Money Decoded

You’ve seen the headlines: the economy is "growing," yet somehow your grocery bill still feels like a small car payment and your credit card interest is screaming. If you feel like the math isn’t mathing, you aren’t alone. While the suits on Wall Street are busy high-fiving over U.S. economic growth, there is a storm brewing behind the scenes that could leave your bank account soaked if you don’t carry an umbrella. First, let’s talk about that "growth." U.S. Bank reports that the economy is still moving forward, but don't let that fool you into thinking it’s smooth sailing. Think of the economy like a marathon runner: they might still be moving, but they’re starting to wheeze, and their shoelaces are untied. Growth is slowing down, and the "vibes" are definitely off. When growth slows, companies get twitchy, and that’s usually when they start looking at their payroll as an "unnecessary expense." To make matters worse, the United Nations (UNCT...

If you’ve been following the world of fintech and credit cards, you’ve likely heard of Bread Financial (BFH) . Formerly known as Alliance Data Systems, this company is a major player in the "private label" credit card space—those are the cards you get specifically for your favorite retail stores—and the trendy "Buy Now, Pay Later" (BNPL) market. However, during a recent episode of CNBC’s Mad Money , stock market veteran Jim Cramer gave the company a bit of a cold shoulder. When asked about Bread Financial, Cramer didn’t mince words: “I just think there are cleaner ways to play every part of this story.” What Does "Cleaner Ways" Actually Mean? In the world of investing, "playing a story" means putting your money into a specific economic trend. In this case, the "story" is consumer spending and credit. When Cramer says there are "cleaner" ways to do it, he’s suggesting that while Bread Financial might benefit from people sp...