Renters facing high costs are turning to "rent now, pay later" services like Flex, Livble, and Affirm. These services let renters split rent payments, which they say will help them manage cash flow. However, consumer advocates warn the products often act like short-term loans with high fees, sometimes leading to triple-digit interest rates. Kellen Johnson used Flex to split his $1,850 monthly rent into two payments when he worked as an independently contracted delivery person for Amazon. He paid over $33 monthly in fees. Critics argue these services don't solve the issue of affordability in the rental market and may lead to higher rents.

Central bankers from around the world have expressed full support for U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. This comes after President Donald Trump escalated his confrontation with the Fed by threatening criminal charges. The central bankers, including European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, emphasized the importance of central bank independence for economic stability. The dispute ostensibly centers on Powell's congressional testimony in June about renovation costs, but Trump has criticized Powell for not cutting rates faster. Economists warn that a politicized Fed could harm its credibility.

Nearly 30 years after Polly Chan moved to the Peninsula from Hong Kong, she and her husband felt they had achieved most of the American dream …

The Trump administration has agreed to resume student loan forgiveness for an estimated 2.5 million borrowers who are enrolled in certain in certain federal repayment plans following a lawsuit from the American Federation of Teachers. Under the agreement reached Friday between the teachers union and the administration, the Education Department will provide loan forgiveness for those eligible in certain repayment plans that offer lower monthly payments based on a borrower's earnings. The government had stopped providing forgiveness under those plans based on its interpretation of a different court decision.