The Trump administration and Republican lawmakers in Congress are looking to cut or eliminate nearly a dozen student loan and federal aid programs administered by the Department of Education. The cuts, if implemented, could impact millions of Americans, from families who are about to send their children to college, to working people looking to advance their career through an additional degree or certificate, to student loan borrowers who are already in repayment. The programs at issue are being targeted on two fronts. Last month, the Trump administration instructed federal agencies to review hundreds of programs across the federal government to…

Over the years, federal prison camps have evolved, but chronic staffing shortages, insufficient funding for facility repairs, and limited programming have made life inside increasingly challenging. These camps, the least restrictive within the Bureau of Prisons (BOP), are paradoxically among the most expensive to operate. The BOP recently announced the closure of seven prison camps, yet there are strong arguments for shutting down more. One viable alternative is expanding prerelease custody—such as halfway houses and home confinement—which provides greater oversight of minimum-security prisoners while significantly reducing costs. Minimal Security at Federal Prison Camps The Allenwood Federal Prison Camp was once…

Mother-child partnerships in professional sports and entertainment are reshaping the investment scene. Now a trailblazing network of professional athletes’ mothers, League of Industry Moms, is changing how silent investment partners are creating the new way wealth management works in sports. These maternal figures serve as vital guardians for these elite performers’ financial futures, as a hidden force behind many multi-million dollar deals. The Breakdown You Need To Know: Mothers play a pivotal role in shaping the financial decisions of professional athletes and entertainers, offering guidance, support, and sometimes direct management of their finances. This is why Twanna Harris, Founder of…

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…