Clay Halton
Clay Halton is a Contributing Editor at Moneywise, covering a wide range of consumer-focused financial stories. He has over eight years of experience in digital publishing and has written and edited for outlets including PCMag and Investopedia.
Previously, he was a staff editor at Investopedia, covering topics from business and investing to personal finance. He is particularly passionate about financial issues that impact LGBTQ+ and other minority communities. Beyond finance, Clay's writing and editing experience spans health literacy, scholarly journals, and consumer technology. In his spare time, he enjoys video games, bike rides, and collecting Traveler's Notebook accessories—sometimes more than he should.
EXPERIENCE
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WWise PublishingAssociate Editor 2025–Present
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IInvestopediaEditor 2018–2024
EDUCATION
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WWebster UniversityBA in English 2016
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LATEST
News • Jul 24
These $50 movie popcorn buckets sold out instantly — then the CEO of IMAX begged China to ship over theirs
Theater chains are cashing in as fans buy collectible buckets — sometimes without even seeing the movie.
News • Jul 24
These $50 movie popcorn buckets sold out instantly — then the CEO of IMAX begged China to ship over theirs
Theater chains are cashing in as fans buy collectible buckets — sometimes without even seeing the movie.
News • Jul 22
Oracle severed 21,000 employees during an AI spending spree, then hit a $7 billion Wisconsin power hurdle
The company’s ambitions helped weaken its credit rating, leaving Oracle one notch above junk status and facing a massive financial requirement.
News • Jul 22
Oracle severed 21,000 employees during an AI spending spree, then hit a $7 billion Wisconsin power hurdle
The company’s ambitions helped weaken its credit rating, leaving Oracle one notch above junk status and facing a massive financial requirement.
News • Jul 21
A Florida man is accused of hiding crypto-stealing malware in Steam games. Here’s how the alleged scam worked
Prosecutors say victims unknowingly downloaded infected games that searched their computers for sensitive financial information and crypto wallet credentials.
News • Jul 21
A Florida man is accused of hiding crypto-stealing malware in Steam games. Here’s how the alleged scam worked
Prosecutors say victims unknowingly downloaded infected games that searched their computers for sensitive financial information and crypto wallet credentials.
News • Jul 18
House passes Common Cents Act to help with phasing out the penny. How cash purchases would work if the bill becomes law
The legislation comes after the U.S. Mint produced its final penny in late 2025.
News • Jul 18
House passes Common Cents Act to help with phasing out the penny. How cash purchases would work if the bill becomes law
The legislation comes after the U.S. Mint produced its final penny in late 2025.
News • Jul 16
A 'Made in the USA' Monopoly edition cost twice as much to build — and no US factory could even make the dice
Monopoly may be one of America’s most iconic board games, but producing it in the U.S. became an unexpected lesson in why so many American products are still made overseas.
News • Jul 16
A 'Made in the USA' Monopoly edition cost twice as much to build — and no US factory could even make the dice
Monopoly may be one of America’s most iconic board games, but producing it in the U.S. became an unexpected lesson in why so many American products are still made overseas.
News • Jul 15
Uber blew its entire 2026 AI budget in 4 months — and one 2-hour coding session alone cost $1,200
Uber’s rapid AI rollout boosted adoption across its engineering team — and sent costs soaring.
News • Jul 15
Uber blew its entire 2026 AI budget in 4 months — and one 2-hour coding session alone cost $1,200
Uber’s rapid AI rollout boosted adoption across its engineering team — and sent costs soaring.
Life • Jul 13
Olive Garden's $100 Unlimited Pasta Pass returns July 16 with only 10K available — past sales sold out in under a second
Eating enough pasta to make the pass worthwhile is a challenge to which only 10,000 people will gain access.
Life • Jul 13
Olive Garden's $100 Unlimited Pasta Pass returns July 16 with only 10K available — past sales sold out in under a second
Eating enough pasta to make the pass worthwhile is a challenge to which only 10,000 people will gain access.
News • Jul 09
Trump says Elon Musk will donate SpaceX stock to Trump Accounts — but the world's richest man still hasn't said a word
The tax-advantaged savings accounts, which launched last week, are already attracting billionaire donors. Just not Musk.
News • Jul 09
Trump says Elon Musk will donate SpaceX stock to Trump Accounts — but the world's richest man still hasn't said a word
The tax-advantaged savings accounts, which launched last week, are already attracting billionaire donors. Just not Musk.
News • Jul 08
Your Instagram photos can now be turned into AI images by strangers — unless you change this setting
It’s the latest example of a major tech company asking users to opt out of AI instead of opting in.
News • Jul 08
Your Instagram photos can now be turned into AI images by strangers — unless you change this setting
It’s the latest example of a major tech company asking users to opt out of AI instead of opting in.
News • Jul 08
A California farmer was banned from selling 125,000 lbs of nectarines — so he gave them away instead
An ongoing legal dispute over a nectarine variety has left him unable to bring his yield to market for a second straight year.
News • Jul 08
A California farmer was banned from selling 125,000 lbs of nectarines — so he gave them away instead
An ongoing legal dispute over a nectarine variety has left him unable to bring his yield to market for a second straight year.
Managing Money • Jul 07
Colorado woman earns $150K while husband works part-time for $40K. Ramsey show warns against relying on Social Security
The caller says she feels ‘taken advantage of’ after years of saving for retirement while her husband contributes nothing.
Managing Money • Jul 07
Colorado woman earns $150K while husband works part-time for $40K. Ramsey show warns against relying on Social Security
The caller says she feels ‘taken advantage of’ after years of saving for retirement while her husband contributes nothing.
News • Jun 30
Tech orgs in Australia face $99M fine if they fail to keep kids off socials. But do these bans actually work?
Australia is not the first country to try to regulate children’s presence on social media. But research shows it’s hard to keep kids offline.
News • Jun 30
Tech orgs in Australia face $99M fine if they fail to keep kids off socials. But do these bans actually work?
Australia is not the first country to try to regulate children’s presence on social media. But research shows it’s hard to keep kids offline.
News • Jun 28
Taylor Swift's Eras Tour drove $5B in spending — now her rumored MSG wedding has NYC preparing for more
If Taylor Swift says “I do” at Madison Square Garden, New York businesses may have plenty of reasons to sing “Welcome to New York.”
News • Jun 28
Taylor Swift's Eras Tour drove $5B in spending — now her rumored MSG wedding has NYC preparing for more
If Taylor Swift says “I do” at Madison Square Garden, New York businesses may have plenty of reasons to sing “Welcome to New York.”
Managing Money • Jun 28
Parenthood is expensive, but being a dad may boost your earnings. Here’s how to turn that income into wealth
A growing family might bring a growing paycheck, too. But only for dads? Here’s why.
Managing Money • Jun 28
Parenthood is expensive, but being a dad may boost your earnings. Here’s how to turn that income into wealth
A growing family might bring a growing paycheck, too. But only for dads? Here’s why.
News • Jun 27
Tech giants are pouring billions into AI — but Bank of America data shows only 3% of households are paying up
Tech companies envision a future where everyone uses an AI assistant. For now, most consumers still see it as optional software.
News • Jun 27
Tech giants are pouring billions into AI — but Bank of America data shows only 3% of households are paying up
Tech companies envision a future where everyone uses an AI assistant. For now, most consumers still see it as optional software.
News • Jun 25
Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean face $1.4M lawsuit after ‘hitting pause’ on their Nashville steakhouse
After the restaurant’s sudden closure, the real estate firm says the shutdown triggered a costly lease default.
News • Jun 25
Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean face $1.4M lawsuit after ‘hitting pause’ on their Nashville steakhouse
After the restaurant’s sudden closure, the real estate firm says the shutdown triggered a costly lease default.
News • Jun 23
Ashley St. Clair says she rejected Elon Musk's $40M NDA offer: 'I would rather go to a studio apartment'
Her decision puts a spotlight on the financial and personal trade-offs that come with accepting or rejecting lucrative confidentiality agreements.
News • Jun 23
Ashley St. Clair says she rejected Elon Musk's $40M NDA offer: 'I would rather go to a studio apartment'
Her decision puts a spotlight on the financial and personal trade-offs that come with accepting or rejecting lucrative confidentiality agreements.
News • Jun 19
‘Absolutely zero style’: Snap CEO gets blowback after unveiling the company’s $2,195 smart glasses. Would you buy them?
Based on the internet’s reaction to CEO Evan Spiegel’s debut appearance, convincing people to wear the glasses may be harder than building them.
News • Jun 19
‘Absolutely zero style’: Snap CEO gets blowback after unveiling the company’s $2,195 smart glasses. Would you buy them?
Based on the internet’s reaction to CEO Evan Spiegel’s debut appearance, convincing people to wear the glasses may be harder than building them.
News • Jun 18
Uber and Lyft may charge you $40 more for the exact same ride as someone else — but both deny surveillance pricing
Consumer Reports tested 40+ routes across 18 states and found riders checking the same trip at the same time got wildly different prices — up to 160% apart.
News • Jun 18
Uber and Lyft may charge you $40 more for the exact same ride as someone else — but both deny surveillance pricing
Consumer Reports tested 40+ routes across 18 states and found riders checking the same trip at the same time got wildly different prices — up to 160% apart.
News • Jun 17
Apple may owe you up to $95 from a $250 million settlement over its AI rollout — here's who qualifies
Apple marketed Siri AI features as a selling point for select iPhone 16 and 15 models — but many weren't available at launch.
News • Jun 17
Apple may owe you up to $95 from a $250 million settlement over its AI rollout — here's who qualifies
Apple marketed Siri AI features as a selling point for select iPhone 16 and 15 models — but many weren't available at launch.
News • Jun 15
Amazon CEO poured $8 billion into Anthropic — then he helped trigger a government crackdown on the startup, report says
The dispute comes as Anthropic prepares for a blockbuster IPO, raising new questions about regulatory risk in the AI race.
News • Jun 15
Amazon CEO poured $8 billion into Anthropic — then he helped trigger a government crackdown on the startup, report says
The dispute comes as Anthropic prepares for a blockbuster IPO, raising new questions about regulatory risk in the AI race.
News • Jun 13
Former Apprentice contestant paid $4.55M for a defunct Vermont campus — and now he's trying to give it away
His vision included a resort, distillery, spa and luxury condos — but six years later, the 115-acre property remains largely vacant.
News • Jun 13
Former Apprentice contestant paid $4.55M for a defunct Vermont campus — and now he's trying to give it away
His vision included a resort, distillery, spa and luxury condos — but six years later, the 115-acre property remains largely vacant.
Managing Money • Jun 13
A Stanford lecturer says 'every company should be hiring' a rare new AI role, and 'every single new grad' should want it
As AI threatens some entry-level jobs, a growing number of companies are looking for workers who can turn the technology into measurable productivity gains.
Managing Money • Jun 13
A Stanford lecturer says 'every company should be hiring' a rare new AI role, and 'every single new grad' should want it
As AI threatens some entry-level jobs, a growing number of companies are looking for workers who can turn the technology into measurable productivity gains.
News • Jun 03
SpaceX employees are banding together to get primo pricing for tax-saving advice as they prepare to make millions
A group representing billions in SpaceX stock is negotiating discounted access to elite financial advisers and tax strategies ahead of what could be the largest IPO in history.
News • Jun 03
SpaceX employees are banding together to get primo pricing for tax-saving advice as they prepare to make millions
A group representing billions in SpaceX stock is negotiating discounted access to elite financial advisers and tax strategies ahead of what could be the largest IPO in history.
Life • Jun 02
Alaska Airlines is opening the largest lounge in America. Here's how much you'll need to spend to enjoy its premium fare
The 41,000-square-foot space will offer exclusive amenities — but access won't come cheap.
Life • Jun 02
Alaska Airlines is opening the largest lounge in America. Here's how much you'll need to spend to enjoy its premium fare
The 41,000-square-foot space will offer exclusive amenities — but access won't come cheap.
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