The Nest Egg #9: Your fall reset checklist
Three quick checks to set your kid's account up for the rest of the year.
By the UNest team · 6 min read
Hi there,
School is back, the calendar is filling up, and the last few months of the year tend to go fast. It is a good time to give your kid's account a quick review too.
This week: a lemonade stand raising serious money for charity, a quick market read, your account checklist for fall, and a question to ask your kid.
Let's get into it! Mitch, from The Nest Egg team
💡 FOR PARENTS
A lemonade stand set a $25,000 goal and raised more than $45,000
Stock photo for illustration. Photo: Sean Nufer on Unsplash
A group of girls in West De Pere set up a lemonade stand, aimed for $25,000, and walked away having raised over $45,000 for pediatric cancer families. An incredible achievement!
When kids learn that small, consistent efforts add up to something real, whether it's lemonade sales or monthly contributions to their future, something clicks. The habit of putting something aside, week after week, is exactly what builds lasting change.
Ava, Ella and their friends set a goal, worked toward it and blew past it. Share their story with your kids and use it to talk about how saving and working toward a goal can make a real difference. Even small steps can help your child become a force for good in their community.
Source: WBAY, "De Pere lemonade stand raises more than $45,000 for pediatric cancer families," September 25, 2026.
📈 MARKET, IN BRIEF
The S&P 500 finished the third quarter up about 2%
THIRD QUARTER 2026, BY INDEX
Nasdaq +2.5%
S&P 500 +2.0%
Dow −2.7%
Loss 0 Gain
10-year Treasury yield on Oct. 1: briefly 5.34%, its highest since 2002
The S&P 500 closed at 7,666.45 on October 1, the first trading day of the fourth quarter, up 0.19% for the day. That followed a third quarter in which the index gained about 2%. Stocks held up even as the 10-year Treasury yield briefly rose to 5.34% on October 1, its highest level since 2002.
What this means: The S&P 500 finished the quarter higher even with plenty of headlines working against it. For a child's account with years or decades before the money is needed, staying consistent through the ups and downs can help you stay on track toward your goals.
Source: BBN Times, "S&P 500 Rises to 7,666.45 as Treasury Yields Retreat From 2002 Highs and Accenture Soars," October 1, 2026; closing level and quarterly change confirmed with CNBC, October 1, 2026. Chart: price change for the S&P 500, Nasdaq Composite and Dow Jones Industrial Average from June 30 to Sept. 30, 2026 (CNBC, Sept. 30, 2026); 10-year Treasury yield intraday high on Oct. 1, 2026 (Reuters, Oct. 1, 2026). Index changes exclude dividends. Quarterly changes as of the Sept. 30, 2026 close; S&P 500 level as of the Oct. 1, 2026 close; the yield figure is the Oct. 1, 2026 intraday high. Indexes are unmanaged and cannot be invested in directly. This is not investment advice. Index figures are not indicative of future performance. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.
🍂 FALL RESET
Three easy steps for the fall season
You don't need a big plan to make progress. Knock these out in the app and your kid's account is ready for the rest of the year.
STEP 1
Review and adjust your portfolio
Check that your child's investment mix still fits your comfort with risk and your timeline. If something has changed, you can switch portfolios anytime in the app.
How to get there: Select your child's account and tap "Portfolio."
STEP 2
Automate recurring contributions
Pick an amount and a schedule, and let it run in the background. Any contribution makes a difference, and a regular one helps you stay consistent.
Set up recurring contributions
STEP 3
Earn rewards on shopping you already do
Holiday shopping is around the corner. Link the card you already use and shop partner brands through the UNest app, and a percentage of eligible purchases goes into your child's account.
Recurring contributions are invested according to the account's selected portfolio and are subject to market risk. Investing involves risk and investments may lose value. Rewards rates are set by each partner and subject to change; purchases must be made through the UNest app to qualify. Rewards are paid into the child's UNest account and are not investment returns. App screens are for illustrative purposes only. Nothing here is investment, tax, or legal advice.
💬 QUESTION OF THE WEEK
"If you could have $100 today or $200 in a year, which would you pick? Why?"
There's no wrong answer. Try asking your kids this question and see what their answer is. Ask what made them choose, and whether a bigger reward or a shorter wait would change their mind.
Stock photo for illustration. Photo: Kiran CK on Unsplash
TRY IT WITH CANDY
This is based on the Stanford marshmallow experiment from the late 1960s. You can try this too by putting one piece of candy in front of your child and telling them they can eat it now, or wait 10 minutes and get two. Then step away and see what they do. Afterward, talk about how waiting felt and how saving works the same way: you give up something now for something later.
Hypothetical question for family discussion only. It is not an example of investment returns.
Know a parent who would like this? Earn $20 when they complete 3 consecutive monthly deposits.
🎁 Birthday coming up? Share your Gifting link with family. 🎁
How was this issue? Reply to Mitch and let me know what you think.
Referral: when your friend signs up using your link and sets up monthly recurring deposits for their child, you receive $20 once they complete 3 consecutive monthly deposits. The $20 is added directly to your UNest account.
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