Happy Holidays! As 2026 approaches, let’s pause before hitting fast-forward. We’ve rounded up a great mix for you today—three juicy deep dives, a handful of quick reads, and some fun photos to close it out.

Vermont may be small, but its retirement strategy shows size doesn’t limit ambition. With 650,000 residents and roughly 88,000 workers lacking workplace retirement plans, the state had to build a sustainable auto-IRA program without the scale larger states enjoy.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, grab a cocoa and join us by the (imaginary) cabin fire for a quick dose of smart fun. We’ve got Michael Kreps on 2025’s Quiet Retirement Revolution, a State Auto IRA check-in, news highlights, insights from the road, a few spicy takes, and—naturally—our Pix of the Week.