The financial news that actually matters
A 62-year-old roofer in Memphis and a 35-year-old software developer in Seattle live in different economies, work very different jobs, and likely picture retirement in completely different ways. But they share one anxiety that has returned to the center of Washington’s fiscal debate: the possibility that lawmakers could ask Americans to wait even longer for…
Home insurance prices are moving into a new phase, and for many homeowners the change is likely to feel less like another routine increase and more like a reset. After several years of sharp premium growth, insurers are increasingly pricing policies around what they expect future wildfire, storm, and hurricane losses to look like, not…
The typical American worker is nowhere close to retirement ready. At least, not by the broadest measure now getting fresh attention in Washington and across the financial press. A new analysis from the National Institute on Retirement Security found that the median working-age American has just $955 saved in a defined contribution retirement account. That…
Federal customs duties are surging under President Donald Trump’s tariff agenda, giving Washington one of the biggest jumps in border-tax revenue in decades. Treasury data show customs duties in fiscal year 2026 are running at roughly four times last year’s pace through January, reflecting the combined effect of tariffs on goods from China and a…
The affordability squeeze in the U.S. housing market is no longer showing up only in mortgage calculators and frustrated buyer budgets. It is showing up in asking prices. By early February, the market was sending a clearer message to sellers than it had a year earlier: buyers are still out there, but they are more…
The average 401(k) balance has climbed into territory that sounds reassuring. Large recordkeepers now report average balances around $148,000. This figure is boosted by stronger markets, steady payroll contributions, and the compounding power that comes with time. On its face, that number suggests the U.S. retirement system is doing a decent job of helping workers…
Los Angeles renters are finally getting a break. After years of relentless increases, new-lease rents across the LA metro area have fallen back to their lowest point since early 2022, giving tenants more room to negotiate in one of the nation’s most expensive housing markets. The shift does not mean Los Angeles has suddenly become…
The federal tax filing deadline for 2025 returns is set for April 15, 2026. While the IRS has already postponed certain tax deadlines for taxpayers in federally declared disaster areas, some observers have speculated about whether the agency could face pressure to broaden relief if disruptions mount. So far, the IRS has not announced any…
Social Security is not about to disappear. But the program’s main retirement trust fund is still on track to hit a hard legal wall within the next decade. According to the latest annual trustees report, the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance trust fund is projected to be depleted in 2033. If lawmakers do nothing before then,…
Millions of taxpayers could see their refunds delayed this filing season because of a single IRS letter most people have never heard of. The letter is called CP53E, and the IRS sends it when a direct deposit fails and the agency needs updated banking information before releasing the money. In the past, the IRS would…