New Risks for Investors." Most people understand the ups and downs of the stock market, but the bond market remains a mystery to many. In reality, it is larger than the stock market and often provides a clearer picture of what is happening in the economy.
This New York Times article does an excellent job of explaining the situation: How to Make Sense of the Mayhem in the Bond Market (https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/11/business/bond-market-interest-rates.html?unlocked_article_code=1.EFE.Ye-r.btC4SkCXUdVv&smid=url-share)
and a history perspective: “ Stocks Are Defying Surging Bond Yields. Here’s What History Says Could Come Next”
Still… as I turn 88,
… I'm hoping this double measure of luck (88) extends not only to me but to all of you. May we find our way through the uncertainties of AI, the mysteries of the bond market, and whatever else lies ahead with a little more clarity, a little less anxiety, and a great deal of success.
Sincerely,
Margaret C. Starner, CFP®
Senior VP - Financial Planning
2333 Ponce de Leon Blvd. Suite 500
Coral Gables, FL 33134
305-461-6660
www.starnergroup.com
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