For years, middle-class money habits were treated like a one-size-fits-all playbook: Save a little, spend a little, repeat. But the economy has changed, costs have shifted, and some once-solid financial rules now do more harm than good. Now that 2026 is here, it may be time to take a fresh look at which money habits are actually helping –and which ones are quietly holding you back. Holding Excess Cash in the Bank ‘Just in Case’ “One of the most common, and quietly costly, habits I see among middle-class ...