Money, Wealth & Power—A Daily Look at the Financial World
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its May 2024 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, and the data confirms what many workers already suspected: the best-paying careers increasingly overlap with those offering location and schedule flexibility. Several of the 20 occupations with the highest median annual pay, according to BLS data, can now be performed…
The federal government’s new Trump accounts program promises to hand every eligible child a $1,000 Treasury seed deposit, but parents considering adding their own money to these accounts face a tangle of restrictions, uncertain rules, and structural gaps that could undercut the program’s appeal. With a July 4, 2026, launch date approaching and proposed regulations…
American households still paying elevated prices at the grocery store now have a concrete, government-backed playbook for relief. The USDA’s Thrifty Food Plan, updated as recently as January 2026, estimates the cost of a minimally priced but nutritionally adequate market basket, and the foods that anchor that plan are almost all shelf-stable staples available at…
Federal rules now give consumers real leverage to push back on five common bills that most people pay without question. From medical charges and airline fees to internet service, car insurance, and credit card interest, a mix of transparency mandates and dispute pathways means households can cut costs on expenses that quietly drain budgets each…
Families spending $200 a week on groceries and household staples could redirect thousands of dollars a year simply by shifting five routine purchases to lower-cost retailers. With food prices still elevated across the country and the cost of basics like eggs, milk, and cleaning supplies eating into paychecks, the math behind store-switching has become hard…
California is racing to electrify home heating and hot water, with state leaders backing a goal of installing 6 million heat pumps by 2030 as part of a broader push to cut carbon pollution. Regulators and agencies are rolling out incentives, pilot programs and new rate structures to steer households away from natural gas. The…
Retirement is supposed to be the payoff after decades of saving, yet some of the flashiest purchases people dream about end up haunting their later years. Instead of delivering freedom and fun, certain big-ticket buys quietly drain cash, add stress and limit flexibility just when retirees need it most. Listening to what older buyers regret…
More Americans than ever hold a net worth above $1 million, yet a striking number of them report feeling financially insecure. The Federal Reserve’s 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances found that mean household net worth topped $1 million, driven by surging home values and equity portfolios. But crossing that seven-figure line has not translated into…
Federal cost-of-living data point to a handful of states where a modest single income can still support a family, giving one parent the option to stay home. Using federal benchmarks for housing, food, health insurance and childcare, some affordability models and explainer-style analyses often flag West Virginia, Arkansas, Mississippi, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Alabama as states…
The U.S. Mint stopped producing pennies in November 2025, ending a 232-year run for the one-cent coin. The decision, driven by production costs that had ballooned to nearly four times the penny’s face value, lands at a moment when Americans are sitting on more cash at home than at any point in recent history. That…