News

Larry Johnson thought he was doing everything right. The Atlanta father had a clean driving record, a rising credit score and a practical tool to monitor his family: the Life360 app. When he started shopping for car insurance recently, the quotes were unexpectedly high, and something wasn’t adding up. “The quotes I was getting just didn’t make sense to me,” Johnson told Channel 2. Eventually, an agent told him he had a “low insurance score.” He later realized that the Life360 app also tracked their driving and fed that data to insurance companies. “It’s shocking. And it feels like a violation almost,” Johnson said. “I don’t mind signing up for something when I know what I’m getting myself into.”

By Monique Danao | 05.17.25

On May 9, President Donald Trump signed his 150th executive order of 2025, directing Veterans Affairs (VA) to create a center for homeless veterans in Los Angeles on the VA’s West L.A. campus. This site has been subject to legal troubles recently. Last fall, a federal judge ruled the VA failed veterans in its fiduciary duty to provide them with housing. The judge ordered additional housing and invalidated leases of portions of the land given to civilian entities, including UCLA and a private school. The decision has been appealed. The executive order instructs VA chief Doug Collins to prepare a plan within 120 days to house 6,000 homeless veterans on the campus by 2028, and take action to “restore accountability” at the department. Trump also ordered that “funds that may have been spent on housing or other services for illegal aliens are redirected to construct, establish and maintain” the new facility, which will be called the National Center for Warrior Independence. It has not been made clear which programs for housing and undocumented immigrants will be required to give up their funding, or how these funds will be reallocated to the project.

By Rebecca Holland | 05.17.25

You’ve found the one. The love of your life. You’re planning a wedding, dreaming about your future and picturing a lifetime of shared memories. So, a prenup is not even in the picture. But then, a financial curveball is delivered. In the middle of cake tastings and venue tours, one man stumbled onto a discovery: his soon-to-be wife was carrying $82,000 in credit card debt. The curveball has him behind in the count. After years of building a stable financial foundation, he suddenly felt like it was the bottom of the ninth, with runners on base and the score tied. He was the last batter. Now with the wedding date fast approaching and his fiancée unwilling to sign a prenup, he’s left wondering whether love really is enough — or if this financial mismatch could upend everything they’ve worked toward.

By Sarah Sharkey | 05.17.25

When you enter into a marriage, you expect your spouse to be faithful. But sometimes, a different type of infidelity — financial — can rear its ugly head. That's what happened to Cathy from Dallas, Texas, who recently called into The Ramsey Show seeking urgent financial advice. Cathy revealed to co-hosts Ken Coleman and Jade Warshaw that she suspects her to-be ex-husband has racked up close to $1 million in debt behind her back — and she’s worried that she's on the hook for half of it. Cathy filed for divorce in late April, after learning about her husband's ongoing financial infidelity — however, after a 27-year marriage, she's trying to escape as unscathed as possible. Here is what Coleman and Warshaw had to say.

By Maurie Backman | 05.17.25

Buying a house can be an exciting venture, but the potential for disappointment and heartbreak can quickly turn the entire process into a nightmare. For one Chicago family, their homeownership dream was derailed at the finish line, and instead of settling into their new home, they’re now “stuck in limbo,” according to CBS News Chicago. Looking to move to the suburbs, the Hovey family had found a split-level house with an open layout, new floors and a kitchen that featured stainless-steel appliances. According to the listing, every detail had been “meticulously redone.” “It was just perfect for us,” Sara Hovey told CBS News Chicago. That is, until it came time to close.

By Vawn Himmelsbach | 05.17.25

Groceries are one of the largest line items in anyone's budget, so when prices increase, your wallet is bound to feel the pinch. While food prices have gone up throughout the U.S., two major metropolitan areas saw the most significant increase. According to a SmartAsset study, Honolulu, Hawaii and Tampa, Florida saw the highest percentage increases in several food categories between March 2024 and March 2025.

By Sarah Li-Cain, AFC | 05.17.25

Some residents of San Diego are speaking out about what they call a “sneaky” attempt on the city’s part to introduce a new trash collection fee. California Proposition 218 requires all city councils to mail information to every homeowner regarding proposed fees and to reject the fee if a majority of homeowners return written protests. While the city has included a form to be filled out by homeowners who want to reject the fee, citizens like Duane Wittmeier say that the mailer looks like junk mail, and is easy to overlook. Furthermore, the flyer is three pages, double-sided, with densely packed paragraphs, and the instructions included for rejecting the proposed fee are difficult to understand. "By sending this flyer out saying, 'We're just going to charge you if [you] don't notice it, we're just going to give you a bill,' and I think that's pretty clever of them to do that. I think it's sneaky, I think it's wrong," Wittmeier says.

By Rebecca Holland | 05.16.25

Las Vegas is a popular destination for tourists, but visitors aren’t flocking to the city in the numbers they once were. In March 2025, visitor volume was down by 7.8% from the same period last year, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA). Beyond falling visitor numbers, gaming revenue on the Strip, where many of the iconic hotels and Vegas experiences exist, was down 4.8%. Gaming revenue was up on the Boulder Strip and Downtown, but they rake in a fraction of the revenue that the Strip sees. Hotel occupancy in the city reached 82.9%, down from 85.3% last year, and the total room nights occupied was down by 6.1% year over year.

By Sarah Sharkey | 05.16.25

On 9/11, first responders rushed to help. Unfortunately, their own lives were being put in jeopardy as they breathed in asbestos, benzene and other toxic dust at Ground Zero, increasing their cancer risk. Years later, the Zadroga Act was passed to care for these first responders. It created the federally funded World Trade Center Health Program under the umbrella of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The program provides lifetime monitoring and treatment to responders, 150,000 of whom were enrolled as of 2025, reports ABC News, (up from 76,000 in 2015). The program has been a great success, with New York City Fire Department (FDNY) data revealing 86% of participants are still alive five years after a cancer diagnosis compared with 66% of patients diagnosed but not part of it. A bill had even been introduced to provide additional funding. Unfortunately, the program is no longer working as intended, due to uncertainty created by the Trump administration — and this will have consequences. "This is a program with zero fraud that only does one thing: It saves lives," Michael Barasch, partner at Barasch & McGarry, a law firm representing thousands of first responders and 9/11 survivors, told ABC News. "Mark my words: People will die without it."

By Christy Bieber | 05.16.25

When Angela and Terry Taylor of Houston moved into a four-story home in a gated community in 2020, they thought it would be a safe, low-maintenance environment where they could ease into retirement. Instead, things started to go wrong almost immediately. The Taylors noticed condensation on the windows and doors. Angela began to feel ill. They soon identified the problem: mold. A doctor discovered mold in Angela's sinuses and told her it was the highest level he had seen in 32 years. Then they checked out the house. Hundreds of thousands of mold spores per cubic meter, on the walls, beneath stucco finishes — even their furniture. "It's not safe for anybody to be there," their attorney Ernest Freeman told KHOU 11. The Taylors have moved into an apartment, carrying the costs of the apartment and their new home at the same time. "We're trying to retire one of these days and these are some of the most expensive days of our lives," said Terry Taylor. "It's unfathomable that we're in the position we're in." Now they’re suing the home builder, Pelican Builders, and sharing their story to alert other people to the dangers.

By Rebecca Holland | 05.16.25

An unexpected sales pitch paved the way to a terrifying ordeal for one gas station owner. According to Lisa Hoang of Moore, Oklahoma, she allegedly fell victim to an attempted extortion by a rogue paving crew. The confrontation happened when workers from Done Right Paving, based in Kalispell, Montana, allegedly dumped their extra asphalt across the OK Stop parking lot. No formal contract between Done Right and OK Stop was drafted, so the work wasn’t approved, Hoang told News 4 KFOR. “We need to know in advance how much [the cost] is, and he says [s] he just [has] a little left over asphalt and it wouldn’t cost much to us,” Hoang explained. Hoang and her family refused to pay the $12,000 bill. As a result, the Done Right Paving crew scraped up the asphalt and piled it against the OK Stop entrance, trapping the family inside. The scam is not uncommon in Oklahoma, and typically happens when northern paving companies travel south for work. But here’s how to avoid being caught in a similar sticky situation.

By Jessica Wong | 05.16.25

While the White House is trumpeting the “Art of the Deal,” some may say the recent U.S.-China trade deal is a chapter out of “The Subtle Art of Getting Steamrolled.” Economist Peter Schiff recently took to X to blast the Trump administration for conceding the trade war without meaningful gains from China. “How is this trade deal a win for Trump?” he asked. “China has agreed to nothing. The 145% tariffs we imposed have been reduced to 30%. The 125% tariffs they imposed in response have been reduced to 10%. If 145% tariffs were just a bargaining chip, China already called Trump's bluff and won.” He continued in response to comments, “So what have we won by agreeing to pause the war we started? We did not win a single battle in this war.” Other economists echoed this view. "'Big beautiful tariffs' were intended to encourage reshoring and generate trillions in tax revenue to fund tax cuts," James Knightley, chief international economist, ING wrote in a note to investors reported on by Business Insider. But with tariffs lowered for 90-days, "most production remains cheaper in China than relocating it to the U.S." “I think it's very clear that it's President @realDonaldTrump who blinked,” Larry Summers, economist and former Treasury Secretary, wrote on X. “We had said that we were determined to impose these policies for an indefinite period. China didn't make any consequential or significant change in its policies. Sometimes it's good to blink. When you make a mistake, it's usually best to correct it and retreat, even if it's a little bit embarrassing. America may not have gained much from its brief trade war, but it still stands to lose some economic battles in the months ahead due to its lingering impacts. Here’s why.

By Vishesh Raisinghani | 05.16.25

Florida has long been a magnet for Americans looking for a better life. Low taxes, affordable housing, a low cost of living and pleasant winter weather have made it a popular move — and not just for retirees. Young people seeking economic opportunities have come in search of jobs in technology, health care and tourism — and stay for the laid-back lifestyle and entrepreneurial atmosphere. But now, the number of Americans moving to the state has slowed. And one hot spot has been hit particularly hard.

By Vawn Himmelsbach | 05.16.25

Ray Dalio, founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, isn’t usually known for alarmist takes. But his latest warning is unusually stark. “Right now we are at a decision-making point and very close to a recession, and I’m worried about something worse than a recession if this isn’t handled well,” Dalio said in an appearance on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.” Recession warnings have been piling up as Trump’s sweeping tariffs and global tensions escalate. But Dalio sees the threat as “much more profound.” “We have a breaking down of the monetary order,” he said. Dalio highlighted profound shifts in both the domestic and world order — including a move away from the U.S.-led era of multilateralism toward a more unilateral world order, “in which there’s great conflict.” While it remains unclear how the uncertainty around tariffs will play out — or whether the recession warnings will prove correct — markets have already been whipsawed. The silver lining? Dalio has long championed a strategy he calls the “Holy Grail of investing.” With volatility rising and risks mounting, now may be the time to pay attention.

By Jing Pan | 05.16.25

Steve Simon's trouble began when he visited a local car dealer to inquire about buying a vehicle, and the transaction didn't work out. He had given the dealer permission to run his credit. "I didn't like the interest rate on it, so I denied it, left, went home," said the delivery truck driver. Unfortunately, this wasn't the end of the story, but the beginning of a nightmare. He told CBS New York that in the days following his visit to the dealer, he received repeated notices of hard inquiries being placed on his credit. Those can damage your score if you get too many. Worse still, weeks later, he received a letter from Ally Bank indicating he'd been denied the lease he'd co-applied for at the dealer with a woman named Michelle. "I don't know no Michelle, no person like that, and if I'm not able to get a vehicle, I damn sure not gonna co-sign for someone else to get a vehicle," Simon said. Now, Simon is looking for answers, but the dealership can't explain what happened. What is clear, though, is that Simon is a victim of identity theft — and he's not the only one.

By Christy Bieber | 05.16.25

Just married last year, Ashley and her husband dream of going on an African hunt. The Oklahoma City couple were planning to go on a safari to celebrate their 10th anniversary — and save for a home first. But life has taken an unexpected turn, which is why Ashley called The Ramsey Show for advice. “We entered a raffle and found out that we won a nine-day all-inclusive hunt in South Africa,” she explained. Although the $20,000 package is described as “all-inclusive,” she discovered they’d have to pay up to $15,000 in out-of-pocket expenses — including airfare, transportation, gun rentals and taxidermy. The taxidermy piece was important to Ashley. “I’d like to have a zebra rug,” she explained. “That would be pretty cool.” “You can buy them,” Ramsey noted. Ashley wasn’t sure whether they should spend so much money on a luxury vacation while they’re still saving for a home. “If you could help us with our first marital financial hurdle,” she asked Dave Ramsey. Ramsey’s advice surprised her — and, he admitted, even himself. Because her answers surprised him.

By Sarah Sharkey | 05.16.25

As a co-founder of PayPal and the first outside investor in Facebook, Peter Thiel is widely recognized for his expertise in the tech world. But lately, the billionaire venture capitalist has been sounding the alarm on an entirely different sector: real estate. During an interview with The Free Press, Thiel drew upon the insights of 19th-century economist Henry George to underscore the gravity of America’s real estate crisis. “The basic Georgist obsession was real estate, and it was if you weren't really careful, you would get runaway real estate prices, and the people who owned the real estate would make all the gains in a society,” Thiel said. The core of the issue, Thiel explained, lies in the “extremely inelastic” nature of real estate, especially in regions with strict zoning laws. “The dynamic ends up being that you add 10% to the population in a city, and maybe the house prices go up 50%, and maybe people's salaries go up, but they don't go up by 50%,” he said. “So the GDP grows, but it's a giant windfall to the boomer homeowners and to the landlords, and it's a massive hit to the lower middle class and to young people who can never get on the housing ladder.” Thiel warned that this “Georgist real estate catastrophe” is playing out across many “Anglosphere countries,” including the U.S., Britain and Canada.

By Jing Pan | 05.16.25

With trade tensions rising, sweeping tariffs looming and recession fears rattling Wall Street, stocks have been on a wild ride. Watching a portfolio sink into the red can be nerve-wracking, but investing legend Warren Buffett has long warned against reacting emotionally when markets take a dive. “Some people should not own stocks at all because they just get too upset with price fluctuations,” Buffett told CNBC’s Becky Quick. “If you're going to do dumb things because a stock goes down, you shouldn't own a stock at all.” Quick pressed him: “What are dumb things? Selling a stock because it goes down?” Buffett didn’t hesitate: “Yeah, selling a stock because it goes down. I mean, you know, if you buy your house at $20,000 and somebody comes along the next day and says, ‘I’ll pay you $15,000,’ you don’t sell it because the quote’s $15,000. You look at the house or whatever it may be. But some people are not actually emotionally or psychologically fit to own stocks.” Buffett’s message rings especially true in today’s economic climate. With markets whipsawed by tariff uncertainty and broader economic jitters, knee-jerk reactions could turn temporary losses into permanent ones. Instead of treating stocks like lottery tickets, Buffett urges investors to think like business owners — focusing on long-term value rather than short-term noise. After all, as he famously said during the 2008 financial crisis, “A simple rule dictates my buying: be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful.” And while not all assets are created equal, Buffett has shared a surprisingly simple way to tell which ones are worth owning — and which ones aren’t.

By Jing Pan | 05.16.25

The chance of a recession hitting the U.S. economy in 2025 has gone up. JP Morgan raised the chances of a global recession happening this year to 60%, up from 40% at the end of March. So if you’re thinking of tightening your wallet — and looking for ways to stretch every dollar — here are 10 money moves you can make to make sure you’re in great financial shape during this uncertain time.

By Marie Alcober | 05.16.25

Renting a home is not cheap. In fact, Zillow puts the average monthly cost of rent at $1,850 nationally. Let’s say you’re in your mid-20s and looking to rent a townhome for more space and a sense of independence. The catch? You have to fork over $5,000 in advance for two months’ security and additional fees. That’s a hefty chunk of change. It’s not uncommon for young adults to live at home with their parents until they have sufficient funds stashed away for rent and utilities. Sometimes, parents will charge their kids “rent” only to set it aside to give back to them once they’re ready to move out. But what if your parents went back on that promise and instead deposited your “rent” into one of their 401(k)s? Now, you’re short on the $5,000 you owe for the townhome. It's a difficult situation, but it doesn't mean all is lost.

By Maurie Backman | 05.16.25