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The average used car now costs around $26,000. Here’s how I bought a Lexus for $8,000.

The Cari Network is targeting a 2026 rollout as banks test issuance, transfers and redemption of digital deposits. Participating banks include Huntington Bancshares, First Horizon, M&T Bank, KeyCorp and Old National Bancorp.

A perfect credit score might sound like the ultimate financial goal. But a very small percentage of Americans actually have one.
According to a spokesperson for credit reporting agency Equifax, just 0.24% of U.S. adults with a credit file — roughly 2 out of every 1,000 people — have a perfect 850 credit score using the VantageScore 4.0 model. At the same time, about 53% of consumers fall within the model’s “super-prime” range of 720 to 850.
The top of most credit scoring scales, which typically range from 300 to 850, is reserved for folks with near-perfect credit habits, including years of on-time payments, low credit card balances and long, well-established credit histories. Consumers with perfect scores also tend to have an above-average number of credit cards, lower credit utilization rates and lower-than-average total debt, according to Experian, another major consumer credit reporting agency.

On average, Americans use about 28% of their available credit card limits, while people with 850 credit scores use just 4%, according to data from Experian.
Maintaining low balances matters because credit utilization accounts for roughly 30% of a FICO score — the credit scoring model used by about 90% of lenders in the U.S. — making it one of the most important factors in the credit-scoring formula. Lower utilization rates signal that a borrower isn’t heavily relying on credit, which lenders generally view as a sign of lower borrowing risk.
Perfect scorers also have no delinquent accounts on their credit reports, meaning they’ve consistently paid their bills on time. By comparison, about 4.8% of U.S. household debt is currently in some stage of delinquency, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s latest household debt and credit report.
Why you don’t need a perfect 850 credit score
Reaching the maximum credit score is rare — and financial experts say consumers don’t need to chase perfection to access the best borrowing terms.
“It is not necessary to have a perfect credit score to qualify for the best rates when you’re applying for funding, such as a personal loan, a new credit card or even a mortgage,” Leslie H. Tayne, debt expert and founder of Tayne Law Group, tells Money. “A lot of the time, if the consumer has great credit — within the 780 bracket or even higher — they’ll qualify for the best rate a lender offers.”
The average U.S. credit score is about 715, according to FICO data. Although 715 is generally considered “good” as opposed to “very good” or “exceptional,” many borrowers are already within the range lenders typically reserve for their best rates.
“If you look at the best deals by FICO score, you need a 720 to get the best deals on auto loans and 760 to get the best deals on mortgages,” says John Ulzheimer, a credit card expert formerly with FICO and Equifax.
Still, borrowers should aim to improve their credit whenever possible. A higher score can provide a buffer if your credit profile changes — for example, if you temporarily carry higher credit card balances — and help keep your score high enough so you still qualify for favorable rates.
The biggest mistakes people make when trying to improve their credit
For consumers trying to boost their credit scores, experts say the biggest improvements usually come from focusing on long-term habits, not quick fixes. Think: debt repayment, not balance transfers, Tayne says.
Another common misstep is closing older credit accounts, which can actually hurt a borrower’s scores because it may reduce available credit and increase credit utilization.
“It’s ironic in some ways that closing a credit account or even paying off a large revolving debt, like a mortgage or car, can actually hurt your score, but it’s true,” Tayne explains.
If a credit card is no longer useful to you, she says it may be better to keep the account open rather than closing it outright — especially if it doesn’t carry an annual fee.
“The benefit of keeping it open would have to outweigh that fee,” she adds. “However, having a card that you don’t use can contribute to a better debt-to-income ratio as well as your credit utilization percentage.”
Borrowers should also be wary of questionable advice online.
“Improving your credit is not a mystery,” says Ulzheimer. “When I was at FICO, we would tell people the same thing until we were blue in the face: Make your payments on time, stay out of excessive credit card debt and apply for credit sparingly. Lather, rinse, repeat.”

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For Americans considering retirement abroad without leaving the U.S. financial system, Puerto Rico often appears near the top of the list.The Caribbean island offers tropical weather, a vibrant culture and the familiarity of a U.S. territory. But while Puerto Rico is sometimes described as a tax haven, the reality for retirees is more complicated.In fact, relocating to Puerto Rico often means navigating two tax systems, understanding investment implications and evaluating whether tax incentives truly apply to retirees.That’s according to Daniel Gonzalez-Maisonet, CPA/PFS, managing partner at Fulcro Financial in San Juan, who discussed the issue in a recent interview.Below is a transcript of that interview, edited for clarity and brevity.Robert Powell: Do you have designs on retiring to Puerto Rico? Here to talk with me about that is Daniel Gonzalez-Maisonet, CPA, PFS, managing partner, financial planner and wealth manager at Fulcro Financial in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Daniel, welcome.Daniel Gonzalez-Maisonet: Thank you, Robert, for having me.Robert Powell: It’s a pleasure. Let’s start with this. Why do you think Puerto Rico is an attractive place to retire?Why Puerto Rico appeals to retireesDaniel Gonzalez-Maisonet: People considering retirement may be attracted by the idea of relocating to a place that is both a U.S. territory and part of the Caribbean. It offers a mix of familiarity and a new lifestyle, which can be appealing for many retirees.Is Puerto Rico a tax haven?Robert Powell: Sometimes people regard Puerto Rico as a tax haven. What does that mean?Daniel Gonzalez-Maisonet: I have some reservations about that description. In the traditional offshore sense, Puerto Rico is not really a tax haven. The island operates under a dual tax framework between the U.S. and Puerto Rico, which creates complexity.Puerto Rico has been working to attract business owners and investors by offering more tax-efficient structures. But those benefits come with economic trade-offs. Individuals relocating to Puerto Rico must understand the compliance requirements that exist under both the Puerto Rico tax code and the U.S. tax code.Understanding income taxes for retireesRobert Powell: Let’s talk about what retirees need to know about income taxes in Puerto Rico.Daniel Gonzalez-Maisonet: If someone from the U.S. mainland relocates to Puerto Rico, they may find themselves dealing with two tax jurisdictions.For example, a retiree who still has income sources tied to the U.S. could end up filing U.S. tax returns while also taking credits in Puerto Rico. That duality is one of the first issues to understand.Another important consideration involves investment portfolios. Assets held by retirees may be treated differently depending on whether they are considered located in the United States under the Internal Revenue Code.Portfolio management becomes especially important because the earnings generated from those assets – dividends, interest and capital gains – can have tax consequences. Retirees need to understand those consequences and plan accordingly.

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Potential downsides of Puerto Rico’s tax advantagesRobert Powell: What are some of the downsides to Puerto Rico’s tax advantages?Daniel Gonzalez-Maisonet: Tax incentives can change over time. For instance, if federal tax changes make it more tax-efficient for U.S. residents to remain on the mainland, the difference between Puerto Rico and the mainland may narrow.Because of that, taxation alone should not be the main driver for relocating. In our professional framework, we don’t recommend making a life decision like retirement relocation solely because of taxes.Taxes are one factor, but retirement decisions should consider a broader range of financial and personal factors.What retirees should know about Act 60Robert Powell: Puerto Rico has something called Act 60 that retirees should know about.Daniel Gonzalez-Maisonet: Yes. Act 60is a policy designed to attract investors and business owners to Puerto Rico.It typically offers a flat tax rate of about 4% for qualifying business activities, along with exemptions on certain Puerto Rico-sourced capital gains.However, it’s important to understand that Act 60 is generally aimed at people who relocate to Puerto Rico to operate a business or investment activity. It typically requires becoming a Puerto Rico resident and may include requirements such as hiring local employees.Because of those requirements, Act 60 may not apply to someone who simply retires and does not plan to work or operate a business.Anyone considering applying for a tax decree should consult with a qualified tax or legal adviser to understand the requirements.Property taxes and housing considerationsRobert Powell: We often look at the total tax burden, including property taxes. What should retirees know about property taxes in Puerto Rico?Daniel Gonzalez-Maisonet: Property taxes can be relatively manageable compared with many parts of the mainland United States.If you relocate to Puerto Rico and your home becomes your primary residence, it can often qualify for a property tax exemption.Another factor to understand is that Puerto Rico’s property tax system is based on older valuation assessments. Policymakers have discussed the possibility of reforms, but nothing has been finalized yet.Income and estate tax considerationsRobert Powell: Retirees are often interested in income and estate tax exemptions. What should they know?Daniel Gonzalez-Maisonet: If someone does not have a tax decree under programs such as Act 60, they will likely still be dealing with the dual U.S.–Puerto Rico tax framework.For example, a Puerto Rico resident who is a U.S. citizen and whose only income sources are Social Security and income from a Puerto Rico-qualified retirement plan may find those sources potentially tax-free.However, once other income sources are added – such as distributions from U.S. retirement accounts or investment portfolios – the situation becomes more complicated.As we often say, income sources can “contaminate” certain areas of the tax code, meaning that different types of income interact across both jurisdictions.Why professional advice is criticalRobert Powell: Given those complexities, it seems especially important to work with a professional familiar with both tax systems.Daniel Gonzalez-Maisonet: Absolutely. Ideally, someone should work with a CPA who is also a financial planner.Before making a decision to relocate, retirees should conduct a planning exercise that evaluates their income sources, financial situation and family structure.That process can involve running hypothetical scenarios to determine whether relocating makes sense financially before engaging legal or tax advisers to finalize the move.Who benefits most from relocating to Puerto Rico?Robert Powell: Is there a particular type of person who benefits most from relocating?Daniel Gonzalez-Maisonet: Higher-income individuals may see the most benefit.For example, someone living in high-tax states such as New York or California may still face relatively high tax burdens on the mainland. For those individuals, Puerto Rico could offer greater tax efficiency.For average earners, however, taxes alone may not provide a significant advantage. Instead, the decision may hinge on other factors such as lifestyle, cost of living and personal preferences.Lifestyle and quality of lifeRobert Powell: We’ve focused on the financial aspects, but Puerto Rico also offers a tropical climate, vibrant culture and great food.Daniel Gonzalez-Maisonet: Exactly. Taxation should not necessarily be the primary reason someone chooses Puerto Rico.Depending on personal circumstances, relocating could make sense for lifestyle reasons. The role of advisers is to help determine whether the move also makes sense financially.Confidence in Puerto Rico’s financial systemDaniel Gonzalez-Maisonet: One final point I’d like to emphasize is that Puerto Rico’s financial system operates under the same regulatory umbrella as the U.S. mainland, including institutions overseen by agencies such as the FDIC, SIPC and the Securities and Exchange Commission.For retirees who are relocating with their life savings, it’s important to know that their wealth is being managed within a stable and well-regulated financial system.Closing remarksRobert Powell: Daniel, thank you for sharing your knowledge. My guest has been Daniel Gonzalez-Maisonet, CPA, PFS, managing partner at Fulcro Financial in San Juan and a member of the American Institute of CPAs’ PFP Champions Task Force.

Linkin Park celebrates a career milestone — again — as Papercuts (Singles Collection 2000–2023) reaches 100 weeks on the Official Albums chart.

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Most college students spend their summers fetching coffee and sitting in on meetings they were not invited to. Palantir (PLTR) has a different idea.The data analytics company just posted openings for its Forward Deployed Software Engineer internship program, offering $10,000 a month to students still working toward their degrees. That works out to $120,000 annualized, a figure that rivals what many full-time engineers earn at smaller tech firms.The postings, shared on Palantir’s X account and its careers page, are aimed at students planning to graduate in 2026 and looking for their final internship before entering the workforce full-time.What the Palantir student internship actually involvesThe Forward Deployed Software Engineer, or FDSE, is one of Palantir’s most distinctive positions. Unlike a traditional intern who works on internal side projects, FDSEs work directly with customers to solve live operational problems.According to the job posting, interns in this role will own end-to-end execution of high-stakes projects with minimal supervision. They may spend one morning discussing software architecture with engineers and the next speaking directly with a customer contact or wrangling large-scale datasets.More Palantir Palantir CEO delivers curt 8-word message to investorsPalantir drops  immigration enforcement bombshellPopular analyst reveals 9 ‘buy the dip’ tech stocksThe work spans Palantir’s two flagship platforms. Gotham serves defense and intelligence agencies, helping them plan operations and process real-time data. Foundry is the enterprise version, used by companies in health care, finance, and energy to build AI-driven data pipelines. Interns will be contributing to both.What type of interns is Palantir looking for?Planning to graduate in 2026, with this as the student’s final internshipBackground in computer science, mathematics, software engineering, physics, or data scienceProficiency in Python, Java, C++, TypeScript, or similar languagesWillingness to travel 25 to 50 percent of the timeAbility to work independently and solve technical problems creativelyWhy Palantir is paying interns this muchThe $10,000 monthly figure is not a mistake or a marketing gimmick. It reflects where Palantir sits in the AI talent market right now.The company has been expanding aggressively. It has struck major partnerships with defense contractors, energy firms, and government agencies in recent months, and it needs engineers who can hit the ground running. Paying internship wages that match full-time salaries at other companies is one way to pull top students away from Google, Meta, and Wall Street trading firms before they ever sign an offer letter somewhere else.There is also a pipeline logic at play. Palantir has historically converted a high share of its interns into full-time hires. By bringing students in before graduation and immersing them in real customer deployments, the company gets workers who already understand its platforms and culture on day one of their full-time role.

Palantir’s Forward Deployed Engineer internship is a rare and competitive opportunity.COFFRINI /Getty Images

The job-market backdrop makes Palantir’s internship land differentlyThe timing of Palantir’s intern opportunity matters. The job market for recent college graduates has gotten noticeably harder over the past two years.The unemployment rate for recent college graduates climbed to 5.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025, up from 5.3 percent the prior quarter, according to the New York Federal Reserve. The underemployment rate hit 42.5 percent, its highest level since 2020.Tech hiring has been one of the biggest contributors to that squeeze. Big Tech firms reduced entry-level offers significantly over the past two years as AI tools started handling tasks that previously required junior engineers. For a student graduating in 2026, Palantir’s offer represents exactly the kind of opening that has become increasingly rare.Internship locations and how to applyThe internship is based in New York and Washington, D.C., with the defense-focused track available in Washington. Palantir notes that most roles are on-site, consistent with the company’s strong preference for in-person work, though some hybrid options exist, depending on the team.Applications are rolling, and Palantir is known for moving quickly. The company asks candidates to commit to a decision within two weeks of receiving a written offer. Students interested in applying can find the posting directly on Palantir’s careers page.The interview process is notoriously rigorous, focusing on real problem-solving rather than academic credentials. Palantir has long said it hires for ability to think under pressure, not pedigree.Related: Analysts revamp Palantir stock rating