The financial news that actually matters
American car buyers are now financing new vehicles over longer periods than at any point in the recorded history of the federal data series. The average maturity on a new car loan at finance companies has reached 69 months, according to the Federal Reserve’s G.19 Terms of Credit release. That figure, nearly six years of…
Subprime auto borrowers who took out loans during the post-pandemic price surge have now spent close to four years owing more than their vehicles are worth, and federal data shows they account for a sharply outsized share of repossessions. The Federal Reserve, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Senate Banking Committee have each flagged…
American drivers are paying more than 40% above last year’s prices to fill their tanks, a direct result of the largest oil-supply disruption in recorded history. U.S. retail gasoline averaged above $4 a gallon this spring, up sharply from the roughly $3.13 national average recorded in early June 2025. The cause is singular: military action…
Most American workers who received a raise this year that roughly matched inflation will not owe a higher marginal federal tax rate in 2026. The IRS published annual inflation adjustments covering more than 60 tax provisions, including every individual income-tax bracket and the standard deduction, for the 2026 tax year. The shift, pegged at approximately…
American households carrying credit card debt are falling behind on payments at a pace not seen since the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis. The seasonally adjusted delinquency rate on credit card loans at commercial banks has climbed to 3.12 percent, its highest reading in 15 years, according to Federal Reserve data drawn from bank…
Married couples filing jointly who keep their taxable income below $98,900 in 2026 will owe zero federal tax on long-term capital gains realized that year. The IRS confirmed the threshold in its annual inflation-adjustment announcement, which for the first time incorporates changes from the legislation known as the One, Big, Beautiful Bill. Returns for tax…
Anyone who turns 65 and skips Medicare prescription drug coverage without holding an equivalent plan will pay a monthly surcharge on Part D premiums for the rest of their enrollment. The penalty is not a one-time fee. It compounds over time because it is recalculated each year against the national base beneficiary premium, which CMS…
Servers, bartenders, hairstylists, and dozens of other tipped workers across the United States can now subtract up to $25,000 in qualifying tips from their federal taxable income each year for tax years 2025 through 2028. The deduction, created by a new Internal Revenue Code Section 224 as part of H.R. 1 from the 119th Congress,…
Berkshire Hathaway has now sold more stocks than it bought for 12 consecutive quarters, a streak without precedent in Warren Buffett’s six decades running the conglomerate. The pattern, visible across the company’s quarterly SEC filings through the period ended September 30, 2024, has pushed Berkshire’s cash reserves higher while major U.S. stock indexes have traded…
Hundreds of BBC journalists face redundancy as the broadcaster’s news division absorbs deeper spending reductions than any other part of the organization. Interim Director General Rhodri Talfan Davies told staff in an internal email that the corporation needs to shed up to 2,000 positions and save roughly 500 million pounds over two years, according to…
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