Good Morning. Whether it's your paycheck, your pump price or your retirement check, the costs you didn't plan for have a way of arriving all at once. The details are different — the impact on your wallet isn't.
On The Money Today:
Meta posted record profits and still handed out 8,000 pink slips
Crude oil theft in Texas is costing drivers more than they realize
A bigger Social Security check is coming in 2027 and the reason behind it matters
Let's get into it.
Meta made $26.8 billion in profit in the first three months of 2026. Days later, it began laying off 10% of its workforce. Morale is so low that some employees are openly hoping to be among the cuts just to collect the severance. What's driving the discontent goes deeper than pink slips — and if you work at any large company, you'll want to know what Meta just quietly rolled out on every employee's laptop.
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Thieves in West Texas aren't just draining tanks anymore. They're cloning oilfield service trucks, laundering stolen crude through brokers and tapping directly into pressurized pipelines. One attempt last year sparked an explosion that burned for several days. The Permian Basin produces nearly half of America's domestic oil — and when theft drives up operating costs, that bill doesn't stay in Texas.
A bigger Social Security payment is coming, and it's being called the "Trump Bump." Early projections put the 2027 cost-of-living adjustment at 3.2% to 3.3% — nearly double what analysts expected before the Iran war. That sounds like a win until you look at what's driving it. Gas is up 50% since March. Monthly inflation tripled. The raise is real, but so is the question of whether it's enough to actually keep up.
ALSO MAKING THE ROUNDS TODAY
NEWS: A man carried $44,000 through Philadelphia airport and walked away with only $240. What you need to know before traveling with cash
STOCKS: Wall Street says five stocks now drive half the S&P 500's gains, and analysts are starting to use the word "casino" to describe what's happening
NEWS: Mel Robbins told her followers to upload their bank statements to an AI tool, here's what the backlash got right
EMPLOYMENT: Cam Newton made $6 million a year in the NFL and says he still can't provide for his 8 kids the way he used to and the lessons apply whether you made millions or not
HAVE YOUR SAY
Will a bigger Social Security check actually make a difference for you?
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See you soon with another quick roundup of the financial news that matters.
