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JetBlue Mosaic Changes for 2027: BlueFirst Upgrades & New Perks
JetBlue Announces Mosaic Changes for 2027
JetBlue has announced a number of changes coming to TrueBlue Mosaic in 2027, including complimentary upgrades to the airline’s new BlueFirst cabin, new upgrade certificates, more Perks You Pick options and a few new benefits for higher-level Mosaic members.
Most of the changes take effect February 1, 2027, while complimentary BlueFirst upgrades will begin once the first BlueFirst-equipped aircraft enter service.
Complimentary Upgrades to BlueFirst
One of the biggest additions is complimentary space-available upgrades to BlueFirst, JetBlue’s new domestic first-class product on routes that don’t offer Mint.
Mosaic members and one companion on the same reservation will automatically be added to the upgrade list at check-in when BlueFirst seats are available. Upgrades will clear based on priority as departure gets closer. Main Base and EvenMore Base fares won’t qualify.
These upgrades are only for BlueFirst, not Mint.
Move to Mint Becomes Premium Upgrade Certificates
JetBlue is also renaming Move to Mint certificates as Premium Upgrade Certificates.
These certificates can be used for confirmed upgrades to either Mint or BlueFirst, subject to availability. Starting February 1, 2027, Mosaic 2 members will be able to choose a Premium Upgrade Certificate as a Perks You Pick benefit, while Mosaic 3 and 4 members will continue receiving them as part of their status benefits.
New Mosaic Perks You Pick
JetBlue is also refreshing the Perks You Pick menu.
If you choose the points option at every Mosaic level, you could pick up as many as 70,000 bonus TrueBlue points by Mosaic 4. JetBlue Premier cardholders will also get some additional choices, including the ability to gift Mosaic status and choose a Companion Pass statement credit at higher Mosaic levels.
New Mosaic Signature Perks
JetBlue is adding two new perks for higher-tier Mosaic members.
Mosaic 2 members will get a pet fee waiver as an automatic status benefit.
Eligible JetBlue Premier Card members with Mosaic 3 or Mosaic 4 status will earn 5X total TrueBlue points at restaurants and grocery stores on up to $50,000 in combined purchases per calendar year. That includes the normal 2X earnings plus an additional 3X from the benefit.
Some Perks Are Going Away
A few current Perks You Pick options will be retired.
You can still select and use these through January 31, 2027:
- Mint Suite Priority
- $99 statement credit with select JetBlue credit cards
- FoundersCard membership
- IHG status
- Pet Fee Waiver as a selectable perk
Mosaic Qualification Isn’t Changing
Mosaic qualification levels will remain the same:
- Mosaic 1: 50 Tiles
- Mosaic 2: 100 Tiles
- Mosaic 3: 150 Tiles
- Mosaic 4: 250 Tiles
Ackman says Fannie-Freddie release is ‘politically critical’
Bill Ackman called on the Trump administration to release Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac from conservatorship, warning that a Democrat-controlled government could weaponize the entities against Republicans.
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It is “absolutely politically critical for Fannie and Freddie to be released from conservatorship before the end of the Trump Administration,” Ackman said in a CNBC interview Thursday.
READ MORE:
Shares of Fannie and Freddie surged following the comments, rising as much as 22% and 25% in New York trading.
Ackman, whose Pershing Square has long held shares in the mortgage giants, said the positions have been a significant drag on the firm’s performance.
Shares of Fannie and Freddie have tumbled around 60% this year as investors have grown impatient about the release of the firms from government control. Ackman said he remains “very bullish” on Fannie and Freddie.
READ MORE:
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent this week suggested the government may not address the mortgage giants’ ownership structure until 2027 or 2028 and said protecting mortgage rates remains the administration’s priority.
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Best Student Loan Refinance Rates for October 22, 2026: Credible Leads At 3.95%
Student loan refinance rates have held continued to hold even as the Fed has raised rates. As of October 22, 2026, student loan refinance lenders are offering fixed rates as low as 3.95% APR and variable rates starting as low as 3.96% APR, depending on credit profile, loan type, income, and repayment term.
Credible is offering the lowest variable rate loans starting at 3.96% APR and MEFA and Credible are tied for the lowest fixed rate loans starting at 3.95% APR.
For borrowers with private student loans especially, refinancing to lower your interest rate can save you thousands of dollars over the life of the loan.
Today’s Best Student Loan Refinance Rates At a Glance
Here are the best student loan refinance rates today:
|
Lender |
Fixed APR |
Variable APR |
|---|---|---|
|
Credible |
3.95% – 10.65% |
3.96% – 11.01% |
|
Earnest |
4.45% – 9.99% |
5.88% – 9.99% |
|
ELFI |
4.29% – 9.19% |
4.74% – 9.44% |
|
LendKey |
4.28% – 9.24% |
4.34% – 9.39% |
|
Splash |
4.29% – 11.37% |
4.74% – 11.37% |
1. Credible – Credible is a marketplace of student loan lenders that has some options you may not be able to find anywhere else. You can also get up to a $1,000 gift card bonus if you refinance through their platform. You can get variable rates as low as 3.96% APR. Read our full Credible review.
2. Earnest – Earnest is one of the best known online student loan lenders and they have been offering consistently competitive rates for years. Right now, you can get the lowest fixed rate APR at 4.45%. Read our full Earnest student loans review.
3. ELFI – ELFI is one of the oldest student loan lenders, and offers competitive rates, along with a bonus offer of up to $599 if you refinance a student loan with them. You can get rates as low as 4.29% APR. Read our full ELFI Student Loans Review.
4. LendKey – LendKey is a private lender that pools money from community banks and credit unions to offer lower rate student loans. They are also offering up to a $750 bonus if you refinance a student loan. You can get rates as low as 3.98% APR. Read our full LendKey review.
5. Splash – Splash is a student loan marketplace as well that offers some lenders that Credible doesn’t.They have a fixed rate offer starting at 3.99% APR. Furthermore, you can up to a $500 bonus if you refinance with Splash. Read our full Splash Student Loans review.
You can find a full list of the best student loan refinance lenders here >>
Why Should You Refinance Your Student Loan?
Refinancing replaces one or more existing loans with a new private loan — ideally at a lower interest rate.
Borrowers typically refinance to:
- Reduce their monthly payments
- Lower their overall interest cost
- Combine multiple loans into one
- Shorten or extend repayment terms
Refinancing can make sense for private loan borrowers or federal borrowers who no longer need federal benefits such as income-driven repayment or forgiveness. Remember, refinancing a federal loan will cause you to lose federal benefits like student loan forgiveness!
For example, refinancing a $60,000 loan from 7.50% to 5.50% over 10 years saves roughly $7,000 in interest.
Fixed vs. Variable Rates: Which Should You Choose?
There’s a lot of uncertainty that borrowers don’t like with variable rates, which can make sense, but in a declining rate environment, it also opens the potential for future savings. Here’s what to know:
- Fixed rates stay the same for the life of the loan, offering predictable monthly payments. They’re better for borrowers who plan to repay over many years.
- Variable rates can change with market conditions, starting lower but carrying risk if the Fed raises rates again. They can make sense for borrowers who expect to pay off loans quickly.
Most private lenders allow you to check rates without affecting your credit score. Always compare both options before signing.
What To Know Before Refinancing
Before refinancing your student loans, make sure you understand exactly what you’re signing up for.
- Loss of federal benefits: Once refinanced, federal loans are no longer eligible for PSLF, IBR, or other income-driven plans.
- Cosigner options: A creditworthy cosigner can unlock lower rates. Check if the lender offers cosigner release after a set number of on-time payments.
- Term flexibility: Many lenders allow terms from 5 to 20 years; shorter terms usually mean lower rates.
- Autopay discounts: Most lenders offer a 0.25% rate reduction when you enroll in automatic payments.
- Fees: The best refinance lenders charge no origination fees or prepayment penalties.
How We Track And Verify Student Loan Rates
At The College Investor, our editorial team reviews student loan rates daily from more than a dozen major lenders. We verify data using official lender disclosures, regulatory filings, and real-time rate sheets.
We only include lenders offering loans to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. All rates are updated regularly and represent the lowest available APRs with autopay discounts applied.
Our coverage is independent and not influenced by compensation. While we may earn a referral fee when you open a loan through certain links, this never affects our editorial recommendations. Our goal is simple: to help you find the most affordable path to borrow responsibly.
FAQs
Can you refinance federal student loans?
Yes, but doing so converts them into private loans, meaning you’ll lose access to forgiveness and income-driven plans.
How often can you refinance?
There’s no limit – you can refinance multiple times as long as you qualify for better terms.
Does refinancing hurt your credit?
A small, temporary drop in your credit score may occur after the hard inquiry, but steady payments improve your score over time.
Do refinance rates change daily?
Yes, lenders adjust rates frequently based on market conditions and Treasury yields.
Is there a best time to refinance?
The best time is when your credit and income qualify you for significantly better rates than your current loans.
Earnest
Earnest Loans are made by Earnest Operations LLC. Earnest Operations LLC, NMLS #1204917. 300 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Suite 340, Oakland 94612. California Financing Law License 6054788. Visit www.earnest.com/licenses for a full list of licensed states. For California residents: Loans will be arranged or made pursuant to a California Financing Law License.
Earnest loans are serviced by Earnest Operations LLC with support from Higher Education Loan Authority of the State of Missouri (MOHELA) (NMLS# 1442770). Earnest LLC and its subsidiaries, including Earnest Operations LLC, are not sponsored by agencies of the United States of America.
These examples provide estimates based on payments beginning immediately upon loan disbursement. Variable annual percentage rate (“APR”): A $10,000 loan with a 20-year term (240 monthly payments of $101.46) and a 10.74% APR would result in a total estimated payment amount of $24,350.40. For a variable loan, after your starting rate is set, your rate will then vary with the market. Fixed APR: A $10,000 loan with a 20-year term (240 monthly payments of $101.46) and a 10.74% APR would result in a total estimated payment amount of $24,350.40. Your actual repayment terms may vary.
Actual rate will vary based on your financial profile. Fixed annual percentage rates (APR) range from 4.20% APR to 10.24% APR (3.95% – 9.99% with .25% auto pay discount). Variable annual percentage rates (APR) range from 6.13% APR to 10.24% APR (5.88% – 9.99% with .25% auto pay discount). Earnest variable interest rate student loan refinance loans are based on a publicly available index, the 30-day Average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The variable rate is based on the rate published on the 25th day, or the next business day, of the preceding calendar month, rounded to the nearest hundredth of a percent. The rate will not increase more than once a month, but there is no limit on the amount that the rate could increase at one time. Please note, we are not able to offer variable rate loans in AK, IL, MN, MS, NH, OH, TN, and TX. Our lowest rates are only available for our most credit qualified borrowers and requires selection of our shortest term offered and enrollment in our .25% auto pay discount from a checking or savings account. Enrolling in autopay is not required as a condition for approval.
nmlsconsumeraccess.org
© 2026 Earnest LLC. All rights reserved.
Splash Financial
See disclaimers at: https://www.splashfinancial.com/disclaimers/
Splash Financial, Inc. (NMLS #1630038), licensed by the DFPI under California Financing Law, license # 60DBO-102545
Terms and Conditions apply. Splash reserves the right to modify or discontinue products and benefits at any time without notice. Products may not be available in all states. Rates and terms are subject to change at any point prior to application submission. The information you provide is an inquiry to determine whether Splash’s lending partners can make you a loan offer. To qualify, a borrower must be a U.S. citizen or other eligible status and meet lender underwriting requirements. Lowest rates are reserved for the highest qualified borrowers and may require an autopay discount of 0.25%. Splash does not guarantee that you will receive any loan offers or that your loan application will be approved. If approved, your actual rate will be within a range of rates and will depend on a variety of factors, including term of loan, creditworthiness, income and other factors. This information is current as of January 8, 2026. You should review the benefits of your federal student loan; it may offer specific benefits that a private refinance/consolidation loan may not offer. If you work in the public sector, are in the military or taking advantage of a federal department of relief program, such as income-based repayment or public service forgiveness, you may not want to refinance, as these benefits do not transfer to private refinance/consolidation loans.
Autopay Discount. Rates listed include a 0.25% autopay discount.
Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is the cost of credit calculating the interest rate, loan amount, repayment term and the timing of payments. Fixed APR options range from 4.96% (with autopay) to 11.24% (without autopay). Variable APR options range from 4.99% (with autopay) to 11.14% (without autopay). Variable rates are derived by adding a margin to the 30-day average SOFR index, published two business days preceding such calendar month, rounded up to the nearest one hundredth of one percent (0.01% or 0.0001).
Payment Disclosure. Fixed loans feature repayment terms of 5 to 20 years. For example, the monthly payment for a sample $10,000 with an APR of 5.47% for a 12-year term would be $94.86. Variable loans feature repayment terms of 5 to 25 years. For example, the monthly payment for a sample $10,000 with an APR of 5.90% for a 15-year term would be $83.85.
Bonus Disclosure. Terms and conditions apply. Offer is subject to lender approval. To receive the offer, you must: (1) be refinancing over either $50,000, $100,000 or $200,000 in student loans depending on the channel partner that is providing the bonus offer (2) register and/or apply through the referral link you were given; (3) complete a loan application with Splash Financial; (4) have and provide a valid US address to receive bonus; (5) and meet Splash Financial’s underwriting criteria. Once conditions are met and the loan has been disbursed, you will receive your welcome bonus via a check to your submitted address within 90-120 calendar days. Bonuses that are not redeemed within 180 calendar days of the date they were made available to the recipient may be subject to forfeit. Bonus amounts of $600 or greater in a single calendar year may be reported to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as miscellaneous income to the recipient on Form 1099-MISC in the year received as required by applicable law. Recipient is responsible for any applicable federal, state or local taxes associated with receiving the bonus offer; consult your tax advisor to determine applicable tax consequences. Splash reserves the right to change or terminate the offer at any time with or without notice. Bonus Offer is for new customers only.
Editor: Colin Graves
Reviewed by: Richelle Hawley
The post Best Student Loan Refinance Rates for October 22, 2026: Credible Leads At 3.95% appeared first on The College Investor.
TikTok Influencers Promise Easy Passive Income—A Real-World Test Reveals How Much People Actually Make
Scroll through TikTok long enough, and you’ll probably encounter someone promising to teach you how to make $5,000 a month without leaving your couch. Some influencers claim you can sell digital downloads, create products using artificial intelligence, or earn commissions while you sleep. The videos make it look simple, but a recent real-world experiment suggests the financial reality can be dramatically different.
In an October 2026 investigation published by The Guardian, a journalist tested popular online money-making strategies promoted by social media influencers. The results included hours of unpaid work, unexpected startup expenses, and disappointing earnings.
The findings raise an important question for Americans searching for additional income: Is passive income really possible, or are influencers making more money selling the dream than their followers make following it?
The Real-World Test That Exposed the Passive Income Problem
The Guardian’s investigation examined several popular passive income side hustles, including selling digital templates on Etsy and attempting affiliate marketing. The journalist spent more than 23 hours designing stationery templates and invested over $200 in tools and related expenses, yet the experiment ultimately produced a financial loss.
Affiliate marketing also proved challenging because some platforms rejected applications, while the lack of an established online audience made generating commissions difficult. These weren’t necessarily fraudulent opportunities, but they required far more effort, preparation, and marketing knowledge than many promotional videos suggest. The experiment demonstrated how an opportunity advertised as effortless income can quickly become an unpaid second job.
Selling Digital Products Isn’t as Easy as TikTok Makes It Look
One of the most frequently promoted passive income side hustles involves creating digital planners, printable calendars, or budgeting templates and selling them through online marketplaces. Influencers often emphasize that a digital product can theoretically sell repeatedly without requiring additional manufacturing or shipping costs.
However, the Guardian’s experiment showed that creating attractive products, learning design software, and getting customers to notice a listing can require considerable time and money. Even after a product is finished, sellers may face listing fees, transaction charges, advertising expenses, and competition from thousands of similar downloads. A digital planner that sells for $5 might sound profitable, but earning $500 would require 100 sales before accounting for expenses, refunds, and taxes.
Affiliate Marketing Requires Something Most Beginners Don’t Have
Affiliate marketing is another popular strategy promoted as a way to earn money without creating a product or maintaining inventory. The basic concept involves recommending products through specialized links and receiving commissions when qualifying purchases occur. However, the Guardian investigation found that getting accepted into affiliate programs and attracting potential buyers could be difficult without an established audience.
Someone with 50 social media followers generally faces a different earning opportunity than an influencer with 500,000 followers and years of audience-building experience. For beginners, affiliate marketing is often better understood as a marketing business that requires ongoing content creation rather than a reliable source of immediate passive income.
One Side Hustle Tester Found the Real Money Was Elsewhere
Another revealing example comes from Ryan, the creator behind Side Hustle Review, who has built a substantial social media following by testing online earning opportunities. In a 2026 Fast Company interview, Ryan reported generating approximately $5,000 in gross revenue from testing side hustles in 2024. However, his content business reviewing those opportunities generated approximately $35,000 during the same period, with about 90% of that revenue coming from sponsorships.
That distinction matters because the income from reviewing money-making opportunities substantially exceeded the money earned from actually testing them. His experience illustrates an important lesson: influencers discussing passive income side hustles may earn more from their audiences, sponsorships, or educational products than from the underlying opportunities themselves.
Some People Do Make Money, but Their Results Aren’t Typical
The disappointing results don’t mean every online side hustle is worthless or that successful sellers are necessarily exaggerating their earnings. The Guardian highlighted examples of entrepreneurs generating substantial revenue from digital products, including a seller who reported more than $146,000 in Etsy sales involving AI-generated mockups.
However, successful entrepreneurs often bring valuable skills, marketing experience, established audiences, and considerable time investments to their businesses. Their earnings also shouldn’t be confused with take-home profit because revenue doesn’t account for expenses, taxes, software subscriptions, or the value of unpaid labor. When evaluating passive income side hustles, it’s important to distinguish exceptional success stories from realistic expectations for someone starting without experience or an existing customer base.
A Different TikTok Experiment Found Three Opportunities Worth Keeping
Not every social media side hustle experiment ended with disappointing results, although the successful opportunities weren’t truly passive. Content creator Jackie Mitchell described testing numerous ways to earn extra money during a 100-day challenge. She identified paid focus groups, research studies through Prolific, and rewards earned through Swagbucks as three options she continued using.
Mitchell reported that some focus groups paid approximately $100 to $300 per session, while certain research opportunities could produce hourly earnings of around $30 when work was available. However, she emphasized that qualifying opportunities were inconsistent, earnings required active participation, and some platforms involved sharing personal information.
The FTC Has Warned About Expensive Passive Income Promises
Some questionable online earning opportunities go beyond unrealistic expectations and become outright consumer protection concerns. In March 2025, the Federal Trade Commission announced action against Click Profit, alleging that the company falsely promised substantial passive income through AI-powered online stores.
According to the FTC’s complaint, consumers paid management fees of at least $45,000, plus additional inventory expenses, while many failed to recover their investments. The agency reported that more than one-fifth of the company’s Amazon stores generated no revenue after Amazon’s fees, and another third produced less than $2,500 in gross lifetime sales. Although not every paid course or online business opportunity is a scam, the case demonstrates why consumers should be skeptical of guaranteed earnings, expensive startup packages, and promises of financial freedom with little work.
Calculate Your Actual Hourly Earnings Before Committing
One practical way to evaluate passive income side hustles is to calculate earnings after expenses and compare the result with the time invested. Imagine spending 25 hours creating digital products, paying $75 for software and marketplace fees, and generating $150 in sales during your first month.
Your profit would be $75 before taxes, translating to just $3 per hour for the time spent developing and selling those products. That doesn’t automatically make the business a failure because future sales could improve the return on the original investment, but those sales are never guaranteed. Tracking time, revenue, expenses, and actual cash received provides a more accurate picture than relying on screenshots of impressive sales figures shared by influencers.
Easy Money Usually Comes With a Hidden Cost
The appeal of passive income side hustles is understandable, especially when groceries, housing, and everyday expenses are stretching household budgets. However, the latest real-world experiments suggest that many opportunities require substantial upfront effort, specialized skills, or an established audience before meaningful income becomes possible. Consumers should research platforms carefully, avoid paying large fees based on promised returns, and consider whether a traditional part-time job or freelance service might produce more predictable earnings. Online businesses can become profitable over time, but treating them as genuine businesses rather than effortless shortcuts offers a more realistic starting point.
Have you tried a passive income idea promoted on TikTok or another social media platform, and did you actually make money? Share your experience in the comments.
What to Read Next
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Ever Wondered How Much Money You Can Make on TikTok? Here’s the Surprising Truth!
Drew Blankenship is a seasoned personal finance and lifestyle writer with more than a decade of professional writing experience crafting clear, actionable advice that helps savers and investors over 40 protect their wealth and make smarter everyday decisions. His bylines appear regularly on SavingAdvice.com, CleverDude.com, and other respected outlets, where he draws on deep industry knowledge to deliver practical insights on cost control, smart spending, and long-term financial security.
The PHP bug marks a dangerous new era for the internet. OpenAI’s poised to cash in
Welcome to Eye on AI. Emily Forlini here, filling in for Beatrice Nolan. In today’s issue:
- Researchers discover a security flaw affecting 70% of the web
- Anthropic could file for IPO as soon as tomorrow
- Anthropic unveils Duet, its rival to OpenAI’s Dots and Meta’s Muse
- AI-driven layoffs at Barclay’s
I’ve been covering the growing number of AI-powered hacks for months now, going back to when OpenAI’s models autonomously attacked Hugging Face in July. Ever since then there’s been a steady drumbeat of incidents, and this month the tempo of alarming cyber news picked up considerably.
There have been more than 20 cybersecurity incidents in October, many just this week. The internet may officially be entering a new era, one in which sites are inherently less safe than they used to be. Cybersecurity paranoia is becoming table stakes for anyone who aims to conduct business online. Some are saying that the new “moat” for businesses is becoming how well they can protect their customers and IP from from AI-powered cyberattacks—not necessarily what that IP or customer base actually is.
Security professionals have long been warning that increasingly powerful AI tools would empower bad actors to exploit bugs in code. This week, experts told me, those warnings are now coming true. AI models have become noticeably more powerful at cyber tasks in recent months. Specifically, they’re better at processing large amounts of code, and acting autonomously. Hackers are having greater success setting off AI agents on evil missions. Sometimes, many AIs work together in groups known as agent swarms. These swarms move quicker than a human could keep up with.
So what’s an organization to do in the face of these threats? The only answer is to fight back with AI, meaning to proactively “hack” your own code, finding bugs before bad actors do and then patching them before AI-armed hackers can strike. That’s exactly what happened this week in an incident that has already become the poster child for the coming wave of AI-powered attacks. The incident involved a legacy programming language called PHP.
The PHP flaw heard ’round the world
In August, multiple research teams at different organizations, all of them using AI models to help them hunt for security flaws, found two vulnerabilities in PHP, which an estimated 70% of the web runs on. Those two bugs, as well as the method for exploiting them, are now collectively named “php2shell.” OpenAI’s GPT-5.6 Sol model seems to have played a key role in this discovery, although other models, including Google’s Gemini 4 Argon, seem also to have played a part.
The researchers treated the discovery as an emergency, but the public didn’t find out about it until this week, when on Oct. 20 the PHP foundation announced it would be issuing a critical patch within the next 24 hours. The following day, a coalition of companies—including OpenAI, Wiz, Calif, and more—that had been privately working on a fix formally disclosed it. For the full story on who first discovered the bug, and how the companies worked together over the past two months, check out the article I wrote on this earlier this week.
This would be a purely good news story about a potential crisis successfully averted except for a few inconvenient facts. One is that news of the vulnerabilities and how to exploit them seems to have leaked in the days leading up to PHP’s announcement. According to Amazon Web Services, hackers started exploiting php2shell on Oct. 17, prior to the public disclosure. It’s possible they knew about the bug, which several organizations, including Amazon, had been notified about in advance. They had all agreed to a specific time—14:00 UTC on Oct. 21—when they could post about it as to not tip off the hackers early.
The other problem was the day-long window between PHP announcing that it was about to issue a patch and when it actually issued the patch, combined with the time lag that it naturally takes many companies to update their systems after the patch was issued. After the public disclosure of the exploit, the floodgates opened, and as of this writing there have been “millions” of attempts to exploit the bugs, while websites around the world built on flawed PHP code scramble to implement the patch. That work is still going on now. Luckily, the service most affected by the bug, WordPress, reports no issues. (Separately, Fortune published a great story this week on a failed coup of WordPress’s founder that’s worth a read.) Still, many governments and some private entities decided to take some web services offline to protect them from potential attacks while waiting for the patch to be implemented. This did save those sites from damage, but it also deprived people of the ability to use those services.
Turning hacks into cash
For organizations selling defensive AI cybersecurity tools, this is all very good news. That includes OpenAI. The company has been building out its Daybreak program, which is an application-only initiative that grants organizations access to its most sophisticated tools to help defend against sophisticated, AI-powered attacks.
The program is growing rapidly. Two weeks ago, OpenAI updated the Daybreak website with new numbers. The number of software flaws its participants have found swelled from 858 to 1,885. The number of patches produced went from 263 to 661. The more companies and cybersecurity professionals enroll, the more people are using OpenAI’s tools to proactively find and patch bugs in their code.
The PHP issue has raised further awareness of this program. OpenAI cofounder and president Greg Brockman gave it a boost too with an X post about the PHP exploit and OpenAI’s role in discovering it—a rare, lengthy post he has now pinned to the top of his profile. Brockman also hired a new chief revenue officer over the summer with a cybersecurity background, and tasked him with building out a sales team that can pitch its defensive software to companies.
OpenAI is also planning to debut a new cybersecurity-focused model this fall, as well as a first-of-its kind tool to help businesses deploy it more easily across their infrastructure. The company seems to have made a proactive bet on AI-powered cybersecurity tools being a burgeoning source of revenue, and that prediction is coming true. And they’re far from the only ones in this business; Anthropic has a similar program for cybersecurity professionals at vetted organizations called Project Glasswing, and multiple other SaaS providers offer AI-powered cyber defense tools.
They could be looking at some serious cash if the trend continues—and as long as the hackers don’t get to them first.
With that, here’s more AI news.
Emily Forlini
emily.forlini@fortune.com
@emilyforlini
FORTUNE ON AI
AI tools discovered the PHP vulnerability that could take down 70% of the internet. Now, the race is on to patch it before AI-powered hackers attack—by Emily Forlini
Exclusive: AI code-testing startup Blacksmith hits $1 billion valuation as AI-written code surges—by Beatrice Nolan
Anthropic adds Harvard astrophysicist to the trust that controls its board—by Jeremy Kahn
Powerful new AI models are fueling a growing wave of cyberattacks, experts say—by Emily Forlini
AI IN THE NEWS
Anthropic could make its IPO prospectus public as soon as tomorrow. The public may finally get answers to many outstanding questions about Anthropic’s business and its finances when the company makes public the prospectus for its planned IPO, a move that could come as soon as tomorrow, according to three people familiar the company’s plans who spoke to Yahoo! Finance. Anthropic’s public stock offering could be the largest in history, valuing the Claude maker at more than $2 trillion.
Anthropic unveils its Duet personal agent. It’s the company’s answer to personal assistant AI agents such as Instinct, Meta’s Muse, and OpenAI’s Dots, but it’s only available now as a preview. Read more here from Engadget.
Microsoft discloses ‘hundreds’ of autonomous AI-powered hack by China state-aligned actor. The hacking group, known as Storm-0940, used an open-source AI platform called Artex, developed in China. That’s the same technology behind a hack of South Korean banks earlier this month. Read more here on the Microsoft blog.
Barclays to cut 5,000 jobs in AI-driven push to lower costs. The layoffs will affect 5% of the company’s workforce, and come after reporting a 12% increase in quarterly profit, falling short of analyst forecasts. Is AI the savior to help the company do more with fewer employees? Read more here in the New York Times.
EYE ON AI NUMBERS
10%
That’s how much of the internal traffic to OpenAI’s Codex coding tool went unmonitored for months this spring due to gaps in OpenAI’s internal safety and monitoring procedures, according to AI safety firms Redwood Research and METR. The firms were embedded at OpenAI for three weeks from July 21 to Aug. 11, during which they performed an independent audit of OpenAI’s security posture. They found that from May to July OpenAI’s Codex agent traffic was unmonitored, creating a “coverage gap that agents could have exploited to misbehave without being caught.” These are the same months leading up to and during the Hugging Face cyber incident, although the report does not say the lack of monitoring played a role in that case. METR and Redwood also found numerous other gaps in OpenAI’s monitoring systems.
AI CALENDAR
Nov. 9-12: Web Summit, Lisbon, Portugal.
Nov. 16-17: Fortune 500 Innovation Forum, Detroit. Apply here to attend.
Nov. 18-19: Slush, Helsinki, Finland.
Dec. 6-12: Neural Information Processing Systems (Neurips) conference. Sydney, Australia.
Dec. 7-8: Fortune Brainstorm AI, San Francisco. Apply here to attend.
BoxGroup’s Claire Smilow is scouting college campuses for the next generation of founders
Claire Smilow has spent years scouting talented people before they become the next big thing in tech. That instinct paid off in 2019, when she was blown away by a sophomore at MIT who already had a strategic and commercial vision. Smilow played the long game in seeing his talents through—and it led to a billion-dollar payoff.
The investor first met Michael Truell while conducting case study interviews for her student VC firm, Dorm Room Fund. At the time, Truell hadn’t founded a company; but three years later, the venture capitalist persuaded her firm, BoxGroup, to invest in the Gen Z engineering savant’s adolescent business. The firm poured $750,000 into the recent graduate’s little-known start-up: an AI coding company called Cursor. And a couple follow-on checks and a few years later, Cursor swelled into an industry sensation, with SpaceX eventually acquiring the business for $60 billion in 2026—a deal estimated to drive $1 billion in returns to BoxGroup.
That bet cemented Smilow as the student-founder whisperer—a VC whose early conviction in Truell helped deliver a roughly 650-fold return on the firm’s original investment, alongside high gains from subsequent financing. As a partner at BoxGroup and the Dorm Room Fund, the 36-year-old is continuing to chase that success at America’s elite schools. Smilow says she sets aside a “huge” amount of time mingling with the young AI natives, with an upcoming trip to Harvard University and MIT on the books—the second time she’s visited this year. After all, 588 U.S. alumni from the two colleges have built billion-dollar companies., representing roughly 13.1% of all of America’s unicorn founders, according to a July analysis from Stanford professor Ilya Strebulaev.
“[College] is a fantastic place to recruit for the portfolio, and I often bring portfolio founders with me to campus,” Smilow tells Fortune. “On campus you get a real sense of forward-looking technological market trends. You get to hear what students at a lot of these cutting-edge research institutions are interested in, what they’re studying, what companies they want to work at…It’s a fantastic pulse on the market and our technological shifts.”
Smilow says a few entrepreneurial trends are taking over college campuses. She’s been spending a lot of time looking into frontier tech, like robotics and quantum computing; and when roughly four out of 20 to 25 students brought up brain-computer interfaces (BCI) during a fall 2024 campus conversation, she took it as a signal to pay closer attention. Two years later, she says, early-stage BCI companies are already proliferating. For Smilow, the lesson is that listening to talented people can help investors spot promising markets before they become obvious.
The VC explains that her strategy is less about a founder’s age, and more about connecting with talent before they come into their own. Some may become founders later in life, while others may never venture into the entrepreneurial life—but she says that learning about the ambitious spaces talented people are exploring is “the most authentic way” to do her job.
Over her six-and-a-half years at the firm, BoxGroup has backed the likes of Ramp and Clay in their early stages—and now, both have reached multibillion-dollar valuations. Smilow says that the firm is founder-led, working with businesses that are almost “never proven.” She’s on the lookout for promising talent whose names repeatedly come up in conversations with their peers.
“I tend to think often the best founders don’t make the best interns,” Smilow said, adding that the part-time gigs are often “boring” for young entrepreneurs. “They’re not always the most empowered positions, so I spend less time—especially for early-in-their-career founders—talking to prior bosses. There’s value in that, but I actually spend more time talking to their peers and understanding how their peers perceive them.”
American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts Credit To Require Two Night Stay, Will Include AirBnB Luxe Properties + $250 AirBnB Experiences Credit
Earlier this month it was rumored that the American Express Platinum and Business Platinum cards would be adding a $250 AirBnB experiences credit and that AirBnB Luxe Stays would be included in the $300 semi annual Fine Hotel & Resorts credit. The American Express website has now been updated to confirm that the Fine Hotel & Resorts credit will include Luxe stays and that from January 1, 2027 stays will need to be two nights or more to qualify for the credit.
Get up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® and The Hotel Collection bookings, and prepaid Airbnb Luxe bookings with Airbnb, made through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App™ using your Platinum Card® or Business Platinum Card®. The Hotel Collection and Airbnb Luxe bookings require a minimum two-night stay. Effective January 1, 2027, Fine Hotels + Resorts® bookings will require a minimum two-night stay to be eligible for the $600 Lodging Credit.
AmEx has also confirmed the new $250 AirBnb Experiences credit, valid for experiences after booking a prepaid Airbnb Luxe stay through Amex Travel.
30-year mortgage rate eases after seven-week climb
Housing demand retreats despite this week’s relief
Demand data offer little grounds for optimism. Mortgage applications for new home purchases fell 7% in the latest week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA).
September housing starts declined 5.2% month-over-month and 7.4% year-over-year, per the U.S. Census Bureau, while pending home sales also fell to their lowest recorded level, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR).
Mortgage applications fell last week despite lower rates. Joel Kan of the Mortgage Bankers Association says affordability pressures continue to limit buyer activity. https://t.co/89rtC1fU8r
— Mortgage Professional America Magazine (@MPAMagazineUS) October 21, 2026
“It’s not surprising that when rates climb above 7%, fewer people buy homes because fewer people can afford them,” said Chen Zhao, head of economic research at Redfin.
“The housing market continues to face significant headwinds as elevated mortgage rates and affordability pressures keep many prospective buyers on the sidelines,” said Bob Broeksmit, MBA president and CEO.
Looking ahead, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meets in November, with CME FedWatch placing hold odds at approximately 85% and December rate hike odds near 90%.