Inflation in the U.S. has been reported at around 2.5-3% over the past year, but it doesn’t feel that way for most people. Everyday expenses such as food, housing, insurance, and even fast food feel as though they are rising much faster. This creates a gap between what the inflation data shows and how citizens are actually affected. Inflation is measured using something called the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which tracks the cost of a “basket” of goods and services over a pe

Chandler Reynolds

Chandler Reynolds

Recently, the world’s largest asset manager, BlackRock, limited withdrawals from one of its private credit funds, which holds about $26 billion in assets. Amidst all of the geopolitical tensions around the world right now, this may not seem like a huge deal at first. However, it could be an early sign that something is off within a market that has grown rapidly over the past few years. When investors try to take their money out, and funds can’t fully return it, concerns about

So far in 2026, OpenAI has not had a great year. Originally, Sam Altman described OpenAI as a nonprofit organization working for the betterment of humanity. Now, the company has shifted its focus to shareholders, specifically gearing up for one of the largest initial public offerings in history. But as a direct result of this, the company has faced many problems, such as legal challenges over the fair use of intellectual property, legal challenges over its governance, legal c

Mortgage rates are influenced by two main types of factors: those you can control and those you can’t. On the personal side, lenders typically offer better rates to borrowers with strong credit scores, lower debt relative to income, and larger down payments. Comparing lenders can also help you secure a lower rate. When the economy is weak, rates often drop to encourage borrowing. When it’s strong, rates tend to rise to slow spending. 15-Year vs. 30-Year Mortgages The two most

On February 28, 2026, the United States worked with Israel to attack Iran’s military and nuclear facilities. In response, Iran quickly launched missiles on Israeli and US bases in the Gulf. As markets open on March 2, investors are assessing how these escalations will affect oil prices, the stock market, and the global economy as a whole. Around 20 million barrels of oil are transported through the Strait of Hormuz each day, which is a crucial waterway between Iran and Oman.

Chandler Reynolds

Consumer Price Index (CPI) The Consumer Price Index, widely known as CPI, is an economic data point that gives key information on market movements specifically regarding inflation. CPI reports the average change monthly of consumer spending for a chosen group of goods and services. This chosen group is called the market basket, where there is a certain group of goods and services that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics takes into account when measuring CPI. This basket of go

Over the past 20 years, no industry has generated more wealth than software. It turned physical tools into digital ones, manual procedures into automated ones, and developing startups into multi-trillion dollar companies. However, in early 2026, that same dominance over industries is being questioned. Duolingo has fallen more than 60% in less than a year. Monday.com is down over 50%. Even Figma, one of the most anticipated IPOs of 2025, has lost almost 75% of its value. Thes

What are Bonds? Key Concepts Bonds, often known as fixed-income loans, are a sort of loan. A bond issuer draws money from a lender for a certain length of time with a fixed repayment schedule. The amount borrowed = Principle Interest paid = Coupon Each bond provides its principal, maturity, and coupon rate (interest rate). This additional interest is also called the yield of the bond(coupon rate), and yields have an inverse relationship with credit rating and are heavily

The U.S. economy during the early months of 2026 continues to grow, but so do the costs. On paper, the economic growth has been exceptional, with GDP expanding by 4.4% in Q3 of 2025 and an estimated 4.2% in Q4. However, inflation continues to remain above target and the labor market continues to weaken. Although the headlines may seem to suggest economic growth, there are many underlying indicators that reveal declines in employment and concerns on stability. One of the

This week the price of both silver and gold has decreased drastically with gold dropping as low as 14% as of February 2nd, and silver dropping over 30%, all within the span of a few days. Recently, demand for physical metals has hit all-time highs, as purchases of gold and silver ETFs have outpaced worldwide S&P 500 purchases, while Trump also announced a $12 billion critical mineral stockpile. What does this mean for precious metals? One of the key reasons we are seeing sil

Through financial history, we've seen legendary collapses from the smallest changes in policy or even a cent adjustment in the worth of a foreign currency. But at the same time, in just the last twelve months, the American government has announced tariffs, those same tariffs were cancelled, then announced again, and then cancelled, and then implemented, before cancelling them again, then implemented once again, we raised those tariffs, and then took the issue to court resulti

Political tension has a way of spilling into financial markets, and recent tariff threats are a clear example. When former President Donald Trump floated the idea of new tariffs tied to negotiations over Greenland, investors reacted quickly, pushing bond yields higher. The 10-year Treasury yield, which mortgage rates tend to track, jumped to about 4.25 percent, sending borrowing costs up almost immediately. The move did not happen in isolation. At the same time, investors wer

Maduro Captured As you are most likely aware, on January 3rd of 2026, a Delta Force squadron captured the leader of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro , and extracted him to New York to face a number of federal charges. This has led to conflicting feelings, controversy, and debate online, but what does this action mean for the northern hemisphere's gas markets? Not long after Maduro's capture, Trump took action seemingly in the hope of taking advantage of Venezuela's substantial oil

As Q3 earnings season wraps up, credit card companies largely delivered solid results, supported by steady consumer spending and continued growth in digital payments. Across the six major credit card stocks we track, revenues beat analyst expectations by an average of 1.4%, and share prices are up 5.7% on average since earnings were released. Still, performance across the sector was uneven, with clear winners and a few laggards. American Express (NYSE: AXP) reported revenue o

U.S. stocks opened the year without a clear direction as early gains faded by midday, highlighting lingering uncertainty despite a strong finish to 2025. Technology stocks initially pushed markets higher, but those advances proved short-lived, leaving major indexes mixed as trading continued. The S&P 500 slipped after climbing earlier in the session, while the Nasdaq fell modestly as losses in several large technology names outweighed gains elsewhere. The Dow Jones Industrial