Natalie Cochran was recently convicted of first-degree murder for killing her husband in 2019 and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Natalie was already serving a 135 month sentence for money laundering and wire fraud connected with a Ponzi scheme she perpetrated between 2017 and 2019. In 2017, Natalie Cochran, with no experience in weapons or government contracts quit her job as a pharmacist and, along with her husband Michael Cochran, formed Tactical Solutions Group (TSG) a company they said would bid on contracts to sell weapons and other goods to the federal government. Natalie Cochran…

The Personal Income and Outlay data — the Federal Reserve’s preferred measure of consumer spending and inflation — were released on Friday. There is some good news but also some that is disturbing. The central bank will take notice and probably reconsider how much more interest rates could be cut this year. They’ll have no choice, if this becomes a trend, it could set off a recession. Why the Fed watches consumer spending. The Fed pays close attention to consumer spending because, directly and indirectly, it touches on the organization’s dual mandate to maintain stable prices and maximum sustainable employment.…

Investors are worried about an economic downturn, perhaps even a recession. The stock market is coming off two blistering years and the headlines from Washington are hard to ignore. Don’t fall victim to fearmongering or try to predict when you can prepare instead. So if you’re wondering what you should do out of concern for your investments, personal finances, or a looming recession or stock market crash: take a deep breath, put the current context into perspective, and focus on what you can control. “Far more money has been lost by investors preparing for corrections or trying to anticipate corrections…

The rise of side hustles reflects a significant trend in the modern economy. A growing number of people are looking for additional income while pursuing their passions—be it selling handcrafted products online, freelance writing, or driving for a rideshare company. However, is starting a side hustle the right decision for you? It requires a thorough consideration of financial realities, personal goals, and the current economic environment. This discussion will highlight the advantages and drawbacks, explore financial aspects, and analyze how today’s economic context heavily impacts the choice to embark on a side hustle. The Upside Of Starting A Side Hustle…

As the Trump administration’s priorities continue to take hold, its unabashedly pro-law enforcement stance is igniting fresh optimism among investors. With a renewed focus on public safety and American-made innovation, companies supplying cutting-edge policing technologies could see significant windfalls. While initiatives like the Department of Government Efficiency grab headlines, the real investment opportunity could lie in tangible tools: less-lethal devices, AI-driven software, and data analytics poised to reshape how America’s police operate. Here’s why Wrap Technologies, Axon Enterprise, and SoundThinking stand out as potential picks for your portfolio—and what makes them tick under this new political landscape. Wrap Technologies: The…

Fortune has an article by Greg McKenna that is disturbing if you follow financial markets and monetary policy at all. It says that President Donald Trump has a path to end the Federal Reserve’s independence for a full Fed takeover. The disturbing part is not that Trump would have a way to politicize the Fed, but that any president would — as many have wanted and tried. Historic Fed takeover attempts. Before getting into what presidents have done, start with the 1913 creation of the Federal Reserve by Congress through the Federal Reserve Act. The impetus was a series of…

Despite President Trump’s repeated promises that “we’re not touching Social Security, other than to make it more efficient,” it appears his Administration is planning deep cuts in the program’s administration. And that inevitably will mean trouble for those receiving or applying for benefits. By slashing staff and tinkering with its internal computer systems, the Trump Administration is likely to make Social Security less efficient, not more. And these steps may make it much harder for applicants to receive the benefits they deserve in a timely way. Thus, Trump effectively will be cutting benefits, at least for some. Remaking the SSA…

Is there anything artificial intelligence can’t do? Well, the answer is “plenty.” The more precise response is, “It all depends on what you’re asking AI.” This is especially true for retirement questions. There’s no doubt that, like any computer, it’s a whiz at number crunching. In fact, it’s much more than that. It’s that chatty coworker who has a response to everything. But are those responses worth the pixels the text illuminates? Every week, indeed, every day, you’re seeing improvement in popular generative AI platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok, along with their cousins Copilot and Midjourney, not to mention…

The Department of Education took additional steps this week that effectively blocks affordable repayment plans and student loan forgiveness for millions of borrowers. The department’s actions follow a sweeping ruling by a federal appeals court last week that widened and extended an existing injunction halting implementation of the SAVE plan, a Biden-era income-driven repayment plan intended to lower monthly payments, halt runaway interest, and simplify the federal student loan repayment system while offering borrowers a pathway to student loan forgiveness. SAVE operated alongside several older IDR plans. In response to the latest ruling, last Friday the department took down the…

House Republicans have put themselves in a potential bind. In a razor-thin 217-215 vote on Tuesday, they passed a budget resolution that promises massive tax cuts—but only if they can find $2 trillion in spending reductions to offset the cost. House Republicans are facing a tricky balancing act: finding enough savings to satisfy fiscal conservatives while maintaining the deep tax reductions that Trump and party leadership have promised. If they fall short, the tax cuts will have to be reduced, putting key priorities—including President Donald Trump’s campaign promises of no tax on tips and no tax on overtime—at risk. But…