Teen financial advisers

Dave Lee advises his parents on their investments, though he is just 17. Lee’s parents immigrated to the US from Korea before he and his siblings were born, and later opened a restaurant in hopes of establishing a better life for the family. They didn’t speak much English, so their three kids helped translate household bills. Lee eventually became their de facto financial adviser, even persuading his mom to open her first brokerage account. Lee is among those flipping the script on the trend of American parents who are supporting their children financially further into adulthood, whether it is by helping them buy cars, pay for college or put a down payment on a home. In immigrant households, it is a necessity born of language barriers; children help translate bills and handle household finances from an early age, in some cases graduating to sophisticated investment advice. He started teaching himself through YouTube videos that explained financial concepts.

(Adapted from “He’s 17 Years Old And His Family’s Financial Advise,” published on Oyin Adedoyin, published on July 11, 2026, by the Wall Street Journal)

Estates of the rich

“Landmaxxing” — the quest to optimise one’s land holdings by acquiring more acreage — drove the luxury market during the first part of the year, according to a new midyear report from Coldwell Banker, which said US luxury-property searches doubled in the first five months of the year, compared with 2025. Searches for buildable land are up 97pc year-over-year, while searches for distinct properties, including private islands and estates, more than doubled. Unlike the rest of the housing market, which has been vulnerable to higher interest rates and economic uncertainty, luxury real estate is fueled by lifestyle and massive wealth creation. Overall, average luxury sales volume from January to May rose 2.8pc year-over-year for single-family homes while the median price rose 4.7pc to $1.83 million. Demand for compounds has ramped up as the wealthy look to diversify their portfolios by purchasing real estate.

(Adapted from “The Superrich Aren’t Just Buying Mansions – They Want The Entire Block,” by EB Solomont, published on July 13, 2026, by the Wall Street Journal)

Triggering anorexia

GLP-1s have been hailed as miracle drugs, their rise leading to critical breakthroughs in America’s fight against obesity. Roughly 13m Americans are now on them, according to research from JPMorgan published in February. The drugs mimic naturally occurring hormones to suppress appetite and cravings and make people feel full. For those who’ve struggled with restrictive eating and anorexia, that can be a tantalising proposition — and a dangerous one. Anorexia kills a higher percentage of patients than any other eating disorder, and it is the second most deadly mental illness after opioid addiction, according to data compiled by the nonprofit National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. People who used GLP-1s to loser weight, some of them have ended up in treatment for anorexia.

(Adapted from “They Used GLP-1s to Lose Weight. They Ended Up in Treatment for Anorexia,” by Sara Ashley O’Brien, published on July 20, 2026, by the Wall Street Journal)

Coveting cleaning

The most coveted job in New York City might not be on Wall Street or Broadway, but underground, cleaning the subway. Transit cleaning is no path to riches and can be gruelling work. But it offers stability and solid benefits in an economy where both are hard to come by. The wait to snag a job sweeping up trains and platforms can be up to four years. Openings for the position are so rare that those who land one say it is akin to winning the job lottery. When the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or MTA, which currently employs nearly 3,700 transit cleaners, called for applicants in 2022, more than 75,000 people applied over about eight weeks. When it opened applications again for the position in February 2025, it received nearly 49,500 of them. The job offers a lifeline to working-class New Yorkers, with contributions toward their medical, dental, and vision coverage and a pension plan based on their years of work and salary.

(Adapted from “The Near-Minimum-Pay Job That New Yorkers Wait Years to Get,” published by Chao Deng on July 10, 2026, by the Wall Street Journal)

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, July 27th, 2026