Money, Wealth & Power—A Daily Look at the Financial World
The number of Americans earning six figures from independent work jumped roughly 19% in a single year, reaching 5.6 million people in 2025, according to the latest annual survey from MBO Partners. That surge, combined with a wave of new business filings tracked by the U.S. Census Bureau and fresh data on what sole proprietors…
Spring is the ideal time for workers to revisit how their paychecks are split between taxes, savings, and take-home pay. With the IRS releasing updated 2026 federal income tax brackets, a higher standard deduction, and a new 401(k) contribution ceiling of $24,500, even small adjustments to withholding and retirement deferrals can meaningfully shift a household’s…
Financial pressure has become the most commonly cited reason respondents say they are limiting the number of children they have, according to the 2025 American Family Survey as reported by The Washington Post. The finding lands at a moment when U.S. birth rates, despite a slight uptick in 2024, remain well below the level needed…
Economist and gold advocate Peter Schiff has sharply criticized the idea of letting Americans tap their 401(k) retirement accounts to buy homes, arguing the policy would gut long-term savings while pumping more money into an already overheated housing market. His warning comes as legislation in Congress would do exactly that, raising a pointed question: does…
Middle class retirees watching their budgets are about to see a rare opening in the SUV market, as manufacturers confront cooling demand and excess inventory that is already translating into steep discounts. Analysts such as Melanie Musson and consumer pricing teams at major guides point to specific models that are lining up for aggressive rebates,…
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the Consumer Price Index for January 2026 on February 13, 2026, with detailed breakdowns across categories such as food, shelter, transportation, medical care, and recreation. The latest inflation data show that price pressures remain persistent enough to strain typical household budgets, even if headline numbers fluctuate from month…
A six-figure salary was once shorthand for financial success in the United States, a threshold that separated the comfortable from the struggling. That line has blurred. Inflation, rising housing costs, and tax obligations have collectively eroded the purchasing power of $100,000 to the point where earners at that level in many parts of the country…
Half of all Americans say rising living costs are derailing their 2026 financial goals, even as household balance sheets tell a surprisingly different story. The personal saving rate slipped to 3.6% of disposable income by the end of 2025, squeezed by prices that climbed 2.9% over the year. But aggregate household net worth hit $176.29…
Suze Orman has laid out a clear framework in her long-running personal finance advice: two rules that still deserve strict adherence and two that warrant a closer look. The split reflects a tension many households feel right now, caught between time-tested savings discipline and blanket prohibitions that may not fit every modern financial situation. Why…
Most American households lack the cash reserves to absorb even a small financial shock, and the gap between those who can save and those who cannot continues to widen along income, racial, and educational lines. Federal data shows that just 63% of adults could cover a $400 unexpected expense with cash or savings, while 13%…
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