President Donald Trump’s new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau acting director Russell Vought has taken a mallet to the agency, according to reports over the weekend. The capper seems to be something done to the CFPB’s homepage: the superimposition of an Internet 404 error message, meaning the page couldn’t be found. Except it’s an image fit in, the rest of the page is in place, and the links work. Consumers might not realize it and give up on looking for resources or services. I reached out to the agency through its media contact email and did not get a reply before…

This is a follow-up to my article, Attorney Alleged To Have Tried To Hack Judge’s Email Account In Libman (July 25, 2024). That article chronicled allegations that, as the title suggests, an attorney (Libman) who had been ordered to return certain attorney fees decided that the judge in the case was colluding with the opposing attorney, and so decided to attempt to hack into the judge’s mail account to obtain proof. Suffice it to say that such conduct is extraordinary. The update is that the State Bar Court has recommended that Libman be disbarred, according to the Decision And Order…

Tim Ferriss recently talked to Greg McKeown, offering “Tactics and Strategies for a 2025 Reboot,” and the Essentialsim author had a showstopper of a quote that caused me to “Wait, what?” and rewind: “What I have learned is this strange law of inverse prioritization,” McKeown said, “which is, I literally believe now that the most important thing in our lives at any given time is the least likely thing to get done, which is really strange.” Inverse prioritization, you say? Is this the answer to the question, “Why do we avoid the things that matter most?” Maybe. Let’s explore and…

The current congressional budget process reportedly is reaching back to a 2017 playbook to provide cover for irresponsible spending. It involves pretending that a desired course of action will magically result in high economic growth. A view to history shows this is most unlikely to happen. The Peter G. Peterson Foundation (PGPF), an economically conservative organization focused on long-term government fiscal stability, pointed out the most current example. To pass the economic agenda of the Donald Trump administration, Republicans in the Senate plan to use the budget reconciliation process. Reconciliation is a narrow type of action that is only allowed…

Every February 14th, millions of people around the world celebrate Valentine’s Day with grand gestures—lavish dinners, luxury gifts, and overpriced bouquets. It’s a day meant to symbolize love and devotion, yet for many, it ends with a less romantic reality: financial strain. The commercialized nature of Valentine’s Day has turned it into a multi-billion-dollar industry, with retailers capitalizing on consumer emotions and social expectations. From inflated flower prices to costly prix-fixe restaurant menus, the holiday often forces couples into spending more than they intended, leaving their wallets—and sometimes their relationships—worse off. According to Capital One shopping, Valentine’s Day spending in…

Medicare Advantage prior authorizations have few friends. Doctors hate them. Patients hate them. Politicians say they hate them and introduce bills to curb them. But how onerous are they really? Less than many people think. But they still create opportunities for insurance companies to maximize profits at the expense of needed care. And they can be improved. Prior authorizations are the way MA managed care plans pre-approve some procedures before they’ll pay for them. Typically, these are for costly care such as rehab at a skilled nursing facility, inpatient hospital stays, or expensive drugs. Or maybe you have to wait…

To help enhance financial literacy among young Americans, Intuit, in collaboration with the NFL’s Inspire Change initiative and the New Orleans Saints, hosted a Financial Literacy Forum on February 4, 2025, as part of the Super Bowl LIX festivities in New Orleans, LA. This event marked the kickoff of Intuit’s nationwide forum series leading up to Financial Literacy Month in April. A Dynamic Learning Experience Three schools from within the city participated and each brought about 120 high school students along with their teachers. The event introduced essential financial concepts in an engaging and interactive format. The students engaged in…

Should you consider DEI in your retirement portfolio? There has been much controversy regarding DEI (diversity equity and inclusion), none have discussed its effects on retirement portfolio performance. I seek to answer whether these factors improve or detract from retirement portfolio performance. Diversity refers to the presence of different identities and experiences, including: Women, Racial and Ethnic Minorities, LGBTQ+ Individuals, People with Disabilities, Veterans, Socioeconomically Disadvantaged Individuals, Older Workers, Religious and Cultural Diversity Neurodivergent Why DEI? Historically, one of the arguments for diversity equity inclusion was that diverse teams make better decisions than homogenous teams. The Harvard Business Review published…

Failure To Explain Structures And Transactions Leads To A Denial Of Discharge In Link Tucker Link was a CPA who at times in his career had worked at Peat Marwick Mitchell and various financial institutions, mostly involving oil & gas projects. Tucker was married to Vickie Link, and the couple had two adult children, Erick Link and Andrea Walker. The couple liv ed in Oklahoma and had degrees from Oklahoma State University. Tucker was hired by Nimir Petroleum Global Group (“Nimir”) in 2001, and within six months had become the Chief Operating Officer of that company. While employed by Nimir,…

Josh Hawley, Bernie Sanders Propose Capping Credit Card Interest Rates at 10%A new bipartisan bill introduced by a pair of senators would cap credit card interest rates in an effort to help consumers and fulfill one of President Donald Trump’s campaign promises. Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., introduced legislation that would cap credit interest rates at 10% immediately upon the bill’s enactment into law. The cap would then remain in effect for five years. Hawley said in a statement that capping credit card interest rates at 10% like Trump campaigned on “is a simple way to provide…