finbarrow — US personal finance https://finbarrow.com/ Independent US personal finance editorial — math, not bank marketing. Rate moves, regulation, and tax-season analysis. en-us Tue, 25 Aug 2026 07:23:12 GMT Fed holds at 3.50-3.75% in July 2026 — but three voted to hike https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/fomc-july-2026-rate-decision/ https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/fomc-july-2026-rate-decision/ Sun, 26 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT 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. June CPI cools to 3.5%: what the official print means for savers https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/cpi-june-2026-savings-impact/ https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/cpi-june-2026-savings-impact/ Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT 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. Defaulted Student Loans: What Changes in 2026 https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/student-loan-collections-restart-2026/ https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/student-loan-collections-restart-2026/ Sun, 21 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Federal student-loan collections were paused in January 2026. What the Treasury Offset and 15% wage garnishment mean for borrowers in default. Student loan servicers in 2026 — what borrowers need to know now https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/student-loan-servicer-landscape-2026/ https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/student-loan-servicer-landscape-2026/ Thu, 28 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT The student loan servicer landscape after SAVE ended: which servicers handle what, the new RAP plan, IDR recertification, and what to do now. FOMC June 2026: Fed holds at 3.50-3.75%, dot plot turns hawkish https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/fomc-june-2026-rate-decision-preview/ https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/fomc-june-2026-rate-decision-preview/ Tue, 26 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT 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. FOMC minutes — the three-week-late confession the dots only hint at https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/fomc-minutes-reading-framework/ https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/fomc-minutes-reading-framework/ Fri, 22 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT 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. CFPB enforcement actions — the framework for reading the announcements https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/cfpb-enforcement-framework/ https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/cfpb-enforcement-framework/ Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT 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. CFPB medical debt rule — vacated in 2025, what it would have done https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/cfpb-medical-debt-credit-report-rule/ https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/cfpb-medical-debt-credit-report-rule/ Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT 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. Fed dot plot — how to read the SEP every other meeting https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/fed-dot-plot-reading/ https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/fed-dot-plot-reading/ Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT 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. 2027 401(k) & IRA contribution limits: projections vs 2026 https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/irs-2027-contribution-limits-anticipation/ https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/irs-2027-contribution-limits-anticipation/ Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT 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. CPI release framework — how each BLS print moves your savings https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/cpi-release-impact-savings/ https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/cpi-release-impact-savings/ Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT 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. Tax season prep — the year-round runway to file confidently https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/q1-tax-season-prep-checklist/ https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/q1-tax-season-prep-checklist/ Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT 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. The r/personalfinance flowchart — what works, where it breaks https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/rpersonalfinance-flowchart-analysis/ https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/rpersonalfinance-flowchart-analysis/ Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT 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. Sticky vs fast-mover HYSAs — how online banks really react to Fed cuts https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/sticky-vs-fast-mover-hysas-fed-cuts/ https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/sticky-vs-fast-mover-hysas-fed-cuts/ Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT 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. The 0% capital gains bracket — the planning lever most filers miss https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/zero-percent-capital-gains-2026-planning/ https://finbarrow.com/actualidad/zero-percent-capital-gains-2026-planning/ Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT For single filers under ~$49K and couples under ~$99K of taxable income, long-term capital gains are taxed at 0% federal. The structural mechanics.