Warren Cohen, Author at The Financial Wire

Cosmic Tempest Hurricane Majesty from Space's Eye

NOAA forecasts 8 to 14 Atlantic named storms this season — and any NFIP flood policy bought today won’t take effect until July 2 under the 30-day waiting period

Warren Cohen3 months ago3 months ago08 mins

Homeowners along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts face a narrow window to secure flood coverage before the 2026 hurricane season ramps up. NOAA issued its seasonal outlook on May 21, projecting 8 to 14 named storms with a 70 percent probability, while any National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policy purchased today carries a 30-day waiting…

a man sitting in front of a laptop computer

April job openings fell to 7.1 million — the lowest reading since 2020 — and the quits rate dropped to 1.8%, the weakest worker leverage since 2018

Warren Cohen3 months ago3 months ago09 mins

Workers across the United States face a tightening set of options. April job openings fell to 7.1 million, the lowest reading since 2020, and the quits rate dropped to 1.8%, the weakest measure of worker confidence since 2018. Together, these two figures signal that the labor market is cooling in ways that directly affect bargaining…

Back view of family hugging and admiring their home

HELOC rates fell to 7.19% in May — a 3-year low — putting the cheapest borrowing in the market against $36 trillion in tappable U.S. home equity

Warren Cohen3 months ago3 months ago09 mins

Homeowners sitting on record levels of home equity now face a borrowing environment that has shifted sharply in their favor. Average HELOC rates fell to 7.19 percent in May, reaching their lowest point in three years and making home equity lines of credit the cheapest major consumer borrowing option available. That rate drop lands against…

The Labor Department’s safe harbor to add crypto and private equity to default 401(k) lineups closes public comments tonight — before moving to a final OMB review

Warren Cohen3 months ago3 months ago013 mins

At midnight on June 1, 2026, the public comment window closes on a Labor Department proposal that would let employers place private equity and cryptocurrency funds inside the default investment lineups of 401(k) plans. These are the portfolios workers land in when they never make an active choice, and they hold the bulk of retirement…

Stock market chart shows a downward trend.

The 10-year TIPS yield sits at 2.4% — the highest real-yield reading since 2008 — meaning Treasury bondholders finally collect a positive return above inflation for the first time in 16 years

Warren Cohen3 months ago3 months ago014 mins

For 16 years, anyone who lent money to the U.S. government and then checked what they earned after inflation got the same answer: almost nothing, or less. A retired teacher in Ohio who bought Treasury bonds in 2015 and held them through 2025 preserved her savings in nominal terms but watched her purchasing power flatline….

children playing on brown sand at daytime

The 2026 federal poverty level climbed to $15,650 for a single person and $32,150 for a family of four — resetting eligibility for Medicaid, SNAP, Lifeline, and ACA premium subsidies

Warren Cohen3 months ago3 months ago011 mins

For a home health aide in Ohio earning $15,200 a year, the $590 increase in the 2026 federal poverty level is not an abstraction. It is the difference between falling just above the eligibility line for Medicaid and falling just below it. As of January 23, 2026, a single person earning up to $15,650 meets…

Happy students sitting and studying outdoors while talking.

The 2026 American Opportunity Tax Credit pays up to $2,500 per eligible undergraduate — and 40% of that ($1,000) is refundable to students whose family owes little or no federal tax

Warren Cohen3 months ago3 months ago017 mins

Every spring, the IRS processes roughly nine million returns claiming the American Opportunity Tax Credit, representing approximately $17 billion in total claims according to IRS Statistics of Income data. Yet millions more eligible families never file for the benefit at all. For the 2026 tax year, the AOTC still offers up to $2,500 per eligible…

CMS just opened 14 days for comment on a rule forcing Medicare drug plans to approve prior authorization within 72 hours — 24 hours urgent — before comments close June 15

Warren Cohen3 months ago3 months ago014 mins

A cancer patient waiting on chemotherapy approval. A diabetic whose insulin switch sits in a queue. A psychiatrist watching a patient destabilize while paperwork bounces between a clinic and an insurer’s review desk. These are not hypotheticals. According to the American Medical Association’s 2024 Prior Authorization Physician Survey, 94% of physicians say prior authorization delays…

Markets priced the first Fed rate cut no earlier than September — and 28% of CME FedWatch traders now bet on a December hike, the first non-zero hike odds since 2023

Warren Cohen3 months ago3 months ago012 mins

Twenty-eight percent of traders on the CME FedWatch tool are now positioning for something that hasn’t been on the table since 2023: a Federal Reserve interest-rate increase. As of early June 2026, that share of fed-funds futures positioning implies a quarter-point hike at the Fed’s December meeting, while the earliest rate cut carrying majority odds…

A stunning panoramic view of the Dallas skyline under dramatic clouds, capturing the city's iconic skyscrapers.

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller national index rose just 1.5% year over year in April — the smallest annual climb since 2012 — with Tampa, Phoenix, and Dallas posting sub-zero YoY readings

Warren Cohen3 months ago3 months ago011 mins

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller national index rose just 1.5% year over year in April – the smallest annual climb since 2012 – with Tampa, Phoenix, and Dallas posting sub-zero YoY readings. U.S. home prices are growing at their slowest pace in more than a decade. The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller national home price index rose just…

Warren Cohen

NOAA forecasts 8 to 14 Atlantic named storms this season — and any NFIP flood policy bought today won’t take effect until July 2 under the 30-day waiting period

April job openings fell to 7.1 million — the lowest reading since 2020 — and the quits rate dropped to 1.8%, the weakest worker leverage since 2018

HELOC rates fell to 7.19% in May — a 3-year low — putting the cheapest borrowing in the market against $36 trillion in tappable U.S. home equity

The Labor Department’s safe harbor to add crypto and private equity to default 401(k) lineups closes public comments tonight — before moving to a final OMB review

The 10-year TIPS yield sits at 2.4% — the highest real-yield reading since 2008 — meaning Treasury bondholders finally collect a positive return above inflation for the first time in 16 years

The 2026 federal poverty level climbed to $15,650 for a single person and $32,150 for a family of four — resetting eligibility for Medicaid, SNAP, Lifeline, and ACA premium subsidies

The 2026 American Opportunity Tax Credit pays up to $2,500 per eligible undergraduate — and 40% of that ($1,000) is refundable to students whose family owes little or no federal tax

CMS just opened 14 days for comment on a rule forcing Medicare drug plans to approve prior authorization within 72 hours — 24 hours urgent — before comments close June 15

Markets priced the first Fed rate cut no earlier than September — and 28% of CME FedWatch traders now bet on a December hike, the first non-zero hike odds since 2023

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller national index rose just 1.5% year over year in April — the smallest annual climb since 2012 — with Tampa, Phoenix, and Dallas posting sub-zero YoY readings

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