The financial news that actually matters
Borrowers with FHA-backed mortgages fell behind on payments at a rate not seen in more than a decade during the first quarter of 2026, pushing the overall U.S. mortgage delinquency rate to 3.6 percent, the highest since 2014. FHA loans, which serve a disproportionate share of first-time and lower-income buyers, posted a 7.2 percent delinquency…
Couples who relied on a single income during their working years stand to gain a meaningful bump in retirement cash flow through a Social Security rule that many households overlook. A non-working spouse can collect up to half of the higher earner’s Social Security benefit at full retirement age, a provision that, based on current…
Millions of Americans who purchase health insurance through Affordable Care Act marketplaces are facing steeper costs after the enhanced premium tax credits that Congress authorized from 2021 through 2025 lapsed at the start of 2026. The expiration restored an income cliff that blocks subsidies for households earning above 400% of the federal poverty level, and…
Millions of Americans who split online purchases into four interest-free payments now face a new reality: those small installment loans can raise or lower their credit scores. Affirm reports every Pay-in-4 loan to TransUnion and Experian, and FICO has built a scoring model that treats buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) payment history much like traditional credit. A single…
People whose personal information was exposed in a data breach at American International College now have a path to compensation, but the window is closing fast. The Springfield, Massachusetts-based institution reached a settlement offering every approved class member a flat $50 cash payment, with additional reimbursement of up to $5,000 available for those who can…
Travelers booking a hotel room in the United States now face a different checkout screen than they did a year ago. The Federal Trade Commission’s rule on unfair or deceptive fees, published in the Federal Register on January 10, 2025 and codified at 16 CFR Part 464, requires every hotel and short-term lodging provider to…
Self-employed workers, freelancers, and gig contractors face a June 15 deadline to submit their second-quarter estimated tax payments to the IRS. Those who fall short will be assessed an addition to tax that accrues daily until the balance is paid, a cost that can quietly grow into hundreds of dollars on even modest underpayments. With…
Surviving spouses of wartime veterans who need help with daily living can receive up to $1,558 per month through the Department of Veterans Affairs Survivors Pension with Aid and Attendance. The catch: the family’s countable net worth must remain below $163,699 for the benefit period running from Dec. 1, 2025, through Nov. 30, 2026. That…
A retired schoolteacher in the Midwest was days from cashing out her 401(k) when her phone rang earlier this year. On the other end was an FBI agent with unwelcome news: the cryptocurrency trading platform she had been funding for months, the one showing steady double-digit returns and staffed by attentive customer-service reps, did not…
First-time homebuyers hoping to break into the market this spring ran into a wall. Pending home sales in April dropped to the lowest April reading on record, driven by a 6.53% average mortgage rate and a median existing-home price near $417,700. The combination of elevated borrowing costs and sticky home values has effectively priced out…