Money, Wealth & Power—A Daily Look at the Financial World
Persistent myths about home heating quietly cost U.S. households hundreds of dollars each winter, and federal energy data shows the losses are far more preventable than most homeowners realize. From leaky ductwork bleeding warm air into attics to thermostat habits based on outdated logic, these misconceptions inflate bills while delivering little extra comfort. With heating…
Illinois has wiped out more than half a billion dollars in medical debt for over 500,000 residents through a state-funded program that buys outstanding medical bills on the secondary market and cancels them outright. The effort, run by the Department of Healthcare and Family Services, requires no application from the people it helps, and it…
Nearly half of American adults lack a savings buffer large enough to cover three months of expenses, and the gap between what people believe they need and what they actually have continues to widen. Yet the single most effective intervention may not require a financial advisor, a budgeting app, or even much willpower. It takes…
America’s middle class is being squeezed not just by rising prices on essentials but by a quieter force: the systematic elimination of affordable mid-tier options and the layering of mandatory fees onto basic goods and services. When a concert ticket advertises one price but costs 30 percent more at checkout, or when a credit card…
The Federal Reserve’s most detailed snapshot of American household wealth shows that the top tenth of families hold a staggering share of the nation’s total assets, and the gap between them and everyone else continues to grow. Two separate federal data programs, one triennial survey and one quarterly tracker, now converge on the same conclusion:…
American households now carry a record $1.28 trillion in credit card debt, and the forces driving that number higher show no sign of easing. Federal data on revolving credit confirms the upward trajectory, while regulatory filings reveal that the penalty structure built into credit cards extracts billions from the borrowers least able to absorb the…
Americans are increasingly skeptical that convenience is worth the price, yet they still shell out for time savers that promise a little breathing room. Surveys show that Nearly Half of Americans Say Convenience Costs Too Much, even as they juggle long workweeks, family obligations and rising prices on everything from fast food to rideshares. The…
Rising prices on everyday expenses have forced millions of Americans to rethink what counts as money well spent. From insurance premiums that climbed faster than wages to gadgets that lost their shine within weeks, the post-2020 era of inflation and economic uncertainty has reshaped how people judge value. Nine purchases, in particular, now stand out…
Retirees shopping for a new SUV face a problem that flashy marketing campaigns rarely mention: some popular models on dealer lots carry active safety recalls, theft vulnerabilities, or both. Federal safety agencies including NHTSA and the CDC have warned that older adults face higher risks of serious injury in crashes, making it especially important to…
Federal data on domestic airfares reveals a persistent and wide gap between higher- and lower-cost U.S. airports, with travelers in some cases paying significantly more per itinerary depending on where they board their first flight. The price differences are not random; they track closely with airline competition levels, route density, and whether an airport serves…