The hidden math behind the American cost of living — explained weekly.
Sep 16, 2026
Four dollar thresholds written into law in 1983, never adjusted for inflation since.
Sep 15, 2026
$2,000 covers everything in Porto, Portugal — and leaves you $2,496 short in the median American city.
Sep 14, 2026
Grocery inflation is back to normal. The prices never reset.
Oct 26, 2026
1.73 million is an estimate built from a formula. As a rate, it matches 2019. What grew is the loss on each repossession: $10,700 to $17,300 at Ford Credit.
Oct 23, 2026
Tariffs brought in $194.9 billion in a year. Importers paid nearly 90% at the border, about a quarter reaches the shelf price, and the refund went to the company at the border.
Oct 21, 2026
5.49% of car debt is 90 days late, with unemployment near 4%. Only one quarter since 2003 was worse. Here is what breaks a car loan when it is not a layoff.
Oct 19, 2026
50.6% of Costco's operating profit came from membership fees, not gas. The number that decides whether the card pays for itself is in your own year of fill-ups.
Oct 15, 2026
Interest on the debt passed defense spending. The Fed's own study says it explains only a sliver of your mortgage rate.
