Money, Wealth & Power—A Daily Look at the Financial World
Power costs in the United States are climbing at the same time the federal government is pulling back support for clean energy. Since President Donald Trump returned to office, average household energy bills have risen 13 percent, a spike that is landing hardest on families with the least room in their budgets. The political promise…
Oil is limping into 2026 with a losing streak that has wiped out much of the post‑pandemic rally, leaving benchmark prices at their weakest levels since the crash year of 2020. After a bruising twelve months, crude is still sliding as traders focus less on geopolitical shocks and more on a familiar problem: too much…
Silver has just come through one of its most dramatic runs in decades, and that kind of move tempts investors to either load up recklessly or swear it off entirely. The smarter path in 2026 is to treat silver as a tool, not a lottery ticket, and to decide how much to own based on…
Nvidia is starting the year with a powerful tailwind as expectations for China’s appetite for advanced chips grow hotter. Investors are betting that a new wave of artificial intelligence spending on the mainland will keep orders flowing even as supply chains strain to keep up. I see a company that is already printing record numbers…
Tariffs are about to move from political talking point to line item on your household budget, and one of the country’s biggest banks is telling shoppers to get ahead of the hit. Wells Fargo analysts are flagging a short window in early 2026 when everyday basics, from sofas to socks, are likely to be meaningfully…
Gold and silver investors head into 2026 riding one of the most dramatic precious metals rallies in decades, but Peter Schiff is already warning that the real test still lies ahead. After a spectacular breakout in 2025, he argues that the coming year will show whether the move was a one-off spike or the start…
Silver’s blistering rally has thrilled traders, but the speed and character of the move are starting to flash the kind of warnings that usually appear near market peaks. I see three specific red flags, from record speculative positioning to bubble-like price action and a widening disconnect between physical fundamentals and financial hoarding, that suggest silver…
Two decades is a long time in the stock market, and Lowe’s has used that span to quietly turn small stakes into serious money. A hypothetical $1,000 put into Lowe’s 20 years ago would now be worth a five‑figure sum, reflecting years of compounding returns and steady business execution. That kind of transformation shows how…
Jerome Powell is entering the final stretch of his term as chair of the Federal Reserve, and the one thing he will not say is whether he plans to stick around once that term ends. His refusal to answer the succession question has turned a routine leadership transition into a live piece of political and…
The Fed’s third interest rate cut of 2025 in December marked a clear pivot from fighting inflation toward supporting growth, reshaping the outlook for borrowers and savers. With that move, the path to as many as four cuts in 2026 looks plausible rather than extreme, especially as policymakers signal a longer easing cycle. I will…