The financial news that actually matters
A general consumer finance category covering everyday money decisions, budgeting, saving, debt management, credit behavior, and personal financial improvement strategies.
President Donald Trump spent much of 2025 and early 2026 promising that tariff revenue would fund a $2,000 “dividend” check for American households. Retirees on fixed incomes, many of whom watch every federal payment closely, were among the most attentive to that promise. Financial analysts now say the payment is close to impossible, and the…
Consumers who filled a generic prescription made by one of five drug companies between 2009 and 2019 need to register before any settlement money moves, and that step is not the same as filing a claim. The distinction matters because a $29.6 million settlement with generic drug maker Glenmark cleared preliminary court approval on August…
A wireless portable power bank sold under the Casely brand remains under an active federal recall after being linked to a fire that killed a 75-year-old New Jersey woman, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. About 429,200 of the pocket-sized chargers are covered, and the remedy the agency lists is a free replacement,…
Health insurers asking for double-digit rate increases on 2027 plans are running into organized resistance from state officials in at least three states. Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts have each pushed back this year on requests from major carriers, using the leverage state law gives regulators to question, reject, or renegotiate proposed premiums before they…
The $23.8 million the Federal Trade Commission is distributing to Grubhub drivers and diners doesn’t stay valid indefinitely once it arrives. Paper checks are only good for 90 days after they’re mailed, and the smaller group of recipients getting paid through PayPal have just 30 days to redeem that payment before it lapses. Two Payment…
Equifax has agreed to a $2.2 million settlement over claims that it reported some consumers’ collection accounts more than once, and the people it identifies as affected have until September 1, 2026 to file for a cash payment of up to $600. A federal court in Georgia gave the deal preliminary approval on May 4,…
The Department of Veterans Affairs said on August 13, 2026 that it has secured a record $10.44 billion in pharmaceutical price reductions so far in fiscal year 2026, the largest amount the agency has ever reported and nearly double what it achieved during the final year of the Biden administration. The savings come from the…
A coalition of 48 states and territories has locked in a $29.6 million settlement with generic drug manufacturer Glenmark Pharmaceuticals over accusations that the company conspired with rivals to inflate prices on dozens of generic prescriptions. A federal court in Connecticut granted preliminary approval to the deal on August 7, 2026, moving the case a…
The Federal Trade Commission has started sending more than $23.8 million to 640,038 people who were harmed by Grubhub’s business practices, and nobody on that list has to file a form or click a link to get their share. Most of the money is going out as paper checks mailed directly to affected drivers and…
Permanent life-insurance policies quietly build a pool of cash over the years, and many older policyholders eventually decide to tap it — to cover a bill, supplement retirement income, or simply walk away from premiums they no longer want to pay. What often catches them off guard is a tax form arriving the following January….