The financial news that actually matters
Canada’s new grocery fairness code is now officially in force, arriving at a moment when food prices remain a source of daily stress for households. The code is designed to make dealings between major grocery chains and the companies that supply them more predictable, more transparent, and less prone to sudden fees or one-sided contract…
Twenty-one states raised their minimum wages on January 1, 2026, with Washington state claiming the highest statewide rate in the country at $17.13 per hour. The wave of increases, driven largely by automatic cost-of-living adjustments written into state law, reflects a growing reliance on inflation-indexed formulas that tie wage floors to federal price data. For…
American households carried sharply higher debt loads into bankruptcy court over the past two years, with total filings climbing 16.2% in the twelve months ending June 2024 and continuing to rise into 2025. The increase, driven almost entirely by consumer cases rather than business restructurings, reversed a years-long decline that followed pandemic-era relief programs. What…
The average transaction price for a new vehicle in the United States climbed to $49,191 in February, setting an all-time record as buyers rushed to close deals ahead of steep tariffs on imported automobiles. The price spike, up 3.4% year over year according to Kelley Blue Book, lands just weeks before a 25% tariff on…
Monthly child care bills can exceed $5,000 in some parts of the U.S., pushing the annual cost of infant care well past what many families pay for a year of in-state college tuition. The gap between what parents spend on care for young children and what they earn has widened sharply, with recent reporting and…
U.S. retail sales were unchanged in December compared with November, a flat result that caught economists off guard and closed out the year with fading consumer momentum. The reading, drawn from the Census Bureau’s Advance Monthly Retail Trade Survey, suggested that holiday shoppers pulled back more than anticipated, leaving the economy with less spending fuel…
Most Americans carry a dozen or more recurring charges on their credit cards and bank statements, from streaming platforms to cloud storage to meal kits. Collectively, those charges add up to roughly $3,200 a year for the average consumer, yet surveys consistently show that people badly underestimate how much they actually spend. That gap between…
The IRS raised Health Savings Account contribution limits for 2026 to $4,400 for individuals with self-only high-deductible health plan coverage and $8,750 for family coverage. The adjustment, published through Revenue Procedure 2025-19, also tightens the thresholds that define qualifying high-deductible plans, a shift that could reshape how millions of workers plan for medical expenses in…
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 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,…