The financial news that actually matters
American consumers watching grocery bills and gas prices climb got hard confirmation in June when federal data showed the all items index rose 4.2 percent for the 12 months ending in May 2026, the first time that measure topped 4 percent in three years. Now two events on the same morning, July 14, will collide…
A franchisee operating a Tuffy tire-and-auto service location filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this week in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Indiana. The petition, accessible through the court’s electronic filing system, adds to a pattern of financial strain hitting independent auto-repair operators as the cost of parts, tires, and shop…
Families who bought Series EE or I savings bonds years ago and are now redeeming them to cover college tuition face a federal tax bill on the accumulated interest, unless they qualify for a little-used statutory exclusion that can zero out that liability entirely. Under 26 U.S. Code Section 135, bond interest that would otherwise…
K-12 teachers who buy their own classroom supplies can subtract up to $300 from their taxable income each year, according to the IRS. The deduction applies before itemized deductions are calculated, which means educators can claim it even if they take the standard deduction. With school budgets still tight heading into the 2026-2027 academic year,…
The S&P 500 closed at 7,609.78 on June 2, 2026, setting yet another record even as options markets continued to price in above-average turbulence. That split between rising equity prices and persistent implied volatility has defined much of the spring and early summer, creating an unusual environment where the index climbs while the cost of…
Homebuyers who paid mortgage discount points at closing during the 2025 tax year face a narrow window to claim a federal deduction that can cut their tax bill by hundreds or even thousands of dollars. The deduction hinges on whether the buyer itemizes, whether the loan finances a principal residence, and whether the points meet…
Property investors who sell a building at a profit face an immediate federal tax bill on the gain, unless they reinvest in another qualifying property under a specific provision of the Internal Revenue Code. That provision, Section 1031, allows the full deferral of capital gains tax when real property held for business or investment use…
Individuals earning above $200,000 in modified adjusted gross income face a 3.8% surtax on their net investment income, a charge that has been in effect since January 1, 2013. The Net Investment Income Tax, or NIIT, was created through the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 and applies to the lesser of a…
Prospective homebuyers hoping for a rebound in housing activity just lost one of their strongest cheerleaders. Lawrence Yun, chief economist at the National Association of Realtors and widely regarded as the nation’s top housing economist, slashed his 2026 home-sales forecast to roughly 4 percent growth, a sharp retreat from the 14 percent jump he projected…
Ray Dalio has flagged that Bridgewater Associates’ proprietary bubble gauge now sits at the 77th percentile, according to his recent public remarks. That reading places the current U.S. equity market closer to the conditions that preceded the 1929 and 2000 crashes than at any other point in the gauge’s modern history. The signal arrives while…