Household budgeting and everyday consumer money news
Auto Pay Gets a 1% Student Loan Rate Cut
Starting July 1, auto pay enrollment cuts federal student loan rates by a full 1 point.
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May CPI Rises to 4.2%, a Three-Year High
Headline inflation jumped on energy costs while core CPI held at 2.9% year-over-year.
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ChatGPT Bank Links Spark Privacy Concerns
OpenAI's new finance tools connect to 12,000+ institutions, but experts warn of oversharing risks.
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The Dos and Don'ts of AI Money Management
Experts outline where AI helps household budgets and where it can go wrong.
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BofA Launches Pay-Over-Time Credit Card Plans
Bank of America's Custom Pay Plan lets cardholders split purchases into 3-18 month installments.
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SAVE Student Loan Plan Ends: 7M Borrowers Must Act
Starting July 1, SAVE borrowers have 90 days to pick a new plan or face higher payments.
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Rent Now, Pay Later Loans Target Squeezed Renters
New fintech products let renters split monthly payments, but risks to household budgets are real.
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Degrees That Pay Off Student Loans Fastest
Investopedia ranks majors by early-career salary vs. debt to show which degrees pay off fastest.
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Fed Warns of Middle-Income Credit Card Stress
The Fed's Beige Book signals rising credit card use and financial strain among middle-income households
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AI Chatbots Are Trying to Replace Financial Advisers
ChatGPT and Claude are handling money questions once reserved for human advisers.
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Are Budgeting Apps Safe to Link to Your Bank?
What households need to know about security before connecting accounts to a budgeting app.
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What AI Can and Cannot Do for Your Budget
AI tools automate spending categories but can't replace human judgment on financial goals.
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Americans Are Using BNPL to Buy Gas and Groceries
Rising daily costs push Americans to split grocery and gas bills into installments.
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Can AI Actually Replace Budgeting?
USA Today breaks down where AI helps with personal finance and where it falls short.
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Americans Spending More, Affording Less in 2026
Consumer saving rate drops to only 2.6% as inflation outpaces wages.
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