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

• [New] 'Double whammy' | Borrowers face the double whammy of losing hundreds of dollars a month to higher mortgage repayments and rising pump prices as economists warn that Australia is heading for recession. The Guardian
• [New] UK Visas & Immigration will check that, for monthly paid employees, total salary in any three-month period meets at least one quarter of the annual CoS salary. Travers Smith
• Asia-Pacific is projected to capture about 30% of the digital personal finance app share as the fastest-growing region. CoinLaw
• Global user growth is forecast to rise by roughly 14% annually, reaching around 1.8 billion personal finance app users by mid-decade. CoinLaw
• Digital personal finance apps are expected to grow at about 12.6% CAGR from 2026 to 2033, driven by rising smartphone adoption. CoinLaw
• The U.S. has relatively low unemployment and wage growth that is projected at 3.7%, a far cry from the upward spiral of 8% unemployment previous eras such as the 1970s oil crisis have seen. Rhame & Gorrell Wealth Management | The Woodlands Finan
• 54% of Gen X will have inadequate retirement incomes, with half over-estimating their likely retirement income. FCA
• Employees in 2026 expect glass box organizations that share salary ranges, conduct pay audits, and openly discuss business performance. Remindax
• The net increase in the overall value of mortgage lending will slow to 2.5% in 2026, compared with a 3% rise in 2025, as limited improvements in affordability and borrowing costs quell housing demand. The Independent
• UK mortgage lending is expected to grow more slowly in 2026 than in 2025 - while lending by banks to businesses is set to nearly halve amid global and economic uncertainty. The Independent
• Growth in UK mortgage lending is forecast to dip in 2026 to 2.5% from 3% in 2025, as limited improvements in affordability and borrowing costs subdue housing demand. EY
• Without direct intervention from the Federal Reserve or the federal government, mortgage rates are more likely to drift gradually lower as inflation risks and economic uncertainty continue to ease. Yahoo Finance
• Two aging California plants, AES Alamitos and Huntington Beach, with a combined capacity of 1,368 MW, will mark the largest natural gas retirement in 2026. EIA - Energy Information Administration
• The Federal Reserve is preparing to propose regulatory changes that could encourage large banks to re-enter the mortgage origination and servicing business in a more meaningful way. Yahoo Finance
• By 2030, all Baby Boomers will be older than 65, and one in five Americans will be of retirement age. Homecare Homebase
• As of mid-2020s, the U.S. had an effective retirement age averaging in the early 60s, but its official age for full benefits is about 66.7 (moving to 67), which is why one ranking placed the U.S. just after countries like Denmark and Italy for high retirement age. The Seniors Center
• 2026's H-1B cap registration selection process will shift from a random lottery to a weighted selection process based on a beneficiary's proposed salary and the prevailing wage level into which the offered salary falls, increasing the chance of selection of employees paid at higher wage levels. American Society of Employers

Last updated: 30 March 2026