The financial news that actually matters
For many American households, the extra cash cushion built during the pandemic is no longer providing much protection. Stimulus payments, enhanced jobless benefits, and a temporary drop in spending during lockdowns helped many families build up unusually large bank balances in 2020 and 2021. But that cushion has steadily thinned as inflation raised the cost…
The Supreme Court wiped out a major pillar of President Donald Trump’s tariff strategy, ruling that the White House had no authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose sweeping import duties across a wide range of goods. On paper, that should have opened the door to relief for businesses and, eventually, for…
The U.S. Supreme Court handed importers and manufacturers a major legal victory when it ruled on February 20 that President Donald Trump could not use the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, to impose sweeping tariffs. But for many businesses, the decision landed after months of higher costs, disrupted planning, and lost sales that…
The inflation report investors and Federal Reserve officials watch most closely did little to reopen the door to lower interest rates. Fresh data on the Personal Consumption Expenditures price index, or PCE, showed inflation still running too hot in late 2025, with the underlying trend proving especially stubborn.For households waiting for relief on mortgages, credit…
Arizona Public Service, the state’s largest electric utility, is asking regulators to approve a nearly 14% rate increase that would add hundreds of millions of dollars to the company’s annual base-rate revenue. The request has opened a high-stakes fight over what Arizona households and businesses should be asked to pay for power in one of…
Millions of Americans caught between raising children and helping aging parents are absorbing a financial hit that reaches far beyond a tight monthly budget. For many households, caregiving is no longer a temporary strain. It is reshaping how families spend, save, and think about the future. What begins as helping with groceries, medications, housing, or…
Remote work is no longer the default white-collar perk it appeared to be just a few years ago. Across the United States, fully remote listings have become harder to find, and the openings that remain are attracting outsized attention from job seekers who still want flexibility. At the same time, more large employers are tightening…
California drivers are paying noticeably more at the pump again, and the latest run-up is another reminder of how quickly the state’s gasoline market can turn. Federal weekly data show the average price for regular gasoline in California rose from about $4.18 a gallon on Feb. 2 to roughly $4.42 by Feb. 16, a gain…
Ford Motor Company is making one of its clearest mass-market electric vehicle bets yet, tying a roughly $5 billion commitment to a new universal EV platform, a retooled Kentucky assembly plant, and a lower-cost battery supply chain in Michigan. At the center of the push is a midsize electric pickup with a targeted starting price…
Student loan borrowers harmed by Navient’s servicing practices are finally beginning to receive checks tied to a $100 million consumer redress fund, part of a broader federal enforcement action that targeted one of the most criticized names in the industry. The payments are going out automatically. Eligible borrowers do not need to file a claim,…