The financial news that actually matters
Private employers added 41,000 jobs in December, a weak showing that reinforced the view that the U.S. labor market is cooling at the end of the year without fully rolling over. The figure, released Wednesday in the latest ADP National Employment Report, landed below already modest expectations and followed a revised decline in November. That…
Buy now, pay later has moved well beyond being a niche checkout option for online shoppers. What started as a way to split up a sneaker purchase or holiday gift is becoming a routine payment method for millions of Americans, including many who are already carrying balances elsewhere. That growth matters for more than retail….
American consumers are carrying more credit card debt than ever, and the cost of carrying that debt remains punishingly high. Credit card balances have pushed past $1.2 trillion, while the average annual percentage rate on card plans has stayed near 21%, leaving many households with less room to absorb higher housing, food, insurance, and transportation…
U.S. job openings fell in November, another sign that the labor market entered the end of 2025 with less momentum than it had earlier in the recovery. Employers posted 7.1 million openings at the end of the month, down from a revised 7.4 million in October, according to the Labor Department’s Job Openings and Labor…
U.S. manufacturing ended the year on a weaker note, with the sector slipping deeper into contraction as demand remained soft and factory managers grew more cautious about the near-term outlook. The Institute for Supply Management’s Manufacturing PMI fell to 47.9, down from 48.2 a month earlier, marking the lowest reading of the year and extending…
American drivers are paying more than ever to keep their cars insured, with the average full-coverage premium now running about $2,638 a year nationwide. The increase is smaller than the sharp run-up seen a year earlier, but it still adds another expensive monthly bill for households already trying to absorb higher costs for housing, groceries,…
Oil prices surged to a five-month high in late January as traders weighed two forces that can move the market in a hurry: harsh winter weather in the United States and rising concern that tensions with Iran could disrupt global supply. The move was sharp enough to reset the mood across the energy complex, with…
January tends to bring a flood of financial resolutions, but advisors say the best reset is usually a simple one. Instead of overhauling everything at once, they often steer clients toward a short list of moves that can improve cash flow, strengthen savings habits, and make the rest of the year easier to manage. That…
January has long held a special place in market lore, and not just because it opens a new calendar year. Historically, U.S. stocks have often started the year with an upward bias, helping fuel the belief that January can deliver stronger returns than a typical month. That broad-market idea still has some factual support. Dow…
A new year is bringing a long list of rule changes for workers, renters, homeowners, and patients across the country. On January 1, 2026, a mix of wage hikes, housing-related protections, and healthcare reforms is taking effect at the state level, with California, Minnesota, and Oregon driving some of the biggest shifts. What makes this…