What just changed in US personal finance
Rates, regulation, markets, taxes — dated coverage with every figure sourced.
finbarrow's evergreen hubs explain the mechanics. This section keeps you current on the discrete events that shift them: a Fed funds decision, an IRS contribution-limit release, a CFPB rule finalized, a deposit-rate inflection across the major online banks. Each piece links to the official source and explains the dollar impact on a typical reader.
- Rates
Fed holds at 3.50-3.75% in July 2026 — but three voted to hike
The FOMC held at 3.50-3.75% on July 29 — with three members voting to raise. What the 9-3 split and the cooler June PCE mean for savers and borrowers.
- Markets
June CPI cools to 3.5%: what the official print means for savers
Official BLS figures: June CPI cooled to 3.5% year-over-year with core at 2.6%. What the first real relief in four months means for I-bonds, COLA, and HYSAs.
- Regulation
Defaulted Student Loans: What Changes in 2026
Federal student-loan collections were paused in January 2026. What the Treasury Offset and 15% wage garnishment mean for borrowers in default.
- Regulation
Student loan servicers in 2026 — what borrowers need to know now
The student loan servicer landscape after SAVE ended: which servicers handle what, the new RAP plan, IDR recertification, and what to do now.
- Markets
FOMC June 2026: Fed holds at 3.50-3.75%, dot plot turns hawkish
The Fed held its target range at 3.50%-3.75% on June 17, Chair Warsh debut. The 2026 median dot rose to 3.8% — what hawkish means for savers.
- Markets
FOMC minutes — the three-week-late confession the dots only hint at
How to read the FOMC meeting minutes when they drop three weeks after each policy decision: what the dot plot left unsaid and the language clues that matter.
- Regulation
CFPB enforcement actions — the framework for reading the announcements
The CFPB publishes 30-50 enforcement actions per year. What types of action matter for consumers, the typical penalty patterns, and reading the press releases.
- Regulation
CFPB medical debt rule — vacated in 2025, what it would have done
A federal court vacated the CFPB rule to strip medical debt from US credit reports in July 2025. What it would have done, why it fell, what still protects you.
- Markets
Fed dot plot — how to read the SEP every other meeting
The Federal Reserve Summary of Economic Projections (SEP) and the dot plot inside it. What each FOMC member's dot means and the consensus signal.
- Taxes
2027 401(k) & IRA contribution limits: projections vs 2026
With 2026 limits confirmed (401k $24,500, IRA $7,500), here are the 2027 401(k), IRA, and Roth projections and the IRS rounding math behind each one.
- Markets
CPI release framework — how each BLS print moves your savings
A reusable framework for reading every monthly CPI release: what to look at, what it means for HYSA / TIPS / I-bonds, and the 2-week response window.
- Taxes
Tax season prep — the year-round runway to file confidently
A month-by-month checklist for the months before tax-filing season opens — what to organize, verify, and plan so you file confidently and capture deductions.
- Analysis
The r/personalfinance flowchart — what works, where it breaks
A critique of the iconic Reddit flowchart for prime-age US financial planning: where the consensus is solid, and where it bypasses real edge cases.
- Rates
Sticky vs fast-mover HYSAs — how online banks really react to Fed cuts
When the Fed cuts rates, online HYSAs do not all move together. The math behind why some pass the cut through in days and others lag for months.
- Rates
The 0% capital gains bracket — the planning lever most filers miss
For single filers under ~$49K and couples under ~$99K of taxable income, long-term capital gains are taxed at 0% federal. The structural mechanics.