The U.S. national average for regular unleaded gasoline crossed $4 a gallon in early April 2026, the first time the country has seen that number since August 2022. AAA pegged the national average at $4.08 , about a dollar higher than a month earlier. GasBuddy recorded an 11.8 cent jump in a single week  and an 85 cent increase from a year ago. This post answers the questions clients have been asking us this week. What is causing the spike, how high could it go, and what shoul

On February 28, 2026, U.S. and Israeli forces launched joint airstrikes on Iran, triggering a conflict that has sent shockwaves through global energy markets, rattled investors, and already begun to change what everyday Americans pay at the pump and the grocery store. Here's what you need to know — and what steps you can take right now. ~20% of global oil supply transits the Strait of Hormuz — now effectively closed $110+ Brent crude per barrel since the conflict began, up fr

A flat tire on I-465 during rush hour. A surprise ER visit at IU Health. A furnace that dies the first week of January. Life in Indiana comes with the same curveballs as anywhere else, and the families who handle them best almost always have one thing in common: cash set aside before the crisis hits. If you've been meaning to start an emergency fund but haven't gotten around to it, you're in good company. A recent Bankrate survey found that more than half of Americans couldn'

Quick takeaways Hiring improved, but the labor market isn’t “hot.”  January payrolls rose +130,000  and unemployment edged down to 4.3% —a small improvement that still looks like a slow-growth  job market. [1] The big story is the revision:  2025 job gains were revised sharply lower , with total nonfarm employment change revised from +584,000 to +181,000 . That reframes the “trend” behind the headlines. [1] Wage growth remains steady:  average hourly earnings rose 0.4% month-

Volatility returned in a very modern way this week: markets weren’t just reacting to rates or inflation. They were repricing two big AI-related questions at the same time: How expensive will the AI buildout get? Who gets disrupted by AI—especially inside software and data services? The result was a sharp shakeout in parts of technology (especially software), while other areas of the market quietly held up better—classic “rotation” behavior under the surface. The week in one m

The biggest story in tech-and-space this week isn’t a new rocket launch or a new AI model—it’s the decision by Elon Musk to bring two of his most consequential private ventures under one roof. Public reporting indicates SpaceX has acquired xAI in a transaction that values SpaceX at roughly $1 trillion and xAI at roughly $250 billion—an eye-popping combined $1.25 trillion. ( Reuters ) This combination is being framed as a bet that the next wave of AI advantage won’t come only