Money, Wealth & Power—A Daily Look at the Financial World
Millions of Americans who fell behind on federal student loans during the pandemic-era pause are about to feel the consequences in their paychecks. The Trump administration is preparing to restart aggressive collection efforts in early 2026, including seizing a slice of wages from borrowers in default. For workers already stretched by rent, groceries, and child…
Charles Schwab and Robinhood are racing to align themselves with one of the most ambitious federal savings experiments in decades, pledging to match the U.S. government’s $1,000 “Trump account” credit for eligible children. Their decision effectively doubles the seed capital for families who participate, turning a headline-grabbing federal benefit into a potentially transformative starting balance…
Wage seizures on defaulted federal student loans are about to move from abstract policy debate to concrete line items on pay stubs. The Trump administration is preparing to restart garnishments in early January, ending a long pandemic-era pause and putting millions of borrowers back in the crosshairs of aggressive collection tools. I want to walk…
A sharp $245 jump in a major U.S. bank’s premium card fee has become a breaking point for many borrowers who once treated high-end plastic as a status symbol. Instead of quietly absorbing the increase, cardholders are canceling, downgrading, and publicly questioning whether elite rewards are still worth the cost. The revolt is reshaping how…
Instacart’s decision to end its AI-powered price experiments followed a wave of complaints from shoppers who discovered they were paying more than others for the same groceries. I examine how the tests worked, why they triggered such a backlash, and what the fallout means for consumers, regulators, and the broader use of artificial intelligence in…
Parking $100,000 in a jumbo certificate of deposit can quietly generate thousands of dollars in interest, as long as you match the right rate with a term that fits your plans. With yields still elevated by recent standards, the gap between a mediocre offer and a top-tier jumbo CD can easily mean hundreds of dollars…
The next wave of student borrowing is already taking shape, and Wall Street expects it to be bigger, not smaller. Analysts at major banks are signaling that the surge in US college debt will keep building into 2026, even as Washington rewrites the rules on how much students can borrow and how quickly they must…
Home upgrades can add comfort, value, and energy savings, but the wrong loan can turn a dream project into a long, expensive headache. The best home improvement financing balances interest cost, flexibility, and risk so you can remodel with confidence instead of second‑guessing every payment. I focus here on the loan types and specific lenders…
JPMorgan and GoldenTree are backing one of Brooklyn’s most ambitious waterfront projects with a construction loan package that signals how much capital is still willing to chase large-scale New York housing. The $525 million financing for a major Williamsburg build gives developers fresh momentum at a time when higher rates and construction costs have stalled…
Handing over a debit card at hotel check-in looks simple, but it quietly reshapes your entire trip budget. Instead of just paying for the room, you are authorizing the property and your bank to lock up far more money than the nightly rate, sometimes for days after you have gone home. Understanding how those holds…