Daniel Harper
Daniel is a finance writer covering personal finance topics including budgeting, credit, and beginner investing. He began his career contributing to his Substack, where he covered consumer finance trends and practical money topics for everyday readers. Since then, he has written for a range of personal finance blogs and fintech platforms, focusing on clear, straightforward content that helps readers make more informed financial decisions.
Latest Articles by Daniel Harper
Austin renters now pay about 5.1% less than they did a year ago
A one-bedroom apartment in Austin that listed for $1,400 a month last spring might now be advertised closer to $1,330. Across the metro, asking rents...
Top online banks now pay over 4%, more than ten times the average savings account
Savers who keep their money in a typical bank account are earning roughly one-tenth of what top online competitors now offer. The FDIC’s March 2026...
34.7% of home listings now carry a price cut as buyers regain leverage
More than a third of U.S. home listings now carry a price reduction, a share that has climbed as elevated borrowing costs and fresh supply...
Mortgage rates jumped within hours of the Fed’s decision and erased a week of relief
Homebuyers who spent the past week watching borrowing costs edge lower got a rude reversal on September 17, 2025, when mortgage rates climbed back within...
$6,000 in tariffs can land on a new car priced under $40,000
Buyers shopping for a new car under $40,000 face a hidden cost that has nothing to do with dealer markups or interest rates. When a...
Electric bills in data-center hubs like Virginia have soared up to 267% in five years
Households and businesses near the country’s largest clusters of data centers are paying sharply higher electricity bills, with wholesale costs at some grid nodes jumping...
A 4.7% Social Security raise for 2027 would be the fourth-largest in 36 years
A 4.7% Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2027 would hand beneficiaries the fourth-largest annual raise in 36 years, trailing only the 8.7% increase in 2023,...
Treasury yields surged after the Fed hinted at a hike, lifting borrowing costs again
Homeowners weighing whether to refinance and prospective buyers shopping for mortgages face a sharper cost squeeze after Federal Reserve officials signaled they remain open to...
The average new car sold for $49,220 in May as tariffs keep sticker prices high
Car buyers paid an average of $49,220 for a new vehicle in May, a figure shaped directly by the 25 percent tariff on imported automobiles...
Papa John’s closed nearly 50 stores and cut 7% of its corporate staff this month
Papa John’s International shut down 44 restaurants across North America and cut roughly 7 percent of its corporate workforce during the first quarter of 2026,...
Utilities asked regulators for $9.4 billion in rate hikes in just the first quarter of 2026
American households and businesses face the prospect of sharply higher electric bills after utilities across the country filed requests with state regulators seeking a combined...
19% credit card rates aren’t dropping after the Fed’s hold this week
Cardholders carrying balances at commercial banks are stuck paying average interest rates near 19 percent after the Federal Reserve held its benchmark rate steady at...
Gas still costs about $1.50 more a gallon than before the Iran war, even as oil sinks
American drivers are paying roughly $1.50 more per gallon for regular gasoline than they were in late February 2026, before the Iran conflict disrupted energy...
The Dow set a record Wednesday morning, then shed 507 points after the Fed’s hawkish turn
Investors holding retirement accounts and stock portfolios watched the Dow Jones Industrial Average swing from a fresh all-time high to a 507.12-point loss in a...
The median U.S. asking rent rose to $1,379 in May, its fourth straight monthly gain
Renters searching for a new apartment in May faced a median asking price of $1,379, the fourth consecutive month that figure has climbed. The streak...
36% is the rate on the most expensive credit card you can get today
Borrowers who carry a balance on the most expensive credit cards available right now face annual percentage rates that reach 36 percent. That figure sits...