BREAKING: The number of 401(k) accounts with balances of $1 million or more rose +19% in Q2 2026, to a record 769,000, according to Fidelity. This marks the largest quarterly increase since Q4 2023, fueled by a +15% S&P 500 gain last quarter, its strongest quarterly performance since 2020. Average 401(k), 403(b), and IRA balances on Fidelity’s platform also rose to their highest levels on record, while workplace retirement savings rates remained near their records. Despite this, worker confidence about having enough money for a comfortable retirement fell to its lowest since 2017. This comes as Americans now say they need $1.46 million on average to retire comfortably, according to Northwestern Mutual. Rising household debt, living costs, and concerns about Social Security, whose trust fund is estimated to be depleted by 2032, are increasingly weighing on how prepared workers feel. Own assets or be left behind.(The Kobeissi Letter)