You skipped the refill this month. Not because you forgot, but because the card was already close to its limit. The minimum payment was due Friday. A new survey says you are far from alone. Skipping medical care for debt has become a real tradeoff for millions of households in 2026. The numbers behind it…
You always hear the same line about student loans. You cannot erase them in bankruptcy, no matter how bad things get. That line is outdated. New research shows student loan bankruptcy discharges now succeed more often than they have in decades. Most borrowers who could qualify never even try. Here is what changed, what the…
You log into your health insurance marketplace account to renew your plan. The price has nearly doubled since last year. You check again, sure it is a mistake. It is not. Enhanced subsidies that lowered marketplace premiums for years expired on January 1, 2026. More than 20 million subsidized enrollees are now paying sharply more…
The rent notice sits unopened in your inbox a little longer than it used to. You tell yourself it is just a reminder, not a warning, even though part of you already suspects the number on this month’s statement is higher than what hit your account on payday. Rent debt is growing in 2026, and…
You’re standing at checkout, and the cashier offers 20 percent off if you sign up for the store card right now. It sounds like free money on a receipt you’re already holding. What that offer doesn’t mention is the interest rate waiting on the other side, and in 2026, store credit card interest rates are…
You know your credit card balance. You are far less sure about your partner’s. Maybe you have asked and gotten a vague answer, or maybe you have never asked at all because the conversation felt like it would open a door you were not ready to walk through. New survey data shows that instinct is…
You have cut the streaming subscriptions, skipped the vacation, and stopped eating out. Still, your credit card balance is not moving, and the mortgage payment is due Friday. So you log into your 401(k) account and start a hardship withdrawal, telling yourself you will pay it back later. You are far from alone. A record…
Congress pushed the government funding deadline to December 11, 2026, when President Trump signed a continuing resolution on September 2. That buys a few months, not a solution. Lawmakers have passed only 2 of the 12 required appropriations bills in the House and none in the Senate, and Congress has not finished a full budget…