Money, Wealth & Power—A Daily Look at the Financial World
Runaway prices, higher borrowing costs and algorithm-fueled temptation are putting real pressure on household budgets, and the wrong habits can quietly drain even healthy savings accounts. The most damaging traps are rarely dramatic blowups, but small, repeating decisions that compound into chronic shortfalls and long-term stress. By spotting 13 of the biggest money pitfalls early…
Millions of borrowers who earn steady incomes are still falling behind on federal student loans, and fresh government data shows the problem is getting worse, not better. Federal Student Aid posted updated portfolio reports for its June 2025 snapshot covering repayment, delinquency, default, and forbearance, revealing a system under deep strain even as the broader…
Ramsey Solutions released its Q2 2025 State of Personal Finance findings, and the headline number carries a sharp contradiction: money stress among Americans has dropped to a two-year low, yet one in three adults say they are currently struggling or in crisis with their finances. That split between falling anxiety and persistent hardship points to…
A new analysis covering all 50 states has pinpointed which days of the week American drivers pay the most and least for gasoline, giving commuters a simple calendar trick to trim their fuel bills. The findings arrive as a nationwide gas price spike continues, with just three states still reporting prices under $4 per gallon….
Arizona Public Service, the state’s largest electric utility, has filed for a general rate increase that would raise residential bills by roughly 14%, setting up a high-stakes regulatory fight over what customers will pay and how regulators allocate costs. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has announced plans to intervene in the proceedings and oppose the…
The average transaction price for a new vehicle in the United States crossed $50,000 for the first time in late 2025, landing at $50,080 in September. That milestone, roughly 30% above 2019 levels, reflects a collision of federal trade policy, a vanishing entry-level car market, and mounting credit strain that is pushing car ownership further…
The cost of keeping a pet healthy is climbing faster than almost any other household expense in the United States. Federal inflation data shows veterinary services have risen sharply over the past several years, far outpacing the broader Consumer Price Index. For the roughly 65 percent of American households that own a pet, the question…
A “72%” claim circulating in personal finance surveys and on social media suggests that nearly three out of four Americans feel a single paycheck no longer covers their basic expenses. While no federal dataset directly measures that 72% figure, the financial strain that makes such claims resonate is documented by agencies that track income, spending,…
Costco Wholesale is stepping in to make members whole after a third-party gift card vendor collapsed without warning, leaving restaurant gift cards sold at the warehouse chain completely worthless. The retailer sent letters to shoppers who purchased Synergy Restaurant Gift Cards between October 27, 2025, and January 26, 2026, explaining that the card issuer would…
Landmark clinical trials involving hundreds of thousands of participants have shown that routine screenings for lung, breast, and colorectal cancers sharply reduce mortality, and federal analyses now link those same programs to billions of dollars in averted treatment costs. The evidence spans three decades of randomized data and points to a consistent pattern: catching cancer…