S&P 500 7,413.18 ↑ 0.02%Dow Jones 52,210.08 ↑ 0.51%Nasdaq 24,932.08 ↓ 0.18%BTC $64,829 ↑ 0.3%ETH $1,938 ↑ 1.3%EUR/USD 1.1389Inflation 3.5% YoYLive market dataS&P 500 7,413.18 ↑ 0.02%Dow Jones 52,210.08 ↑ 0.51%Nasdaq 24,932.08 ↓ 0.18%BTC $64,829 ↑ 0.3%ETH $1,938 ↑ 1.3%EUR/USD 1.1389Inflation 3.5% YoYLive market data
S&P 500
7,413.18
+0.02%
Dow Jones
52,210.08
+0.51%
Nasdaq
24,932.08
-0.18%
Bitcoin
$64,829
+0.3%
EUR/USD
1.1389
Live FX
Inflation YoY
3.5%
CPI
519Money guides
45Free calculators
11Data rankings
DailyBig Story desk
The Big Story · Updated daily

Companies Are Spending Record Billions Buying Their Own Stock Instead of Paying You. Here Is Why That Can Still Make You Richer.

By Timothy E. Parker · Founder & Editor-in-Chief

American companies just spent around a trillion dollars in a single year buying back their own shares, and this week another giant's stock jumped 7 percent the moment it announced a buyback. It sounds like a company spending money on itself. Here is the plain-English reason it can quietly grow your wealth, and the honest catch to watch for.

Read the full breakdown
Best picks

Money products ranked with the fine print visible.

Independent comparisons of savings, cards, loans, and brokerages. Rates dated. Methodology public. Commissions never buy a higher rank.

Explore all Best Picks
How we review · Educational publisher, not a bank or advisor
Today's money desk

Featured guides

Deep, plain-spoken explainers on the money questions readers ask most. Real numbers, clear charts, and no hype.

Money Guides
How to Budget for a Divorce Without Losing Your Footing
Featured guide

How to Budget for a Divorce Without Losing Your Footing

Divorce is expensive in ways nobody warns you about, from legal bills to the shock of running two households on one income. Here is a compassionate, practical playbook for budgeting through it in 2026.

Read guide
Fresh from the money desk

The latest money guides

New explainers across every category, with real numbers and clear charts.

All 519 guides
Goodwill Letters: How to Remove a Late Payment
Credit & Debt

Goodwill Letters: How to Remove a Late Payment

A goodwill letter asks a creditor to voluntarily erase a late payment that is accurate but out of character. Here is how it really works, when it does not, and exactly what to write in 2026.
What Is a Mutual Fund? A Beginner's Guide
Investing

What Is a Mutual Fund? A Beginner's Guide

A mutual fund pools your money with thousands of other investors to buy a basket of stocks or bonds in one purchase. Here is how they really work in 2026, what the fees quietly cost you, and how to pick a good one.
What Is Slippage in Crypto? A Plain-English Guide
Crypto

What Is Slippage in Crypto? A Plain-English Guide

You clicked buy at one price and the trade filled at another. That gap is slippage, and it quietly costs traders real money every day. Here is exactly why it happens and how to keep it small.
Companies Are Spending Record Billions Buying Their Own Stock Instead of Paying You. Here Is Why That Can Still Make You Richer.
Investing

Companies Are Spending Record Billions Buying Their Own Stock Instead of Paying You. Here Is Why That Can Still Make You Richer.

American companies just spent around a trillion dollars in a single year buying back their own shares, and this week another giant's stock jumped 7 percent the moment it announced a buyback. It sounds like a company spending money on itself. Here is the plain-English reason it can quietly grow your wealth, and the honest catch to watch for.
What Are TIPS? Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities Explained
Investing

What Are TIPS? Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities Explained

TIPS are U.S. Treasury bonds whose value rises with inflation. Here is exactly how the principal adjusts, how the tax quirk works, and who they actually fit.
What Is a Cash Balance Plan? A Clear Guide for 2026
Retirement

What Is a Cash Balance Plan? A Clear Guide for 2026

A cash balance plan is a pension that looks and feels like a big 401(k), and for the right high earner it can shelter far more than any 401(k) allows. Here is how it actually works.
What Is a Multisig Crypto Wallet? A Plain-English Guide
Crypto

What Is a Multisig Crypto Wallet? A Plain-English Guide

A multisig wallet asks two or more keys to approve a spend instead of one. Here is how that quietly removes the single scariest risk in crypto: losing everything to one mistake.
What Is Wage Garnishment and How to Stop It
Credit & Debt

What Is Wage Garnishment and How to Stop It

A garnishment order can pull money straight from your paycheck before it ever hits your bank. Here is how the process works, what the law limits, and the real steps you can take to reduce or stop it.
How to Budget for Your First Apartment
Budgeting

How to Budget for Your First Apartment

A clear, honest walkthrough of what your first apartment really costs, from the move-in check to the monthly bills nobody warns you about, plus a budget you can actually live on.
How to Save Money on Lawn Care and Landscaping
Save Money

How to Save Money on Lawn Care and Landscaping

A neighbor-friendly guide to a good-looking yard for less, from smart mowing and cheap fertilizer to watering tricks and low-maintenance landscaping that pays you back for years.
How to Start a Resume Writing Business From Home
Make Money

How to Start a Resume Writing Business From Home

A plain-spoken, 2026-ready roadmap for turning strong writing skills into a home-based resume service, with honest pricing, first-client tactics, and realistic income math.
How to Stop Payment on a Check: A Step-by-Step Guide
Banking & Rates

How to Stop Payment on a Check: A Step-by-Step Guide

A stop payment order can catch a check before it clears, but the timing and the fine print matter. Here is exactly how to place one, what it costs, and when it will not work.
Browse all 519 money guides
Money Power Rankings

Data worth putting on the front page.

States and metros ranked only on public, cited datasets: jobs, housing, taxes, paychecks, migration, and more. Methodology open. CSV downloadable. Scores never invent missing numbers.

Explore rankings
#1JobsData-only rankings
#2HousingAffordability and costs
#3TaxesBurden and take-home pay
#4MigrationWhere money moves
Live

The market right now

These charts update themselves. Bookmark the page. Then pair the move with a calculator.

Data API
Why readers stay

Built to help, not to hype.

A serious money site: classroom honesty, calculator speed, daily desk energy.

About us
Show the mathEvery important claim ties to a chart, a calculator, or a primary source you can open.
Plain EnglishIf a tenth grader cannot follow it, we rewrite it. No jargon wall.
Tools stay free45 calculators run in your browser. No signup. Inputs never leave your device.
Honest moneyAffiliate links disclosed. Rankings not for sale. Corrections public and fast.
Brain break

Sharpen your money mind with a Parker puzzle

Original games by Timothy E. Parker, Guinness World Records Puzzle Master. Full library on site — play without leaving.

All games

World Crossword Tournament

Championship crosswords from the Puzzle Master, rewritten fresh with a single-grid flip.

Sudoku Grand Master

Every puzzle verified to a single solution, graded Easy to Grand Master.

SumCruncher

Crunch 24 numbers into targets. Fast mental math with a live score.

5 Words

Five words, one theme. A quick daily vocabulary workout.

Classic Word Search

Hunt hidden words on a clean, timed grid built for a sharp eye.

Family Time Crosswords

Crosswords the whole household can solve together.

Come back tomorrow

Daily hooks that compound

Serious money sites earn return visits. These five rituals take minutes and build a streak.

Why return?
List growth incentive

Join free — unlock the full printable library path

Subscribe once. Get the Letter plus a clear path to the Money Calendar, debt sheet, raise script, and more. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Indexed answers

100+ money questions, one navigable FAQ

Built for readers and search engines — jump links, live filter, FAQ schema.

Open the Money FAQ

The Flourish Letter

One useful money idea every Friday, with the interactive chart so you can check the math. Free. Welcome path: free printable toolkit (calendar, debt sheet, raise script, and more).