A U.S. government watchdog released its first report on the impact of the Iran war on Monday, acknowledging the military’s advanced weapons shortfalls and offering the first public look at the damage to American aircraft, bases and diplomatic outposts in the Middle East.
Much of the information has been previously reported over the past six months, but the Pentagon inspector general’s report offered the fullest official accounting so far of the conflict’s costs in American lives, taxpayer dollars and physical damage. It included information from the watchdogs for the Defense and State departments as well as the U.S. Agency for International Development.
The report, whose publication was first reported by NBC News, noted that the U.S. war with Iran “has resulted in strategic inventory shortfalls and revealed industrial base bottlenecks for munitions resupply” in regard to advanced weapons. Experts have previously said it will take about three years for military contractors to replenish advanced missiles and defensive missile interceptors to prewar levels.
The report, which covers April 1 to June 30, also acknowledged that Iranian strikes damaged and destroyed hundreds of buildings and other structures at U.S. bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Oman and Jordan. Dozens of American aircraft and drones also were destroyed or damaged.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Congress in late July that the war had cost $37.5 billion so far.
The costs to U.S. diplomatic facilities, however, had not been previously publicly released. Such outposts in Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the UAE took the brunt of the physical damage, with an estimated cost of $184 million, according to the report.
The State Department reported in early June that its overall costs from the conflict came to $113 million, with nearly $80 million used to respond to contingency plans, including evacuation expenses for U.S. personneland their families as well as other American citizens and eligible third-country nationals.
The State Department reported that in the weeks and months after the U.S. and Israel first struck Iran on Feb. 28, the Trump administration evacuated about 9,000 U.S. citizens from countries in the Middle East and Europe. Through private and commercial flights as well as land and water travel, the cost of the department’s evacuation operation was more than $11 million as of late June.
“State determined that consular officers would not be able to fully document travel itineraries required to seek reimbursement from evacuees and therefore it would be impracticable to seek reimbursement from them,” the report states.
The majority of the evacuations were made from Israel, with Iraq and Jordan following shortly behind. While the U.S. only evacuated 1,200 Americans from the United Arab Emirates, those trips to Istanbul, Athens and Washington cost the most, at more than $4 million.
The State Department reported that more than $44 billion in emergency and non-emergency military sales also were made in that span of time, with the majority of sales going to Saudi Arabia. Sales included military helicopters, munitions and munitions support as well as advanced precision weapons system.
Other regional countries, including Qatar, Kuwait, UAE and Israel, also received billions in sales, as Iran retaliated against nearly every country in the region that hosted a U.S. military base.
Update 9/14/26: Qatar has dropped qualifying activity requirement for unlocking adding people to my list and friends and family list, 30 day active period still remains. Hat tip to /r/awardtravel
Original post: Qatar has added some new restrictions when making award bookings for friends and family. There are now two separate groups you can book awards for: ‘My List‘ (F.A.Q. here) and ‘Family & Friends Pool‘ (F.A.Q. here)
You can add up to four people to your list
You can add up to six people to your family and friends pool (up to 9 if previously added)
These members cannot have an existing Qatar Airways Privilege Club account
Miles acqured by family and friends go towards the main member
You can only book award flights for people on your list or family & friends pool
You need to meet the activation condition (credit a flight to Qatar Airways Privilege Club or earn points on a cobranded card. Account must also be active for 30 days) to join or form a “My List” pool, or to form a Friends & Family pool. Seems like this has been changed.
These changes seem to be targeting points brokers that purchase award miles and then book tickets with miles (normally in business or first). While I’m sympathetic to trying to shut these brokers down to free up award space I don’t think it should be at the expense of harming real users and these changes are definitely too harsh and poorly thought out. Looks like there might still be some work arounds.
I’m also really against anything that makes miles already earned so much more difficult to use. For example the activation condition seems needlessly extreme. Just a good reminder that the best miles are redeemed miles.
High-yield savings account rates held steady to start Septmeber. With the Fed looking at rate increases this week, banks are using this opportunity to capture savers.
As of September 14, 2026, some online banks are still offering interest rates up to 4.15% APY. This is still much better than the average of 0.38% APY, according to the FDIC.
Banks and credit unions are constantly adjusting their annual percentage yields (APYs) as markets react to Federal Reserve policy and inflation data, so staying up to date can make a real difference. Here’s where the best savings rates stand today — and what you should know before moving your money.
💰 Today’s Best Savings Rates At a Glance
Here are the best bank and credit union savings accounts rates today:
Bank or Credit Union
Top APY
Balance Requirement
NexBank
4.15%
$1
CIT Bank
4.10%
$2,500
Always.bank
4.10%
$0
Pibank
4.10%
$0
FVCbank
4.01%
$500
1. NexBank – NexBank is the largest privately held bank in Texas and currently is offering up to 4.15% APY in partnership with Raisin. They’re also offering up to a $1,000 bonus for new deposits.
2. CIT Bank – CIT Platinum Savings a two-tiered savings account.
Open an account with promo code CITBoost and you’ll earn 4.10% APY* on balances of $5,000 or more for the first six months* — that’s 10x the national average savings rate.
After 6 months, you’ll return to the regular rate of 3.75% APY* with a $5,000 minimum balance. Otherwise you’ll earn 0.25% APY. See website for full details. Read our full CIT Bank review.
3. Always.bank – Always.bank is the digital banking arm of 22nd State Banking Company, they’re currently offering a competitive 4.10% APY with no minimum balance requirements.
4. PiBank – PiBank is the online brand of Intercredit Bank, N.A and offers 4.10% APY with no monthly maintenance fees and no minimum balance requirements. However, lots of consumers complain about only being allow to withdraw via wire transfer. Read our full Pibank review.
5. FVCbank Advantage Direct Savings – FVCbank offers the Advantage Direct Savings Account and currently pays 4.01% APY with no monthly maintenance fees and just $500 minimum balance to open, and you must maintain a balance of $0.01 to earn stated APY. Read our full FVCbank review.
You can find a full list of the best high yield savings accounts here >>
How High Yield Savings Accounts Work And Why Rates Matter?
High-yield savings accounts function just like traditional savings accounts, but they pay a much higher annual percentage yield (APY) — often 10 to 15 times more. You can see how these rates compare to the savings rates at the 10 largest banks in America – and these rates put them to shame.
“The odds of a Fed rate hike are high, but banks are using this opportunity to capture savers in the current interest rate environment.” – Robert Farrington
The banks and credit unions on this list typically always have above-average rates, so even if the Federal Reserve lowers rates and these accounts lower their rates, you’ll still be head.
For example, a $10,000 balance earning 4.00% APY will generate about $400 in interest per year, compared with less than $20 at a big-bank rate of 0.20%. That gap makes it worth tracking rate changes regularly and switching institutions if your current bank stops staying competitive.
However, we expect more rates to dip below that 4.00% level in the coming weeks.
What To Know Before Opening An Account
Before opening a new account, review the key details that determine how much you’ll earn — and how easily you can access your funds.
Watch For Intro Or Promo Rates: APYs can rise or fall at any time. But a strong introductory rate doesn’t guarantee long-term performance. None of the rates listed here are introductory, but some referral codes may only be temporary rates.
Transfer Limits: Federal rules no longer cap savings withdrawals at six per month, but many banks still impose limits.
Safety: Confirm that the institution is FDIC- or NCUA-insured, which protects up to $250,000 per depositor, per bank or credit union.
Access: Many top-yield accounts are online-only. Make sure you can deposit via mobile app and link external accounts for easy transfers.
These details help you separate truly high-performing savings options from accounts that look appealing but may include hidden limitations or slower rate adjustments.
How We Track And Verify Rates
At The College Investor, our goal is to help you make smart, confident decisions about your money. To create this list, our editorial team reviews savings account rates daily across more than 50 banks, credit unions, and fintechs. We verify data using each institution’s official website, rate disclosures, and regulatory filings.
Only accounts available to U.S. consumers and insured by the FDIC or NCUA are included.
Our coverage is independent and editorially driven – we never rank accounts based on compensation. While we may earn a referral fee when you open an account through certain links, this does not influence our recommendations or reviews. Our opinions are our own, based on a consistent evaluation of usability, fees, yields, and customer experience.
FAQs
How often do savings account rates change?
Banks can adjust rates daily or weekly based on market conditions.
Are online banks safe?
Yes — as long as they’re FDIC-insured. Verify coverage on the FDIC’s BankFind site.
Is interest on savings accounts taxable?
Yes. You’ll receive a 1099-INT if you earn $10 or more in interest.
Should I move my money if rates drop?
It depends on the difference in APY and your transfer limits, and frequent rate chasing can reduce returns if transfers take time.
Disclosures
CIT Bank For complete list of account details and fees, see our Personal Account disclosures.
* Platinum Savings is a tiered interest rate account. Interest is paid on the entire account balance based on the interest rate and APY in effect that day for the balance tier associated with the end-of-day account balance. APYs — Annual Percentage Yields are accurate as of July 1, 2026: 0.25% APY on balances of $0.01 to $4,999.99; 3.75% APY on balances of $5,000.00 or more. Interest Rates for the Platinum Savings account are variable and may change at any time without notice. The minimum to open a Platinum Savings account is $100.
* Platinum Savings APY Boost Promotion Terms and Conditions
This is a limited time offer available to New and Existing customers who meet the Platinum Savings APY Boost promotion criteria.
Accounts enrolled in the Platinum Savings Annual Percentage Yield (APY) Boost promotion will receive a 0.35% APY boost on the Platinum Savings current standard APY tiers for 6 months following the opening of a new account or when an existing Platinum Savings account is enrolled in the promotion. The Platinum Savings APY boost will be applied on account balances up to $9,999,999.00. Account balances above $9,999,999.00 will earn the standard APY. If the standard-published APY should change during the promotion period, the APY boost will move with it, offering an account APY above the standard rate.
The Promotion begins on February 13, 2026, and ends October 31, 2026. Customers enrolled in the promotion prior to the end date will receive the APY boost for the 6-month period outlined in the terms and conditions.
The promotion can end at any time without notice.
Editor: Colin Graves
Reviewed by: Richelle Hawley
The post Best High-Yield Savings Rates for September 14, 2026: Up to 4.15% appeared first on The College Investor.
Space Exploration Technologies(SPCX -2.02%) is best known for its Starlink satellite communications business and orbital launching services built around its reusable rocket technologies, but the company is actually positioning artificial intelligence (AI) as the most important pillar of its growth strategy. Within the category, SpaceX is looking to orbital data centers as a potentially revolutionary performance driver.
Orbital data centers could offer far more direct access to solar energy, alleviating power consumption concerns, and could also provide superior heat-diffusion solutions that eliminate the need for water-based cooling. On the other hand, it’s still unclear whether SpaceX’s major investments in the tech will pay off.
Image source: Getty Images.
SpaceX placed a $15.8 billion bet on AI last quarter
SpaceX is already significantly diversified, with operations across rocket-launching services, satellite-based internet and communications, and AI — but it’s clear that artificial intelligence is at the center of its growth ambitions. The second quarter saw SpaceX’s total capital expenditures (capex) come in at roughly $18.4 billion, with $15.8 billion in spending devoted to the company’s AI business. Meanwhile, capex for Starlink was $1.4 billion, and capex for its space and rockets business was $1.2 billion.
Orbital data centers have the potential to effectively address some of the biggest energy and resource challenges in scaling AI computing. Data centers positioned in orbit could also be ideal for meeting the computational needs of the space economy.
Space Exploration Technologies
Today’s Change
(-2.02%) $-3.06
Current Price
$148.15
Key Data Points
Market Cap
$2.1TMarket cap calculated using publicly traded shares outstanding only. Does not include unlisted, private, or dual-class non-traded shares. Implied market cap may vary.
Day’s Range
$146.00 – $152.56
52wk Range
$104.83 – $225.64
Volume
67.9M
Avg Vol
111.2M
On the other hand, it would probably be a mistake to think that SpaceX needs to succeed with orbital data centers anytime soon to deliver wins for investors. Even a complete project failure wouldn’t necessarily be an insurmountable setback for the company.
While capital expenditures for the company’s AI unit totaled $15.8 billion last quarter, it’s unclear how much of that spending was devoted to developing orbital data centers. Notably, CEO Elon Musk was far more focused on terrestrial data centers during the company’s Q2 conference call — with the tech leader highlighting the advantages that the company’s expertise in rocketry and space technologies created for the engineering of data centers here on Earth.
Space-based data centers received relatively little focus in SpaceX’s Q2 report and conference call, which could suggest that they’re not expected to be a meaningful performance driver anytime soon. Given the heavy emphasis on terrestrial data centers in the call, there’s a good chance the company is focused on building out its AI infrastructure on Earth before turning to orbital data centers as a central component of its strategy.
Keith Noonan has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Pretty much across the board, analysts and observers expect the US Federal Reserve to raise benchmark rates this week by at least 25 basis points.
Prediction markets have the probability at near certainty. Kalshi is currently at 86% for a 25 bps hike. Polymarket is at 84% for the same move.
As inflation remains too warm, even as employment has stayed steady, some observers see the forthcoming decision as a test of Fed credibility and a reminder the institution must stay above politics and maintain independence from the administration.
Roman Ziruk, Lead FX Strategist at Ebury, notes that the 10-year is now at 5%, the first time since 2023.
“The rise in the term premium – the extra compensation investors demand for holding long-dated debt – appears to be the main driver behind the spike in yields,” says Ziruk. “More recently, this has been partly a reflection of the increased geopolitical risk: the ongoing Iran war has fuelled a surge in oil prices, reviving inflation fears and adding a fresh layer of uncertainty as to the path for long-term central bank rates. This is clearly not just a US phenomenon, but a global one. Yields across the major economic areas have all risen in tandem with US Treasuries in recent weeks, pointing to a shared, geopolitically-driven pressure on bond markets that is not confined to the US alone.”
Ziruk also points to fiscal policy as sovereign debt rises not just in the US, now at $40 trillion, but in other nations.
Jesse Marre, Senior Portfolio Manager at Hilbert Group, anticipates a hike too, as the FOMC goes into the meeting.
“When something is that close to fully priced, you create more market disruption by going against the pricing than by going with it. A hike is not outrageous with headline CPI still at 3.4 percent, and it would answer the people who think Warsh was installed purely to cut rates.”
Marre says that “the risk is in the tails rather than the decision. If they hike and the talk is very hawkish, the market starts pricing a proper hiking cycle and the liquidity drain from that hits risk assets.”
The ongoing war in the Gulf does not help, as oil prices rise due to the conflict, nearly all other prices follow. With no end in sight to the fighting, the Trump administration finds itself in a bit of a quandary – especially with midterms just around the corner.
President Trump railed against Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s predecessor Jerome Powell, calling him names and threatening political prosecution for not doing his bidding and lowering rates. It seems Trump’s pick to lead the Fed will now raise interest rates, which raises the question of how the President will take a rate-hike decision. Will more political drama distract from more important issues? Will Trump deliver a new nickname for an emerging nemesis?
I recorded a conversation with Troy Eckard this week, and halfway through he stopped and turned the question around on me.
He said when he stands in front of a room of 100 physicians, maybe 5 will talk to him. The other 95 find somewhere else to be. Four decades in oil and gas, and it still baffles him. He wanted to know why.
I told him what I actually think, which is that it’s an information problem.
There isn’t much reliable information out there about this space. Most of what you can find comes from people who have something to sell. So it feels like a black box, and when something feels like a black box, people back away from it. That’s not irrational. That’s what anyone does with uncertainty.
Physicians especially. You were trained to do the full workup before you act, and to want the evidence in front of you. When the information is thin, not acting is the correct call.
I’ll say it took me a long time here too. Getting comfortable with this space meant a lot of reading and a lot of conversations with a lot of different people, over a long stretch. It didn’t happen quickly for me, and I don’t think it should happen quickly for anyone.
But there’s a piece of this that has nothing to do with whether you ever buy an oil and gas interest. I think most physicians are missing it, because it isn’t about energy as an investment. It’s about energy already moving your portfolio, whether you own any or not.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Any investment involves risk, and you should consult your financial advisor, attorney, or CPA before making any investment decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The author and associated entities disclaim any liability for loss incurred as a result of the use of this material or its content.
With so much noise out there, it’s hard to know who’s actually done what you’re trying to do.
That’s why PIMDCON brings together physicians building real freedom through real estate, entrepreneurship, and smart investing.
Real physician peers sharing proven strategies.
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Start with what’s actually happening
Oil is up about fifty percent from a year ago. Diesel went from under four bucks a gallon to almost six.
That works into the price of everything, because diesel is how things get built and moved. Which keeps inflation warm. Which is why the Fed stopped cutting instead of continuing to cut. Three people at the July meeting actually wanted to raise.
So the ten-year Treasury is sitting just under five percent, the highest it’s been in about three years.
And the ten-year is what prices your real estate.
The number that got my attention
CBRE asked the market, in their mid-year survey, what it would take for deals to start moving again.
The answer was a ten-year Treasury around 3.75%.
We’re at 4.83%.
That gap is a lot of what you’re feeling right now. Deals sitting still. Refinances that hurt. Distributions getting trimmed. Operators pushing a sale out another year, and then another one after that.
And a good part of what’s keeping that number high is the price of oil. Not your operator’s business plan. Not your submarket. A commodity most physician real estate investors have no position in and no opinion about.
I invest heavily in real estate so I’m including myself in that.
That’s really the thing I’d want you to take from this. Energy isn’t a separate box off to the side of your portfolio. If you hold LP positions in multifamily or commercial, it’s connected to what you already own. You have that exposure either way. The only question is whether you have anything sitting on the other side of it.
Where I’d push back on my own argument
The obvious next move is to call energy a hedge against real estate. I won’t, because it isn’t one.
A hedge reliably moves opposite the thing you’re worried about. Energy doesn’t.
It only helps against one kind of trouble. When inflation pushes rates up and squeezes real estate, energy does counterbalance that. But in a recession where demand falls off, the two drop together. That’s 2008. That’s 2020, when oil traded below zero.
The size doesn’t work either. Troy described a portfolio that might be ten percent real estate and three percent energy. Three doesn’t cancel ten. It softens it.
This year makes the point on its own. Oil spiked in the spring, then gave almost all of it back by late June once tankers were moving through Hormuz again. There was a single session in there where it dropped more than fifteen percent, the worst day since April 2020. Anybody calling that a reliable counterweight is overselling it.
Here’s what I think is actually true, and it’s smaller. Energy doesn’t move with housing or with the stock market. It moves with something else entirely. And right now that something else happens to be the thing pressing on real estate values.
I’ll say where I sit, since it’s fair to ask. I’ve invested in this space for a while now. What I’ve appreciated isn’t a big number in any single year. It’s that it doesn’t move with everything else I own, and it’s given me something that keeps working when real estate is having a hard stretch. That’s it. That’s the whole case as I’d make it.
Troy would make a more specific one. His view is that capital left this sector years ago and moved into AI, and that this changed what these assets cost relative to the commodity itself. He’d also tell you where he thinks costs are heading, and he’s candid about the parts that could go against him. I’d rather you hear him make that case in full than take my compressed version of it.
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If you do look, here’s what to ask
This is the part I’d want you to keep regardless of what you decide.
The reason 95 people leave the room isn’t ignorance. It’s that this field has a lot of bad actors and physicians can tell they don’t have the tools to sort them out. The tax write-off is the bait. Most of them don’t know how to do the proper due diligence.
So here are four things you should ask for:
Ask for the AFE. Stands for Authorization for Expenditure. It’s the itemized cost breakdown for drilling a well. You wouldn’t let a consultant take your patient to the OR on “trust me,” you’d want to know what they’re seeing and why. Same idea. Troy told me about an investor who asked for one recently and got told that in 15 years no wealthy investor had ever asked. That’s the answer right there. You’re not trying to argue over somebody’s margin. You’re checking you’re not paying triple.
Ask for the track record in writing. Money in, money out, how long it took. Not a case study. Prior deals, real numbers.
Ask who’s actually on staff. Geologists, engineers, in-house accounting. A lot of firms selling these deals are capital-raising shops with nothing behind the curtain. Ask, then ask to talk to those people.
Ask how the person you’re talking to gets paid. Salary or commission. Fair question in any private deal.
If someone gets defensive at any of those, you learned what you needed to know and it cost you nothing.
Back to Troy’s question
I don’t think the 95 who walk out are wrong to be skeptical. I think they’re skipping a step.
You don’t have to buy anything to be better off here. What’s worth doing is knowing what you’re already exposed to, and being able to tell a real operator from a good deck.
If the answer after that is still no, that’s a real no. It beats the one most people have right now.
Troy’s team publishes their education library with no gate on it. No net worth question, no call, no follow-up sequence. If you want to understand how this asset class works, that’s a reasonable place to start reading. EckardEnterprises.com.
The full conversation is Episode 333 of the Passive Income MD podcast.
Disclosure: Eckard Enterprises is a Passive Income MD partner and sponsored this article. Peter Kim is personally invested in oil and gas assets. This article is educational and is not an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security, and it does not reference any specific investment offering. Views attributed to Troy Eckard are his own. Oil and gas investments carry risk of loss, including loss of principal. Consult your own tax and investment advisors.
Figures are as of September 9, 2026. WTI around $97/bbl; on-highway diesel $5.97/gal; 10-year Treasury 4.83%. Sources: EIA, BLS, Federal Reserve (July 2026 FOMC), CBRE US Cap Rate Survey H1 2026.
Were these helpful in any way? Make sure to sign up for the newsletter and join the Passive Income Docs Facebook Group for more physician-tailored content.
Peter Kim, MD is the founder of Passive Income MD, the creator of Passive Real Estate Academy, and offers weekly education through his Monday podcast, the Passive Income MD Podcast. Join our community at the Passive Income Doc Facebook Group.
Disclaimer: I am not a CPA, attorney, or financial advisor. The information in this post is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as tax, legal, or financial advice. Please consult a qualified professional about your specific situation before making any decisions.
📝 Eine 25 Jährige Ingenieurin aus dem Saarland bespart 2 MSCI World ETFs, um einen Teil der Anteile später für einen Hauskauf leichter abstoßen zu können. Aber ab welchem Geldbetrag macht es eigentlich Sinn, sein ETF Investment auf 2 ETFs aufzuteilen? Dieser Frage gehen wir im heutigen Video nach.
🎯 2015 haben wir es uns zur Mission gemacht, Menschen zu ermutigen, ihre Finanzen in die eigenen Hände zu nehmen. Angefangen als YouTube-Kanal mit Erklärvideos, haben wir uns innerhalb weniger Jahre zur größten Community für finanzielle Selbstentscheider im deutschsprachigen Raum entwickelt.
🔔 Möchtest du deine persönlichen Finanzen in den Griff bekommen? Wir wollen dir ermöglichen, Verantwortung zu übernehmen und eigene, fundierte, finanzielle Entscheidungen zu treffen. Folge uns, um keine Videos mehr zu verpassen!
