INSANE: 14 - The Real Truth

The SAVE Plan Is Over — Millions of Student Loan Borrowers Now Face a 90-Day Decision

The SAVE Plan is over, and for millions of federal student loan borrowers, the next move comes with a clock attached. Loan servicers began sending notices in 2026 telling affected borrowers to choose a new repayment plan, with 90 days from the date of the notice to make that decision.

The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 10

You Have $20,000 in Credit Card Debt. Would a 0% Balance Transfer Actually Save You Money?

A $20,000 credit card balance can make every monthly statement feel like an unwelcome sequel. A 0% balance transfer can look like the escape hatch, because moving that debt to a card with no interest during a promotional period can stop interest from chewing through payments. But a shiny “0%”…

The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 10

The Average Money Market Rate Is Only 0.63%—Here’s Why September Is a Good Time to Check Your Account

A money market account paying 0.63% might sound like a perfectly respectable place to park cash until the math gets involved. At that rate, $10,000 earns roughly $63 over a year before taxes, assuming the balance stays put and the rate remains unchanged. The national average for money market deposit…

The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 10

IRS Raises Clean Electricity Production Tax Credit to 3.1 Cents Per Kilowatt-Hour for 2026

Clean electricity producers may qualify for a federal tax credit of up to 3.1 cents per kilowatt-hour in 2026 after the IRS published its annual inflation adjustment for the Clean Electricity Production Credit. The IRS announced the updated amounts in a Federal Register notice published September 4. The credit, established…

The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 8

IRS Finalizes New Car Loan Interest Deduction — Who Can Claim Up to $10,000

Americans financing certain new vehicles can deduct up to $10,000 a year in car loan interest under a temporary federal tax break, and the IRS has now finalized regulations explaining who qualifies. The deduction was created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed into law July 4, 2025, and…

The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 8

SEC Approves FINRA Change to Streamline How Investment Advisers Allocate Bulk Trades

Investment advisers sometimes place a single large securities order for multiple clients and then allocate portions of that trade among the individual accounts they manage. A newly approved FINRA rule change is intended to make that behind-the-scenes process more efficient without eliminating safeguards designed to prevent advisers from deciding who…

The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 8

USDA Is Moving SNAP and Nutrition Program Offices Out of Washington — What Benefit Recipients Should Know

USDA is moving much of the federal operation overseeing SNAP, WIC, school meals and other nutrition programs away from the Washington area as part of a major reorganization now underway.

The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 8

The SEC Says Fake Investment Firms Used Government Filings to Look Legitimate—Here’s the Trick Investors Need to Know

A government website can make almost anything look more official than it really is, and scammers have figured that out. The Securities and Exchange Commission recently warned that dozens of entities used SEC filings to create the appearance of legitimate investment firms, giving potential victims something that looked reassuringly official…

The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 8

7 Bank-Safety Red Flags Emerging After FDIC Banks Posted $90.1B in Quarterly Profits

The nation’s FDIC-insured banks just posted $90.1 billion in net income for the second quarter of 2026, a 12% jump from the previous quarter. That sounds like excellent news for the banking industry, and it is, but a healthy industry does not automatically mean every bank customer has a perfectly…

The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 8

Your Credit App Says 740. The Lender Says 705. Which Score Is Right?

A credit app flashes a cheerful 740, then a lender pulls a 705, and suddenly the numbers look like they came from two completely different financial universes. The good news: neither number necessarily means something went wrong, and the lower score does not automatically mean the lender made a mistake.…

The Free Financial Advisor · Sep 8