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You walk into your bank, ask about CD rates, and the teller slides a sheet across the counter with two or three options. You pick one, sign the paperwork, and that’s it. Your money is locked up for six months or a year, earning whatever rate that one institution offers you.Most people never question this process. But Schwab’s latest research makes a compelling case that you might be leaving money on the table by limiting yourself to the CD menu at a single bank.If you’ve been parking cash in bank CDs without ever considering what’s available through a major alternative, you could be missing out on better yields, broader insurance protection, and a level of flexibility that bank CDs simply don’t provide.Brokered CDs open the door to rates your bank won’t show youThe core difference is simple. A bank CD comes from one institution. A brokered CD comes through a brokerage firm that aggregates CD offerings from dozens, sometimes hundreds, of FDIC-insured banks across the country. According to Schwab, this wider selection gives you access to a broader range of maturities, yields, and structures than any single bank can provide.Think about it this way. Your local bank might offer a 12-month CD at 3.5% APY. But through a brokerage platform like Schwab CD OneSource, you could compare 12-month CDs from dozens of issuing banks and potentially find one paying 4.0% or higher. As of mid-March 2026, the best CD rates available range from approximately 3.50% to 4.30% APY, depending on term length, according to NerdWallet’s CD rate tracker.You also get maturity options your bank probably doesn’t offerBrokered CDs are available in terms ranging from one month to 30 years, according to Schwab. Most traditional bank CDs top out at five years. If you want a short-term, three-month CD or a longer-duration option to lock in today’s rates for a decade, a brokerage account makes that possible. And you can hold all of these CDs alongside your stocks, bonds, and other investments in the same account.How brokered CDs expand your FDIC protection beyond $250,000The FDIC insures deposits up to $250,000 per depositor, per insured bank, for each account ownership category. That limit has been in place since 2010, and it covers both principal and accrued interest. If you have $300,000 in CDs at a single bank under a single ownership category, $50,000 of that sits uninsured.Brokered CDs solve this problem without requiring you to physically open accounts at multiple banks. When you buy brokered CDs from different issuing banks through your brokerage account, each CD is covered up to $250,000 by the issuing bank’s FDIC insurance. According to the FDIC, deposits at separate FDIC-insured institutions are insured independently.More Personal Finance:Why selling a home to your child for a dollar can backfireElon Musk says ‘universal high income’ is comingFTC, 21 states sue Uber over ‘shady’ subscription billingThat means you could hold $250,000 in CDs from Bank A, another $250,000 from Bank B, and $250,000 from Bank C, all sitting in one brokerage account, and each amount would be fully insured. For savers with larger cash positions, this is a significant advantage over parking everything at a single bank.Brokered CDs make building a CD ladder far easierA CD ladder is a strategy where you split your cash across multiple CDs with staggered maturity dates. So, instead of locking all your money into one 3-year CD, you spread it across 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year CDs so that a portion of your money matures every year. This gives you regular access to cash while still capturing higher yields on longer-term CDs.According to Schwab, a single brokerage firm will generally offer a wide enough range of maturity dates to build a one-, two-, or five-year ladder that meets your investment goals. Doing the same thing with bank CDs would mean visiting multiple individual banks, filling out separate paperwork at each one, and managing multiple statements.A practical CD ladder exampleHere’s how a basic 3-year CD ladder might work with $30,000:$10,000 in a 1-year brokered CD$10,000 in a 2-year brokered CD$10,000 in a 3-year brokered CDWhen the 1-year CD matures, you reinvest it into a new 3-year CD. A year later, the original 2-year CD matures, and you do the same. Over time, you always have a CD maturing annually, and your entire ladder earns the higher rates that longer-term CDs tend to offer. Through a brokerage, you can build and manage this entire structure in one account.The trade-offs you need to understand before buying brokered CDsBrokered CDs are not a straight upgrade over bank CDs. They come with specific risks that Schwab outlines clearly, and if you don’t understand them before buying, you could end up worse off.Selling early could mean losing moneyUnlike bank CDs, most brokered CDs don’t charge early withdrawal penalties. Instead, if you need your money before maturity, you sell the CD on the secondary market. The price you get depends on current interest rates. If rates have risen since you bought your CD, your lower-yielding CD will be worth less than what you paid for it. If rates have fallen, you could sell at a profit. But there’s no guarantee of either outcome, and there’s no guarantee a buyer will be available at the price you want.Callable CDs can cut your returns shortSome brokered CDs are callable, meaning the issuing bank can redeem the CD before its maturity date. Schwab notes that this typically happens when interest rates decline. The bank calls back your higher-rate CD, returns your principal and earned interest, and you’re left to reinvest at whatever lower rates are available. Before buying any brokered CD, you should check whether it’s callable or non-callable.Brokered CDs pay simple interest, not compound interestHere’s a detail that often gets overlooked. Bank CDs typically compound interest daily or monthly, meaning your interest earns interest over the term. Brokered CDs, on the other hand, generally pay simple interest. According to an E*TRADE’s comparison of bank and brokered CDs, interest from a brokered CD is deposited into your cash account rather than reinvested into the CD itself. On smaller amounts or over shorter terms, the difference is minimal, but over longer periods and with larger balances, compound interest adds up.Brokered CDs make the most sense for these types of saversNot everyone needs to switch from bank CDs to brokered CDs. If you have a small amount to park for a short period and your bank offers a competitive rate, a traditional CD may be perfectly fine. But for certain types of savers, brokered CDs fill gaps that bank CDs cannot.Scenarios where brokered CDs are worth exploringYou have more than $250,000 in cash savings: Spreading your CDs across multiple issuing banks through a brokerage account gives you FDIC coverage on each CD without the hassle of managing separate bank relationships.You want to build a CD ladder: The variety of maturities available through a brokerage makes laddering straightforward. You can manage a 5-year ladder from a single account.You already have a brokerage account: If you hold investments at Schwab, Fidelity, or Vanguard, you can add brokered CDs alongside your stocks and bonds without opening a new account.Your bank’s CD rates are below average: Major brick-and-mortar banks often offer lower CD rates than online banks and brokered options. If your bank is paying 2.5% on a 1-year CD while brokered CDs are paying closer to 4%, the difference on a $50,000 deposit is $750 in a single year.What brokered CDs cost and how fees compare to bank CDsBank CDs are generally free to open. You deposit your money, earn the stated rate, and pay nothing unless you withdraw early. Brokered CDs can be different. Some brokerages charge a commission or fold a markup into the CD’s yield. Others, like Schwab, receive a placement fee from the issuing bank, which means you may not see a separate charge but the yield you receive could already reflect that cost.According to Schwab, higher transaction costs for a brokered CD may reflect the potential benefits of a wider and more diverse offering. A brokerage may aggregate and vet CD options, provide access to multiple banks, shop for competitive rates, and assist with renewals. Still, you should always compare the net yield you’re actually earning (after any fees) to what’s available from a direct bank CD or high-yield savings account.Why the rate environment in 2026 makes this decision more urgentThe Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate three times in 2025, and CD rates have been falling in response. According to Bankrate’s 2026 CD rate forecast, yields are likely to keep declining this year. The best available rates as of March 2026 sit in the 3.50% to 4.30% range, but those numbers are expected to drift lower as the year progresses.That’s why it’s now a particularly important time to compare your options. If you lock in a competitive CD rate today through a brokered CD, you protect that yield, even if rates fall further over the next 12 to 24 months. Waiting could mean settling for a lower rate later.The practical next stepBefore committing to any CD, compare the rate your bank offers against what’s available through at least one brokerage. Look at:The APY on comparable terms (same maturity, same deposit size)Whether the brokered CD is callable or non-callableAny transaction fees or commissions the brokerage chargesWhether the CD pays simple or compound interestYour total FDIC exposure at each issuing bankIf you already have a brokerage account, checking brokered CD rates takes five minutes. If you don’t, platforms including Schwab CD OneSource, Fidelity, and Vanguard all offer broker CD marketplaces where you can compare rates from multiple banks in one place.Your bank’s CD is convenient, but convenience has a costThere is nothing wrong with a bank CD. It’s simple, predictable, and FDIC insured. But if you’re choosing a bank CD because it’s the only option you’ve ever been shown, you’re making a decision based on limited information. Schwab’s comparison of brokered and bank CDs shows that a wider market of options exists, and for many savers. Those options could mean better rates, stronger insurance coverage, and more control over how and when your money matures.The rate environment in 2026 makes this comparison even more relevant. With CD yields expected to keep falling, the sooner you shop around, the better rate you can lock in.Related: What falling interest rates mean for investing in bonds, CDs

Gold investors are heading into one of the most important weeks of the year. The Federal Reserve meets March 17 and 18. What Chair Jerome Powell says next Wednesday could move bullion sharply in either direction.Spot gold was struggling to hold the $5,050 level Friday, March 13. It is down more than 1% on the week as a stronger dollar weighs on the metal.This is not a routine Fed meeting. Oil is above $100. The February jobs report badly missed expectations. Core inflation is still running sticky at 2.5%. It is also Powell’s second-to-last meeting before his term expires in May. The dot plot update released Wednesday will be read very carefully.What is actually at stake for goldGold’s relationship with the Fed is simple in theory. When the central bank cuts rates, real yields fall, the dollar weakens, and gold rises. When the Fed holds or signals higher for longer, the opposite happens.The problem right now is that the data are pulling in two directions. Oil above $100 argues for the Fed staying put. But February’s jobs report showed the economy shedding 92,000 positions, with unemployment ticking up to 4.4%. That argues for easing.More Gold:Gold, silver surge after record drop flashes technical signalSilver and gold tumble triggers major reset for mining stocksJ.P. Morgan revises gold price target for 2026J.P. Morgan analysts describe the current setup as “geopolitical fear clashing with a resurgent dollar.” It is a rare scenario that makes predicting gold’s near-term direction genuinely difficult.Here’s where analysts broadly agree: Powell’s language matters as much as the rate decision itself. Words like “transitory” versus “persistent” when describing the oil shock could move gold by hundreds of dollars in a single session.The hawkish scenario: gold under pressureThe base case on Wall Street is that the Fed holds rates at 3.5 to 3.75 percent on Wednesday, March 18. The dot plot will likely signal fewer cuts than previously projected.Goldman Sachs has already pushed its first rate cut call back to September. Rate-cut expectations for 2026 have collapsed from where they stood just weeks ago. Before the Iran war began, markets were pricing in a June cut at near certainty. That confidence is now gone.If Powell stresses that energy costs complicate the inflation picture, real yields would likely climb and the dollar would strengthen. That combination historically pressures gold. The metal already fell sharply from its all-time high of $5,595 set in January. A hawkish Powell could accelerate that correction.The World Gold Council notes that during past oil-driven inflation shocks where the Fed held rates, gold dropped an average of 12% over the following six months. That would put the metal near the $4,400 range if history repeats.The dovish scenario: a fresh rallyThere is another path. If Powell acknowledges the weakening labor market and signals the Fed still expects to cut later this year, gold could bounce quickly. The jobs data give him room to do that. Losing 92,000 positions in a single month is not the kind of number a central bank can dismiss easily.Global gold ETFs posted a record $19 billion in inflows in January 2026 alone, Gold.org notes. Even on the market’s largest single-day decline in years, leading U.S. gold ETFs did not see outflows. Institutional demand remains structurally strong.

Global gold ETFs posted a record $19 billion in inflows in January 2026.Gottgens/Bloomberg via Getty Images

A dovish surprise from Powell could push gold back toward the $5,400 range. J.P. Morgan maintains a year-end target of $6,300 per ounce. Goldman Sachs projects $5,400. Both calls assume the Fed eventually resumes cutting.What could move gold either way this weekBeyond the rate decision itself, several things will shape how gold trades through the week.Key events gold investors should watchThe dot plot: A shift to zero cuts in 2026 would hit gold hard. Two cuts would likely stabilize or lift it.Powell’s oil language: “Transitory” signals green light for buyers. “Persistent” signals more pain ahead.PPI on March 18: Released the same day as the Fed decision. A hot reading would reinforce the hawkish case.Iran war headlines: Ceasefire signals would ease oil and trim gold’s safe-haven premium. Escalation does the opposite.The gold floor that may not move regardlessWhatever the Fed decides, analysts point to a structural demand story that makes a sustained gold collapse unlikely. Central banks have now bought more than 1,000 tonnes of gold in each of the past three consecutive years. That is well above the 400 to 500 tonne annual pace seen in the decade before 2022.Central banks bought a net 230 tonnes in Q4 2025 alone. China, India, Turkey, and Poland have all been consistent buyers. That demand does not disappear because the Fed holds rates for an extra quarter.”While precisely timing the catalysts is difficult, we continue to have strong conviction that gold demand will have enough firepower to push prices higher,” J.P. Morgan’s commodity team wrote recently.The Fed meeting is a short-term catalyst, not a structural pivot. For gold investors, the question is not whether to own the metal. It is how much volatility they can stomach to get to the other side of Wednesday.Related: J.P. Morgan drops blunt reality check on gold price surge

Cathie Wood, chief of Ark Investment Management, doesn’t give up on her favorite stocks easily.That’s what she just did, buying one of her top holdings that’s down 15% year-to-date.Wood gained a reputation after the flagship Ark Innovation ETF (ARKK) delivered a 153% return in 2020. Last year, the fund gained 35.5%, far outpacing the S&P 500’s return of 17.9% in the same period.But her style also brings painful losses in bearish markets, as seen in 2022, when the Ark Innovation ETF tumbled more than 60%.As of March 13, the Ark Innovation ETF was down nearly 10% year to date, while the S&P 500 dropped 3%, Yahoo Finance data shows.Those swings have weighed on Wood’s long-term gains. The Ark Innovation ETF has delivered a five-year annualized return of -11% as of writing, while the S&P 500 has an annualized return of 12.6% over the same period, according to data from Morningstar.

In the 12 months through March 12, the Ark Innovation ETF saw roughly $1.45 billion in net outflows.Getty Images

Cathie Wood repeatedly rejects “AI bubble” Wood focuses on high-tech companies across artificial intelligence, blockchain, biomedical technology, and robotics. She thinks these businesses have great growth potential, though their volatility often brings fluctuations to the Ark’s funds.From 2014 to 2024, the Ark Innovation ETF wiped out $7 billion in investor wealth, according to an analysis by Morningstar’s analyst Amy Arnott. That made it the third-biggest wealth destroyer among mutual funds and ETFs in Arnott’s ranking. The analyst hasn’t updated the 2025 ranking.Related: Cathie Wood shares surprising message on oil pricesIn a letter published in January, Wood says the U.S. economy is storing up energy for a sharp rebound in 2026.”Despite sustained real gross domestic product growth during the past three years, the underlying US economy has suffered a rolling recession and has evolved into a coiled spring that could bounce back powerfully during the next few years,” Wood wrote.Wood also rejects the “AI bubble” talk again, saying it “is years away” and “the most powerful capital spending cycle in history” is coming.”What once was the cap in spending seems to have become a floor now that the AI, robotics, energy storage, blockchain technology, and multiomics sequencing platforms are ready for prime time,” she said.Not all investors agree with Wood’s optimism. In the 12 months through March 12, the Ark Innovation ETF saw roughly $1.45 billion in net outflows, according to ETF research firm VettaFi. Cathie Wood buys $2 million of Tempus AI stockOn March 11 and 12, Wood’s Ark Genomic Revolution ETF (ARKG) bought a total of 41,906 shares of Tempus AI Inc. (TEM), valued at about $2.1 million, according to Ark’s daily trade information.As of March 13, Tempus AI is the second-largest holding in ARKG and the fourth-largest in ARKK, accounting for roughly 9.5% and 5%, respectively.Top 10 holdings of the Ark Innovation ETF as of March 13, 2026:Tesla (TSLA) 10.57%CRISPR Therapeutics (CRSP) 6.07%Circle Internet Group (CRCL) 5.03%Tempus AI (TEM) 5.02%Shopify (SHOP) 4.88%Coinbase Global (COIN) 4.67%Robinhood Markets (HOOD) 4.49%Roku (ROKU) 4.06%Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) 3.82%Palantir Technologies (PLTR) 3.59%Tempus AI is a healthcare technology company that provides AI-driven diagnostic tools that help doctors make treatment decisions. It also sells the data generated from its tests to pharmaceutical companies for drug development.The company went public in June 2024, and Wood had actively bought its stock since the IPO.Tempus AI stock peaked near $104 in October and now trades around $50 per share, down more than 50% from its all time high.The company reported its latest earnings on Feb. 24, but the market reaction was negative. Tempus AI shares fell about 7% the day after the earnings report.Related: Bank of America has a stark warning for stock investorsFor the fourth quarter, Tempus AI reported a loss of 4 cents per share, narrower than the 5-cent loss expected by analysts. Revenue reached $367.2 million, beating the $363.4 million consensus estimate and rising 83% year over year.However, a large portion of the revenue growth came from acquisitions, which boosted the company’s topline results.”The strength of our unit growth in diagnostics along with the accelerating growth of our data business is proof that we are unique in this space,” Tempus AI’s CEO Eric Lefkofsky said, adding that the company’s investments in AI “continue to compound” and is exected to “drive significant growth over the next several years.”JPMorgan analyst Casey Woodring lowered the price target on Tempus AI to $60 from $80 after the company’s Q4 results, while maintaining a neutral rating on the stock, The Fly reported.Woodring said the company’s “clouded visibility” on data upside and changing expectations for Ambry, an acquired genetic testing unit, make it harder to see upside. The analyst suggests investors may want to stay on the sidelines for now.Wood says health care is the “most underappreciated application of AI.”“We’ve got 37 trillion cells in our body, and they’re going to be sequenced as we’re looking for cures,” Wood told CNBC last year.“I think the most underappreciated application of AI is health care. I think health care is responsible for an incredible amount of storage out there right now. Data is the name of the game,” Wood said.Related: Goldman Sachs revamps Brent crude forecast for the rest of 2026

Warsh epitomizes what more than a few actual economists wish they saw when they looked in the mirror.

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur (right) is the NFL’s longest tenured coach that hasn’t reached a Super Bowl.

Elon Musk does not apologize often. So when he does, people pay attention.In a post on X Thursday, Musk admitted that his artificial intelligence startup xAI “was not built right first time around” and is now “being rebuilt from the foundations up.” He also apologized to job candidates the company wrongly passed on, saying he and xAI talent head Baris Akis are combing through old interview records to reconnect with people who should have gotten a shot.The admission is striking for a company that launched in 2023 with promises of cracking the universe’s mysteries. It is even more striking given the timing.Timing raises serious questionsJust six weeks ago, SpaceX acquired xAI in a deal valuing the combined entity at $1.25 trillion. Before that, Tesla disclosed a $2 billion investment into xAI’s Series E round in its Q4 2025 shareholder letter. Now Musk is telling the world the thing he just sold to his own investors was broken.More AI Stocks:Morgan Stanley sets jaw-dropping Micron price target after eventBank of America updates Palantir stock forecast after private meetingMorgan Stanley drops eye-popping Broadcom price targetTesla shareholders are already suing Musk for breach of fiduciary duty, arguing he diverted AI talent and resources away from Tesla to benefit his private ventures. This admission adds a new layer to those legal challenges.It also comes as SpaceX prepares for what could be a record IPO later this year. A stumbling AI division is not the story Musk needs investors reading right now.The cofounder exodus tells the storyOf the 12 people who cofounded xAI with Musk in 2023, only two remain. Manuel Kroiss and Ross Nordeen are the last ones standing.The departures accelerated sharply in early 2026. Here is who has left.Key xAI departures since January 2026Jimmy Ba: One of xAI’s most prominent AI researchers, he left in February amid reported tensions over model performance.Tony Wu: Departed the same week as Ba, with no public explanation given.Toby Pohlen: Put in charge of the ambitious “Macrohard” coding project, left just 16 days after being appointed.Guodong Zhang: Led xAI’s Imagine team. Confirmed his departure on X this week. Reuters reported Musk blamed him for coding product shortfalls.Zihang Dai: Worked on Grok’s coding capabilities. Left earlier this week, per Reuters.The exits are not just about personnel. Insiders describe a combination of burnout, Musk’s management style, and an organizational structure that was never built to sustain the kind of aggressive AI development the company promised.Grok is falling behindThe immediate trigger for this week’s reset is Grok’s performance on coding tasks. Musk said at a conference this week that “Grok is currently behind in coding,” a candid admission given that AI-assisted software development has become the most commercially valuable near-term application of large language models.

Boivin/Getty Images

Anthropic’s Claude Code and OpenAI’s Codex are pulling ahead. To close the gap, xAI has poached two senior engineers from AI coding startup Cursor: Andrew Milich and Jason Ginsberg. Both will report directly to Musk.Beyond coding, xAI faces broader reputational headwinds. Grok has drawn government scrutiny in multiple countries after its image generator was found producing non-consensual intimate imagery with minimal safeguards. That has complicated the company’s pitch to enterprise customers who might otherwise have considered Grok as a legitimate alternative to OpenAI or Anthropic.Musk is betting on a patternMusk has been here before. Tesla was months from bankruptcy when it launched the Model 3. SpaceX had three rocket failures before its fourth mission succeeded. In both cases, he blew things up and rebuilt leaner.The question is whether that playbook works in AI, where the competitive landscape shifts every few months and the penalty for falling behind compounds fast.SpaceX and Tesla executives have already been sent into xAI to audit teams and identify underperformers, per Reuters. Musk is also reaching back out to job candidates xAI previously rejected, hoping to rebuild the talent pipeline from scratch.Whether investors in Tesla and SpaceX knew the full picture before committing billions to xAI is a question regulators and shareholders are now starting to ask. Musk’s track record on turnarounds is real. But the stakes on this one are higher than anything he has attempted before.Related: Elon Musk’s Next Move Could Reset the Record Books

Costco and Sam’s Club have long been rivals. And while both companies’ financials indicate that they’re thriving, each retail giant would love nothing more than to steal customers away from the other.Costco and Sam’s Club each have distinct advantages. One of Costco’s biggest strengths is its wide selection of quality products at fantastic prices. And Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand also tends to have a better reputation than Sam’s Club’s Member’s Mark brand.On the other hand, a membership at Sam’s Club is cheaper. A regular Club membership costs just $50 a year, while a Plus membership costs $110. At Costco, the basic Gold Star membership costs $65 per year, while the Executive membership costs $130.Recently, Sam’s Club made a big move to improve an important aspect of the member experience. And it’s an area that tends to be a point of frustration for Costco customers in particular.Checkout at Costco is a major painIf you’ve ever been to Costco on a weekend, you know quite well how painful the checkout process can be. And when you’re trying to get out the door and move on with your day, you don’t want to get stuck on a 20-minute line.”If you go to Costco during peak times, it means peak checkout wait times too,” said a user on Reddit. Related: Costco makes a policy change that frustrates membersCostco has tried to improve the checkout experience by installing self-checkout lanes. But many members find those just as frustrating.”My Costco DOES NOT have handheld scanners, or employees that check you out. There is one person there for 6 self checkouts and they get huffy if they have to do their job,” said a Reddit user.Interestingly, on that same thread, another Redditor was quick to point out how much better the checkout experience is at Sam’s Club. “Tried switching to Costco from Sam’s but I just couldn’t do it. The Sam’s Club is seriously one of the best store apps I’ve ever used. Scan and go so I can scan everything as I put it in my cart and just have the receipt checker scan my QR code.”

Kevin Hart did ads for Sam’s Club. Sam’s Club

Sam’s Club takes steps to eliminate traditional checkoutWhile Costco clearly has work to do to improve the checkout process, Sam’s Club is making great strides. As Fox Business reported, Sam’s Club is phasing out traditional checkouts across its 600 warehouse club stores. To do so, it’s leaning on technology to create a seamless checkout experience that allows customers to scan goods on the go using its app and then have an AI scanner verify purchases as customers leave. The best part? This approach eliminates a huge potential bottleneck — having a receipt checked at the door.Having to take that second step before existing the store has long been a complaint among Costco members. However, there’s a reason for it. As Costco states on its website, “It is standard practice at all our warehouse locations to verify purchase receipts when customers exit our buildings. We do this to double-check that the items purchased have been correctly processed by our cashiers. It’s our most effective method of maintaining accuracy in inventory control, and it’s also a good way to ensure that our members have been charged properly for their purchases.”But while Costco may have its reasons for implementing its checkout and receipt-scanning protocols, if the checkout experience at Sam’s Club proves to be far superior, Costco risks losing members.More Retail:Costco sees major shift in member behaviorRetail chain shuts all locations as legal changes hit industryCostco makes major investment in online shopping for membersT-Mobile launches free offer for customers after major lossCostco’s isn’t just sitting back and letting Sam’s Club completely win the checkout wars, though. During the company’s second-quarter 2026 earnings call, CEO Ron Vachris said the company is “piloting automated pay stations that will allow members to pay for their pre-scan orders seamlessly.” If that process is implemented on a broad scale, it could improve the checkout experience tremendously. But Costco might still continue to lag behind Sam’s Club in that area.Maurie Backman owns shares of Costco.Related: Costco cuts prices on eggs, butter, other staples

If you drive a Ford, service it at a Ford dealership, or even just fill up your tank every week, there is now a credit card built specifically around how you already spend money.The Ford Rewards Visa Signature Credit Card, announced on March 10 through a new long-term partnership with Bread Financial, is designed to turn routine car-related spending into real rewards.But before you rush to apply, there are certain details you should know. Not every driver will get equal value from this card, and the fine print on how those 16x points actually work is worth understanding. Here is what you need to know, who this card is built for, and where it falls short.Ford and Bread Financial team up on a new rewards cardFord Motor Company (F) partnered with Bread Financial (BFH) to launch a co-branded credit card and installment loan program. The card is issued by Comenity Capital Bank, a Bread Financial subsidiary, under a Visa license.This replaces the previous FordPass Rewards Visa issued through First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO), which Ford discontinued approximately one year ago. The new card carries no annual fee, and you can prequalify without a hard inquiry on your credit report.The variable purchase APR ranges from 21.24% to 34.24% depending on your creditworthiness, according to U.S. News. That upper range is steep, so carrying a balance on this card would quickly erase whatever rewards value you earn.Ford Rewards Visa Signature Credit Card: how the rewards break downThe 16x points headline on the Ford Rewards credit card is real, but it requires some stacking. Here is how the earning tiers work.Earning rates at a glance:Up to 16 points per $1 spent on Ford.com and eligible Ford dealership service purchases. This combines 10 base points you already earn as a Ford Rewards member with 6 additional points from the credit card.6 points per $1 on groceries, restaurants, gas stations, EV charging, auto insurance, tolls, and parking.2 points per $1 on all other purchases.That 16x figure only applies if you are already enrolled in Ford Rewards (free to join) and use the card for eligible Ford purchases. Without the base program points, the card itself earns 6x on Ford purchases, which is still competitive for a no-fee, co-branded card.The sign-up bonus gives you up to $175 in early valueNew cardholders get two separate welcome offers that can stack together.15,000 Ford Rewards Points (approximately $75 in redemption value) when you make any purchase within the first 90 days of opening your account$100 statement credit after you spend $1,500 within the first 90 daysCombined, that is up to $175 in early rewards. The 15,000-point bonus has a low bar. Any single purchase triggers it. The $100 credit requires $1,500 in spending, which is realistic if you time the card opening around a planned service visit, tire purchase, or other larger expense.For context, the previous FordPass card offered 11,000 points after your first purchase and a $100 credit after $3,000 in spending. The new card clearly improves on both thresholds.Ford Rewards points are worth about a half-cent eachThis is where you need to slow down and do some honest math. Ford Rewards points are redeemable at roughly $0.005 per point, or half a cent each, according to analysis from Doctor of Credit.That means the 6x earnings rate on groceries and gas translates to about 3% back in real value. The 2x rate on general purchases works out to roughly 1%. Those numbers are decent for a no-annual-fee card, but they do not compete with top-tier general cashback cards that offer 2% flat on everything.Where you can spend your points:Ford vehicle service (oil changes, brakes, tires, maintenance)Ford accessories and partsFord subscriptions (BlueCruise, Connected Services, SiriusXM)New Ford vehicle purchasesExclusive experiences like the Bronco Off-RoadeoYou cannot redeem points for cash, travel, or non-Ford purchases. That limited redemption ecosystem is the biggest trade-off here. If you are not actively spending within the Ford ecosystem, the points lose much of their practical utility.One purchase can bump your Ford Rewards tier statusMaking a single purchase on the card in a calendar year automatically moves you from the Bronze to Silver tier in Ford Rewards. Silver status gives you a 5% bonus on all points earned, which accelerates your earning rate slightly across the board. More Automotive:Tesla investors may miss game-changing moveKey auto parts and services company files Chapter 11 bankruptcyTop-rated analyst drops curt 8-word take on Tesla stockSpending $25,000 on the card in a calendar year pushes you to the Blue tier, which bumps that bonus to 10%. The Ford Rewards program now has more than 18 million U.S. members, according to Bread Financial’s press release. If you are already in the program, the card layers onto an ecosystem you are already using.Ford-Bread Financial installment loan program adds zero-interest financingBeyond the credit card itself, the Ford-Bread Financial partnership also includes an integrated installment loan program. Qualified customers can finance service and accessory purchases at 0% interest, with no upfront payment required, Ford Authority reports.These installment loans are integrated directly into Ford’s online platforms and at dealerships nationwide. If you need a major repair or want to add accessories but do not want to pay up front, this financing option could be genuinely useful. Just be aware that qualification depends on your credit profile, and the specific terms will vary.”Bread Financial’s flexible payment options align with our vision to put customers at the center and empower them with greater financial freedom,” said Beth Leverton, director of rewards and loyalty at Ford Motor Company.Ford Rewards Visa Signature Credit Card makes sense for committed Ford driversThe Ford Rewards Visa Signature is not trying to compete with Chase Sapphire or Amex Gold for general spending. It is a niche card built for people who are already deep in the Ford ecosystem.You will likely get strong value if you:Own a Ford vehicle and regularly service it at a Ford dealershipPlan to buy or lease a new Ford in the coming years and want to bank points toward the purchaseSpend heavily on gas, groceries, and other driving-related expensesHave already participated in the Ford Rewards programYou should probably look elsewhere if you:Do not own or plan to own a Ford vehiclePrefer flexible redemption options such as cash back, travel credits, or statement creditsTend to carry a balance: The 21.24% to 34.24% APR range makes this an expensive card if you are not paying in full every month. With average credit card APRs hovering near 24%, according to LendingTree data cited by TheStreet, carrying debt on any rewards card erodes the value quickly.How to apply and what to check firstYou must be a Ford Rewards member to apply. Membership is free and available at fordrewards.com. Once enrolled, you can prequalify for the card without a hard credit inquiry.Before applying, verify that you understand the APR range and confirm that you will pay the balance in full each month. Also check that your spending patterns align with the card’s bonus categories. If you spend $300 a month on gas and groceries alone, that is roughly 21,600 points per year at the 6x rate, worth about $108 toward Ford service. Add in Ford dealership spending, and the numbers scale up quickly. Residents of U.S. territories (such as Puerto Rico and Guam) are not eligible for the Ford Rewards program or the credit card. The card is subject to credit approval, and terms may change.Ford’s loyalty play comes as co-branded cards gain momentumThis launch fits a broader trend in 2026. Automakers and major brands are increasingly using co-branded credit cards to lock in customer loyalty and create recurring revenue streams beyond the initial sale.Ford reported full-year 2025 revenue of $187.3 billion and projected 2026 adjusted EBIT of $8 billion to $10 billion, according to its fourth-quarter earnings release filed with the SEC. A loyalty card that deepens customer engagement across service, subscriptions, and future vehicle purchases is a strategic move that supports the company’s Ford+ growth plan.If you are a Ford owner who already spends money on service, gas, and groceries, this card converts spending you would do anyway into points that offset future Ford costs. Just make sure the math works before you sign up, and never carry a balance.Related: Ford F-150 shoppers may want to wait to buy

Hougan says bitcoin could reach that milestone if it captures a larger share of the global store-of-value market, though analysts say it would likely take years of institutional adoption and macro shifts.

With results due this week from FedEx and retail names like Lululemon and Macy’s, we’ll likely hear more about consumers’ attitudes, as gas prices and shipping costs spike and the conflict widens in the Middle East.