BUSINESS

Investors’ ability to trade around the clock and across the globe took another step closer on Tuesday after the London Stock Exchange said it would start a new 24-hour trading venue.

Vermont passed a new law on AI and mental health. One aspect to note is whether therapists will rubber-stamp AI. An AI Insider analysis and scoop.

It could be a direct response to U.S. steps, it could be diplomatic posturing but competition between the U.S. and China for AI supremacy is hotting up.

The sprawling Montana lodge where Kelly Clarkson’s late ex-husband moved to after they split for sale for $2.9 million—a year after the talent manager died following a battle with cancer.

This is not the second biggest lottery prize of the year so far, behind only the still active Mega Millions jackpot worth $707 million.

Choosing the right credit card has become increasingly difficult. With hundreds of options offering different rewards, fees, and eligibility requirements, consumers often struggle to identify the card that best matches their financial needs.What most consumers don’t see is how affiliate commissions can influence which cards sit at the top. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau flagged this problem in a February 2024 circular on digital steering, then launched its own unbiased comparison tool that December.The average credit card interest rate on accounts assessed interest stood at 22.15% in May 2026, according to Federal Reserve G.19 data, and total U.S. credit card debt has topped $1.2 trillion, the New York Fed revealed.As borrowing costs and consumer debt continue to rise, evaluating the fairness and transparency of credit card recommendation systems has become increasingly important.What the CFPB flagged, and later withdrew, about credit card comparison steeringThe CFPB circular examined what regulators described as “preferencing and steering” by platforms positioned between consumers and financial products.When a comparison website places one credit card above another, the positioning may reflect the affiliate commission earned per approved application rather than objective suitability. Those commissions vary across issuer affiliate programs but can be up to $200 or more per approved application, creating a direct financial incentive for comparison platforms to feature higher-paying issuers prominently.More Personal Finance:AI money advice carries risks most users overlookEstate plans for unmarried couples: Protect your partner, your wishesEstate planning for solo agers: How to protect yourself”The CFPB is working to ensure that digital advertisements for financial products are not disguised as unbiased and objective advice,” then-CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in the bureau’s Feb. 29, 2024, announcement.However, in May 2025, the CFPB, under new leadership, rescinded the circular, along with 66 other guidance documents, calling them an “unfair regulatory burden.”The bureau also retired its Explore Credit Cards comparison tool, stating it no longer had timely source data to support it. The rollback leaves consumers with fewer federal guardrails against biased rankings at a time when credit card affiliate commissions continue to climb.Credit card affiliate revenue creates a structural ranking conflictThe pattern becomes clear in the revenue disclosures of the publicly traded comparison sites.LendingTree (NASDAQ: TREE), one of the sector’s largest platforms, reported $1.12 billion in total revenue for 2025, with $253.4 million coming from its Consumer segment, which includes credit cards, personal loans, and other credit products matched to network partners.The company’s filings describe a business built on match fees and lead-generation payments from the financial institutions whose products appear on its site.The CFPB’s 2025 Consumer Credit Card Market Report, released in December, found that the average annual percentage rate on general-purpose credit cards reached 25.2% in 2024, the highest level since at least 2015.That figure, drawn from issuer disclosures for general-purpose cards specifically, sits above the Federal Reserve’s 22.30% November 2025 average, which covers all revolving accounts. When a comparison site steers a cardholder toward an issuer offering a higher affiliate commission rather than a lower annual percentage rate (APR), the resulting interest costs compound over the years.

Affiliate commissions can shape credit card rankings, potentially favoring higher-paying issuers over lower-interest options and increasing borrowers’ long-term costs.Ekaterina Demidova/Getty Images

Why the regulatory withdrawal does not erase the underlying concernThe CFPB withdrew Circular 2024-01 on May 12, 2025, as part of a sweeping rollback of 67 guidance documents under Acting Director Russell Vought, Federal Register filings showed.The underlying federal consumer protection law that the circular interpreted remains unchanged, and state attorneys general retain separate authority to pursue deceptive comparison-shopping practices under state consumer protection statutes. Many of the withdrawn documents retained their legal foundation under existing statutory frameworks, even after the guidance itself was rescinded.Americans collectively owed $1.252 trillion in credit card debt at the end of the first quarter of 2026, according to the New York Fed’s most recent Household Debt and Credit report, making the integrity of comparison tools a material consumer concern.What independence in credit card ratings actually requiresDisclosure alone does not resolve the steering problem the CFPB identified. A footer noting that a publisher “may earn a commission” tells the reader nothing about whether commission size influenced the order of the list they just read.Consumer advocates argued when the circular was first issued that the harm reaches beyond a poorly matched card recommendation and shows up directly in the interest rates cardholders pay. Adam Rust, director of Financial Services at the Consumer Federation of America, said in a Feb. 29, 2024, statement that lead-generation payments from banks to comparison sites function as “invisible hands that guide consumers into higher-priced credit cards.”Rust argued that the cost of those payments does not stay with the platforms. Banks, he said, recover the expense of advertising on digital shopping sites by charging cardholders higher interest rates, so the fee structure that decides which card appears at the top of a comparison table is ultimately paid by the person who applies for it.He pointed to the pattern the CFPB’s own research had already identified: top-10 lists on comparison sites tend to feature big-bank cards, even though credit unions and smaller banks routinely offer lower APRs to borrowers with the same credit profile.That economic critique explains why the ranking matters. A separate question is what a comparison site would have to change structurally to avoid the problem in the first place.Konstantin Ulanov, founder of the ratings platform IndexFair and co-founder of iGaming affiliate network UFFILIATES, has worked in affiliate businesses since 2008. His platform currently rates gambling operators rather than credit card issuers, but the underlying design question of where money can and cannot influence a published rating is not sector-specific. In an interview, he described the range of ways influence can enter a comparison ranking without a visible edit to the final score.Paid placement is obvious…. Less obvious forms include partner-first updates, private score previews, paid correction queues, or a commercial link that rewards the publisher when a reader chooses a specific brand.Meaningful independence, in his view, has to be defined by what commercial arrangements are prevented from touching, not by the presence of a disclosure at the bottom of a page. “Independence should describe what money is prevented from changing, not pretend that an analytical business has no commercial activity,” he said. “Disclosure is the beginning of an independence system, not the end of one.”Rust and Ulanov describe several constraints for comparison sites: publishing methodology, ring-fencing editorial from affiliate operations, disclosing paid relationships by name, and treating disclosure as a floor rather than a shield. Whether credit card comparison sites are willing to accept those constraints remains an open question the rescinded CFPB guidance would have pressed.How consumers can evaluate credit card comparison sitesThen-CFPB Director Chopra urged consumers, before relying on rankings, to examine whether comparison platforms disclose their affiliate relationships in a meaningful and accessible way.Cross-referencing comparison site recommendations against at least one card issuer’s website can help reveal whether a platform’s top picks genuinely match available options, the bureau’s guidance indicated.The formal regulatory guidance may have been withdrawn, but the financial incentive structure it described remains intact across the comparison site industry.With credit card debt at record levels and average annual percentage rates at new highs, consumers who rely on biased comparison tools risk compounding an expensive borrowing environment by choosing products that serve the platform’s revenue, rather than their own financial interests.Related: New data reveal 10 U.S. cities with worst credit card delinquency

TheStreet aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.Why we love this dealDiamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but they’re not always a friend to your wallet. As much as we think everyone deserves something that sparkles the way diamonds do, quality pieces usually become a long-waiting wishlist item that many can’t afford to splurge on. But for those who don’t want to spend years pining after a pair of diamond earrings or lusting after a truly stunning diamond bracelet, there are great sales every once in a while that give you the chance to score your sought-after pieces — and Macy’s has an amazing one going on right now. For a limited time, the Macy’s Diamond Baguette Cluster Pendant Necklace is on sale 82% off. That means you can score the dazzling piece, which usually retails for $699, for just $125. Macy’s Diamond Baguette Cluster Pendant Necklace, $125 (was $699) at Macy’s

Courtesy of Macy’s

Shop at Macy’sWhy do shoppers love it?Diamonds always make a statement, but this pendant necklace takes it to a whole new level. The sterling silver chain, which measures approximately 18 inches long, has a dangling pendant that features a cluster of diamonds in the center. The necklace has round and baguette diamonds arranged in a round, circular pattern, with an additional border of diamonds around it, which comes together and meets at the top of the charm. All together, the weight of the diamonds equals ½ carat, and they have a color rating of I-J, indicating they are nearly colorless. Although the diamonds are on the smaller side, clustered together, the necklace still catches the eye and adds a strong sparkle to any outfit it’s paired with. The pendant itself has a drop measuring ⅔ of an inch, meaning it hangs quite close to the chain with little room in between. It fastens with a spring ring clasp, which feels lightweight and is ideal for lightweight chains and more delicate jewelry pieces. It also gives it a more classic look. Related: Walmart slashed the price of its $120 birthstone earrings to just $14Since every piece of jewelry should sparkle and shine, when the necklace does get dirty or loses some of its sheen, take it to a local participating Macy’s for a free in-store jewelry cleaning. Details to knowMaterial: Sterling silver.Carat: ½. Chain Length: Approximately 18 inches.  Pendant drop: ⅔ inch. Closure: Spring ring clasp. Shoppers love the elegant design of this necklace and appreciate that it’s dainty yet still catches the eye and is noticeable to others. “This necklace exceeded my expectations,” one shopper said. Another said they get “so many compliments” on it when they wear it. It’s a great piece for a great price, and shoppers are very pleased with how it looks. Shop more deals Macy’s Gemstone and Diamond Accent Birthstone Drop Earrings, $225 at Macy’sMacy’s Diamond Cross Pendant Necklace, $100 at Macy’sQuality jewelry doesn’t have to be super expensive, and great sales like this one on the Macy’s Diamond Baguette Cluster Pendant Necklace for 82% off prove that. 

Jamie Dimon — long considered a potential candidate to be treasury secretary, and the person in charge of one of the nation’s primary dealers of Treasury securities — says he wouldn’t buy American debt.

XRP pushed higher over 24 hours and tested short-term resistance, but the larger chart still needs a clean break above the $1.24-$1.28 supply zone to confirm a stronger reversal.

The Canadian leader’s carefully worded statement stopped short of threatening retaliatory tariffs but warned that the move would raise costs for American families.