T he average credit-card APR is around 21%. That is not 10%. Donald Trump promised a hard cap on credit-card interest rates at 10%, effective 10 days after inauguration, threatening legal action against any issuer that failed to comply. He has no authority to do that. The rates remain high.
Trump also claimed prescriptions would be 1,500% cheaper — a mathematical impossibility — and that the U.S. now pays the lowest drug prices in the world. In reality, median prices for hundreds of brand-name drugs have risen 4% since he took office.
Related Brief 2d ago
consumer price index Trump's Price Relief Promises Result in No Measurable Change
Regular gasoline now exceeds $4 per gallon, more than double the promised price of under $2. Food-at-home prices are up 2.4%, and the median price for hundreds of brand-name drugs has risen 4%. The average credit-card APR remains near 21%, more than double the 10% cap called for on January 10. Taxpayers have received zero dollars from proposed $5,000 DOGE checks and zero dollars from tariff dividend checks. These outcomes follow an 'Emergency Price Relief' Fact Sheet issued two days into office. The current inflation rate is 2.4%.
He said he was “considering” sending $5,000 checks to taxpayers from savings identified by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. No such checks have been issued.
Related Brief 1d ago
trade policy Tariffs are eroding Social Security raises for retirees
Nearly 1 in 3 retirees are cutting essential expenses like groceries to offset annual household costs that have risen by $450 to $600. This increase is the result of President Donald Trump's tariffs on imported goods, which require businesses to pay a tax at the border. Those businesses then pass the costs to consumers through higher prices. For retirees on fixed incomes, these costs are drawn directly from grocery budgets, eroding the value of the $56 monthly increase in Social Security retirement benefits for 2026.
He proposed distributing tariff revenue as dividend checks to Americans. None have been sent.
Related Brief 1d ago
inflation Inflation accelerates as gas prices bite, erasing gains from lower core readings
Headline inflation rose 3.3% year-over-year in March 2026, the largest increase since 2022, driven by a 0.9% monthly jump in prices — a sharp acceleration from earlier in the year. Gas prices were the primary culprit, reversing months of disinflation and erasing hope that the Fed was regaining control. The surge came even as core inflation, which strips out volatile food and energy costs, rose just 0.2% monthly and 2.6% annually — a sign underlying pressures remain relatively muted. But the Federal Reserve’s preferred gauge, the PCE index, showed a 0.4% monthly increase, with core PCE inflation still at 3%, well above the central bank’s 2% target. Oil prices had spiked earlier in the week amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and Iran, with crude surging before a last-minute two-week ceasefire agreement defused the immediate threat. Still, the episode amplified inflation risks just as consumers were adjusting to higher prices. According to the New York Fed’s Survey of Consumer Expectations, households now anticipate 3.4% inflation over the next 12 months, up from 3.0% in February. That rising expectation makes it harder for the Fed to cut rates, locking borrowers into higher mortgage, auto, and credit card costs for longer. The result is a direct hit to household budgets: more money spent at the pump, less available for discretionary spending, and no reprieve in sight from cheaper credit. Households face higher costs for fuel, credit, and essential goods, with relief unlikely before mid-2026.
He promised gas prices under $2 a gallon. The national average is over $4.
Related Brief Just now
geopolitics Failed US-Iran talks raise crude prices and erode Federal Reserve rate-cut odds
Cyclicals and financials in the Dow Jones Index face pressure as the odds of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut fade. This shift follows a rise in crude oil prices driven by Iran's statement that it will continue managing the Strait of Hormuz. The volatility stems from the first round of talks between the US and Iran in Pakistan, which ended without a concrete agreement after Iranians refused to accept US terms. Sticky inflation supports the hawkish outlook, with US consumer inflation jumping to 3.3% in March, moving further from the Federal Reserve's 2.0% target.
He claimed a vote for him would make groceries cheaper. The consumer price index for “food at home” has risen 2.4% since his return.
Related Brief Just now
social security Gas Price Surges May Inflate 2027 Social Security Raises Beyond 2026 Levels
Social Security recipients may receive a benefit increase in 2027 that exceeds the 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) received at the start of 2026. This potential raise stems from a surge in gas and fuel prices following the Iran conflict. Because Social Security COLAs are tied directly to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), higher fuel costs drive up the index and the resulting adjustment. Retirees typically spend less on gas than workers do. Recipients may receive a larger benefit increase without paying the full cost of the commodity driving the raise.
Inflation was 3% when Joe Biden left office. It is now 2.4%.
Related Brief 1h ago
monetary policy Polymarket Data Suggests Prolonged Interest Rate Pause Limits XRP Upside
Expectations for rapid price appreciation in XRP may need to be reassessed. The lack of aggressive monetary easing reduces liquidity conditions that typically support digital asset price increases. This outlook is driven by Federal Reserve projections showing a prolonged period of policy stability rather than a shift toward stimulus-driven conditions. Polymarket data shows a 98 percent likelihood of a rate pause from January through April, an 88 percent probability of no rate change in June, and an 80 percent probability in July. The Federal Reserve is avoiding premature rate cuts due to inflation and geopolitical risks. Conflict in the Middle East could keep oil prices above $100 per barrel, which would intensify inflationary pressures on consumer costs. The Federal Reserve maintains this policy pause to prevent these inflationary outcomes.
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