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Bank of Canada holds rates at 2.25% as outlook improves
The Bank of Canada held interest rates steady for a sixth consecutive meeting as policymakers see the economy rebounding and oil price-driven inflation fading.
Meta Platforms Looks Set to Abandon a $174 Billion Investment to Fuel Its AI Ambitions
Since the 2022 bear market bottomed nearly four years ago, Wall Street’s historic rally has been driven by two catalysts: the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) and the leadership of the “Magnificent Seven.”
The beauty of the Magnificent Seven is that they all possess one or more sustainable competitive advantages, providing them with ample cash flow to undertake intriguing growth initiatives. This includes social media maven Meta Platforms (META 2.79%), which is among the 13 publicly traded companies on U.S. exchanges to be valued at north of $1 trillion.
But sometimes high-growth initiatives require sacrifices. Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta appears set to abandon a $174 billion investment that’s had a decisively positive impact on its bottom line to further its AI ambitions.
Image source: Getty Images.
Meta Platforms may be on the verge of axing this $174 billion investment
Make no mistake: Meta’s billionaire boss has aggressively invested in several high-growth initiatives, including the metaverse and, more recently, artificial intelligence. But it’s Meta’s hearty share repurchase program that’s done some heavy lifting over the last decade.
Although no share buybacks were undertaken in 2016, the company has been purchasing its own stock on a regular basis ever since:
- 2017: $1.976 billion in full-year share buybacks
- 2018: $12.879 billion
- 2019: $4.202 billion
- 2020: $6.272 billion
- 2021: $44.537 billion
- 2022: $27.956 billion
- 2023: $19.774 billion
- 2024: $30.125 billion
- 2025: $26.248 billion
Today’s Change
(-2.79%) $-18.53
Current Price
$646.01
Key Data Points
Market Cap
$1.6TMarket 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
$626.00 – $652.21
52wk Range
$520.26 – $796.25
Volume
1.4M
Avg Vol
18.2M
Gross Margin
81.94%
Dividend Yield
0.33%
Collectively, Meta Platforms has spent approximately $174 billion to retire nearly 12.7% of its outstanding shares. For companies with steady or growing net income, such as Meta, a steadily declining share count can result in higher earnings per share over time. In other words, share repurchases have made Meta’s stock more attractive to value-seeking investors.
But with the company increasing its forecast for AI-related capital expenditures (capex), it hasn’t repurchased shares since the third quarter of 2025. Furthermore, reports have suggested that Meta is weighing the option of issuing equity and undoing some of its share buybacks to fund its AI infrastructure build-out.
Image source: Getty Images.
History offers a tale of promise and peril for Meta
Historically speaking, Meta’s all-in approach with artificial intelligence isn’t without risks. Every game-changing technology for more than three decades has endured an early stage bubble-bursting event. Meta shareholders are especially aware of this historical correlation, given the company’s poor performance in 2022 after the metaverse bubble burst.
The puzzle pieces for an AI bubble are firmly in place. If history were to rhyme and the AI bubble bursts, Meta Platforms’ stock would likely be weighed down, at least over the short term.
Big Tech CapEx has reached unprecedented levels:
The combined CapEx of Amazon, $AMZN, Google, $GOOG, Meta, $META, and Microsoft, $MSFT, is expected to surge +98% YoY, to a record $715 billion in 2026.
This is nearly 3 TIMES the amount spent in 2024 and more than 5 TIMES 2023… pic.twitter.com/L29Dx8JaAi
— The Kobeissi Letter (@KobeissiLetter) May 2, 2026
At the same time, Meta is one of the few companies enjoying immediate benefits from the integration of AI solutions. Incorporating generative AI into its advertising platforms has enabled Meta’s clients to tailor static and video messages to users. This can improve click-through rates and enhance Meta’s already impressive ad pricing power.
Zuckerberg’s company also recently unveiled plans to sell excess AI data center compute capacity. This should help ease the sting of Meta’s otherworldly AI capex, especially given its sustainable competitive edge and robust cash flow tied to its social media assets.
Meta’s AI investments should pay off in the long term, but the ride could be bumpy without share buybacks as an added catalyst.
You’re Probably Eating Plastic Every Time You Cook—Here’s 1 Big Change You Can Make
A wave of “non-toxic kitchen” advice is spreading online. Here’s the science behind why people are swapping out plastic – and what’s actually worth changing.
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Truist Business Checking Bonus: Earn Up to $800 (Select States)
Truist Business Checking Bonus: Earn Up to $800
Truist is offering new small business checking customers up to $800 when they open an eligible account, deposit qualifying funds, and maintain the required balance.
The offer is available for new Truist Simple Business Checking and Truist Dynamic Business Checking accounts opened online, by phone, or at a branch through March 24, 2027. A unique single-use promotional code must be applied when the account is opened.
Let’s see how this bonus works and who is eligible.
Offer Details
Open a new Truist Simple Business Checking or Dynamic Business Checking account using your single-use promotional code between July 14, 2026, and March 24, 2027.
You can choose between two bonus tiers:
Earn $400
- Deposit at least $2,500 into the new account within 30 days of opening.
- Have a Current Balance of at least $2,500 on day 30.
- Maintain a daily Current Balance of at least $2,500 from day 30 through day 90.
Earn $800
- Deposit at least $10,000 into the new account within 30 days of opening.
- Have a Current Balance of at least $10,000 on day 30.
- Maintain a daily Current Balance of at least $10,000 from day 30 through day 90.
Truist defines Current Balance as the account’s ledger balance, excluding pending transactions and holds. If your balance drops below $10,000 during the maintenance period, you may still qualify for the $400 tier as long as your balance never falls below $2,500 and all other requirements are completed.
The promotional code must be entered during the application or provided to the banker or phone representative at account opening. A unique code is generated when you visit the promotion page. It cannot be added afterward.
The bonus will be deposited into the new business checking account within 10 business days after Truist verifies that you completed the requirements. The $800 bonus is paid as two separate $400 deposits. Your account must remain open, unrestricted, and have a positive balance when Truist attempts to pay the bonus.
Are You Eligible?
- You must be a new Truist business checking customer. Your business cannot currently have a Truist business checking account or have closed one within the previous 365 days under the same TIN or EIN.
- The business account holder must be 18 years or older at time of account opening.
- The account holder cannot be a non-resident alien.
- Offer valid in the following states: AL, AR, GA, FL, IN, KY, MD, MS, NC, NJ, OH, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV or DC.
- Must have a valid U.S. TIN or EIN.
Account Fees
- The Truist Simple Business Checking has no monthly fees.
- Truist reserves the right to deduct the reward amount from the business checking account at the time of closing if you close the new business checking account within 180 days after opening.
Guru’s Wrap-Up
This is a good business checking bonus. Depositing and maintaining $2,500 for approximately two months after day 30 is a relatively reasonable requirement for a $400 payout, and the Simple Business Checking account has no monthly maintenance fee. The $800 tier requires maintaining $10,000, but it still offers a good return for businesses that already have the cash available. Just make sure the balance does not dip below the required threshold during the maintenance period.
Bank bonuses are a great way to earn some extra income, often from the comfort of your home. You can take a look at my bank bonus results for 2022 where I made over $6,000. If this bonus is not for you, then you can check our full list of available bank bonuses. And, if you’re new to bank account bonuses, you can learn more about churning bank accounts here.
Link & Key Details
Link & Key Details- OFFER PAGE
- Bonus: $400/$800
- Account Type: Simple Business Checking
- Availability: AL, AR, GA, FL, IN, KY, MD, MS, NC, NJ, OH, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV or DC.
- Type of Inquiry: Soft pull
- Direct Deposit Requirement: No
- Other Requirements: $2,500/$10,000 deposit
- Credit Card Funding: No
- Monthly Fee: No
- Early Account Closing Fee: Bonus could be revoked if closed within 180 days
- Expiration Date:
6/30/239/29/233/24/27
HT: Doctor of Credit
Share Bank Bonuses and other deals with us and our readers
How To Cash A Paper Savings Bond
Paper savings bonds are still sitting in drawers, safes, and safe deposit boxes all over America and cashing one in 2026 is a little harder than it used to be.
Savings bonds are now sold almost exclusively in electronic form through TreasuryDirect. The last way to get a new paper bond — the tax-time paper I bond program — ended on January 1, 2025. That means every paper savings bond out there is a legacy document, and the infrastructure for cashing them keeps shrinking: fewer banks will redeem them over the counter, and more redemptions are going through the mail to the Treasury.
There’s also a new wrinkle for 2026: if you’re in default on federal student loans, the government can intercept your savings bond payment through the Treasury Offset Program when you redeem by mail or through TreasuryDirect. We cover that below.
Here’s everything you need to know about cashing a paper savings bond in 2026.
Table of Contents
What Are Savings Bonds And How Do They Work?
Where To Cash A Paper Savings Bond
When Should You Cash A Paper Savings Bond?
Do I Owe Taxes When I Cash A Paper Savings Bond?
The Bottom Line
What Are Savings Bonds And How Do They Work?
Savings bonds have been around since 1935. When you buy federal savings bonds, you are lending money to the government, which agrees to pay that money back later, with interest.
The U.S. currently offers two types of savings bonds: Series EE and Series I. Both earn interest for 30 years. You can redeem a bond after holding it for one year, but if you cash it before five years, you forfeit the last three months of interest.
If your paper bond is more than 30 years old, it has stopped earning interest entirely — the money is just sitting there losing value to inflation. The Treasury estimates billions of dollars in matured, unredeemed savings bonds are still outstanding.
Not sure what your bond is worth? Use the Savings Bond Calculator at TreasuryDirect.gov. You’ll need the series, denomination, and issue date printed on the face of the bond.
Where To Cash A Paper Savings Bond
You have two options: a bank or credit union, or mailing the bond to the Treasury.
Option 1: Your Bank Or Credit Union
Many banks still cash paper Series E, EE, and I bonds — but this is getting harder every year. Banks are not required to redeem savings bonds, and most have tightened their policies:
Most banks will only cash bonds for established customers — the Secret Service recommends (and many banks require) that you have held an account for at least 12 months before they’ll redeem bonds for you. Many banks also cap the dollar amount they’ll redeem in a single visit, and some branches have stopped cashing bonds entirely.
Call your bank before you go. Ask whether they redeem savings bonds, whether there’s a dollar limit, and what identification they require.
The upside of the bank route: you get your money immediately, and the payment is made over the counter by the bank.
Option 2: Mail Your Bonds To The Treasury (FS Form 1522)
If your bank won’t cash your bonds — or you have a large batch — you can redeem them directly with the Treasury:
- Fill out FS Form 1522 (Special Form of Request for Payment of United States Savings and Retirement Securities). TreasuryDirect has step-by-step instructions.
- If the total value of the bonds is $1,000 or less, you can simply sign the form and include a copy of your government-issued ID. If the value is more than $1,000, you must sign the form in front of a certifying officer (most banks and credit unions offer signature certification — a notary stamp alone is not accepted).
- Include your bank routing and account numbers on the form for direct deposit.
- Mail the unsigned bonds and completed form to: Treasury Retail Securities Services, P.O. Box 9150, Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150.
Expect processing to take several weeks — the Treasury currently says at least six weeks in many cases. Consider mailing with tracking. Don’t sign the backs of the bonds themselves.
The Treasury also has special procedures for less common situations: bonds owned by minors, deceased owners’ estates, name changes, and owners living outside the U.S. Details are on TreasuryDirect’s cashing page.
When Should You Cash A Paper Savings Bond?
There are a few scenarios where cashing your paper savings bond makes sense:
The bond is more than 30 years old. It has stopped earning interest. There is no benefit to continuing to hold it — redeem it and put the money to work elsewhere.
You can earn more elsewhere. Depending on when your bond was issued, its rate may be well below what you could earn in a high-yield savings account, CD, or a diversified index fund portfolio. Check your bond’s current rate with the Savings Bond Calculator before deciding.
You need the money. Bonds more than a year old can always be redeemed. Just remember the three-month interest penalty if the bond is less than five years old.
One more option worth knowing: instead of cashing paper bonds, you can convert them to electronic bonds in TreasuryDirect using its SmartExchange feature, which makes them easier to track and redeem later.
And if you think you (or a deceased family member) might own bonds you can’t find, check Treasury Hunt at TreasuryDirect.gov — it’s the Treasury’s free search tool for matured, unredeemed bonds.
Do I Owe Taxes When I Cash A Paper Savings Bond?
Yes, but just on the interest. Savings bond interest is subject to federal income tax (but exempt from state and local income tax). Unless you elected to report the interest annually (most people don’t), all the interest is taxable in the year you redeem the bond.
If you cash at a bank, the bank will issue Form 1099-INT — either on the spot or by mail the following January. If you redeem by mail or through TreasuryDirect, your 1099-INT will be available from the Treasury.
One potential tax break: if you use the proceeds of Series EE or I bonds for qualified higher education expenses in the same year, you may be able to exclude some or all of the interest from income. The education exclusion has income limits and other requirements — see IRS Form 8815 for details.
An offset doesn’t change your tax bill, either. If part of your redemption is taken for a defaulted student loan, the interest is still taxable income to you in the year of redemption.
The Bottom Line
Cashing a paper savings bond in 2026 takes a little more planning than it used to. Call your bank first — if they’ll redeem your bonds, that’s the fastest route. If not, FS Form 1522 and a trip to the post office will get it done in a few weeks.
If your bonds are more than 30 years old, don’t wait: they stopped earning interest long ago. And if you’re in default on federal student loans, deal with the default (or at least know your offset status) before you mail bonds to the Treasury — otherwise your redemption check may go toward your loans instead of your bank account.
Editor: Colin Graves
Reviewed by: Robert Farrington
The post How To Cash A Paper Savings Bond appeared first on The College Investor.
Spain earns $51 million for World Cup win and Argentina gets $34 million
The winner of the World Cup will hoist a trophy, receive championship rings for the first time and gain a lifetime of glory in what will be a defining moment in the country’s sports history. It’ll also lead to a significant payday.
The World Cup winner earns $51 million. The second prize is $34 million.
FIFA expanded the payout for the 2026 World Cup, setting a record with a combined $871 million paid to the 48 participating teams. That tally includes more than $100 million that was added in April after some federations in Europe lobbied for help to cover costs at a tournament across three countries that has required extensive travel and lodging costs.
The $51 million for Spain is a large sum, but it also pales in comparison to the fortunes that are spent on global soccer. It’s also smaller than what last year’s Club World Cup winner earned in a tournament also played in the U.S.
For perspective, the $51 million for the winner is less than the transfer fee paid Tuesday by English club Brighton for a 19-year-old defender who spent most of the World Cup on the bench, Croatia’s Luka Vušković.
Here’s what to know about the World Cup prize money:
All teams get paid
FIFA pays money to the 48 national federations in two categories: Prize money bonuses based on how far each team advances in the tournament and across-the-board payments to cover training and preparation costs.
All 48 get at least $12.5 million for competing in the World Cup, including $10 million in prize money for qualifying and playing in the group stage. Each receives $2.5 million for pre-tournament training and expenses. That upfront money was agreed at past World Cups to help avoid pre-tournament tensions when it wasn’t uncommon for players to claim that bonuses had not been paid by their federation.
The prize money goes up depending on how far the teams advance.
The higher amounts come after demands from federations
Some federations, especially from Europe, had told FIFA that the prize money structure and payments for preparation costs that had been set last year would see them lose money on the tournament unless their team went deep into the knockout rounds.
France federation president Philippe Diallo told sports daily L’Equipe he had for several months drawn FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s attention to World Cup teams not being properly rewarded, compared to what Club World Cup winner Chelsea got one year ago. That was $115 million, after FIFA had to promise a nine-figure reward that persuaded storied European clubs to play in the revamped competition.
World Cup teams playing games in the United States also faced some tax obligations that are exempted in Canada and Mexico.
World Cup champion gets the big bucks
The eventual champion receives $51 million, compared to Argentina’s federation $42 million for winning the 2022 tournament in Qatar. That 32-team edition had a total prize fund of $440 million.
Here is what the others are getting:
Runner-up: $34 million
Third place (England): $30 million
Fourth place (France): $28 million
Quarterfinalists (fifth to eight): $20 million each
Round of 16 (ninth to 16th): $16 million each
Round of 32 (17th to 32nd): $12 million each
Group stage (33rd-48th): $10 million each
Flights and hotels are covered
In addition to the payout sums and under World Cup regulations, FIFA is already obliged to pay for business‑class return flights for each federation to travel to the tournament plus board and lodging for a 50-person delegation, which includes the players. The hotel payments start five nights before a team’s first game and one night after it is eliminated.
FIFA also covers the cost of domestic travel for up to 50 delegation members, and “a dedicated fleet of vehicles, including an equipment truck.”
The soccer federations of World Cup teams must pay for “adequate insurance … including but not limited to injury, accident, disease and travel,” plus “incidental hotel costs” and housing additional members of a delegation.
The World Cup trophy
The greatest honor, of course, is the World Cup trophy.
On Sunday, the champions will celebrate with it after the final whistle during an award ceremony. The original trophy is not awarded permanently. Instead, the winners will be presented with a gold-plated replica, which they get to keep.
As for World Cup prize money, that’s paid by FIFA to the federations — not the players. It’s up to each federation’s rules how they handle the money.
For example: U.S. soccer will get to keep 20% of the prize money. The remaining 80% that the U.S. men’s national soccer team receives will be split evenly between the men’s and women’s national teams following a 2022 milestone agreement to pay its men’s and women’s teams equally, making the American national governing body the first in the sport to promise both sexes matching money.
Markets brace for all-out war in Iran as former NATO commander warns Suez Canal could be next
Stock futures were mixed Sunday evening and oil prices continued to climb as the deaths of American service members over the weekend added more fuel to the U.S.-Iran war.
Futures tied to the Dow Jones industrial average fell 61 points, or 0.12%. S&P 500 futures were down just 0.05%, but Nasdaq futures were up 0.08%.
West Texas Intermediate futures rose 2.75% to $84.76 a barrel, and Brent crude climbed 3.2% to $90.92. Gold dropped 0.53% to $3,997 per ounce.
Two U.S. troops died in Jordan from an Iranian attack, and another was missing. A third service member was killed in Iraq while attempting to dispose of a downed Iranian drone.
The deaths at the hands of the Islamic Republic would appear to cross a red line that President Donald Trump had reportedly described when he considered the threshold for ending the earlier ceasefire before signing last month’s memorandum of understanding, which has since collapsed.
So far, the White House hasn’t announced whether all-out war will resume. But the U.S. military is continuing its daily bombardment of Iran, with the latest salvo meant as punishment for those killed in action.
But despite more than a week of airstrikes, the U.S. military has failed to secure an alternate corridor through the Strait of Hormuz that bypasses Iran’s approved route, as the regime’s drones and missiles scare away commercial vessels.
Ship-tracking data shows no crossings via the U.S.-backed route, and no “shadow fleet” movements either, while Iran’s channel is still seeing activity.
That gives Tehran even more leverage as global oil stockpiles keep dwindling toward critically low levels. At the same time, Iran may be deploying more advanced weapons that can evade U.S. air defenses, making bases around the Persian Gulf more vulnerable.
As a result, Trump’s military options are narrowing as the U.S. military has already failed to oust the Iranian regime or break its hold over the Strait of Hormuz.
Retired Adm. James Stavridis, who served as NATO Supreme Allied Commander, told CNN on Sunday that Trump now has three options, and “and none of them are good.”
First, he could simply walk away, which would produce a terrible outcome for the U.S., the Gulf, and global trade, according to Stavridis, who said this is unlikely.
The second option would be to “go big,” meaning a return to the hundreds of airstrikes a day seen at the start of the war—but this time possibly adding ground troops. But he also doubted this move, given how costly it would be and the reluctance to put boots on the ground.
The third and most likely option is the current “escalate to de-escalate” stance of bombing plus tighter economic pain, but still leaving the door open to negotiations, Stavridis added.
Meanwhile, he also warned that Iran or its proxies could eventually threaten the Suez Canal, which sees even more ship traffic than the Strait of Hormuz does, and Tehran’s attacks on Jordan may even be related to such plans.
“The Iranians are beginning to make noises about attempting to close that using the Houthis in the southwest corner of the Arabian Peninsula,” Stavridis said. “So that ought to be in the back of everyone’s mind.”
Rocket Cos. strikes new deal for JPMorgan Chase financing
Nonbank mortgage giant Rocket Cos. closed on a multibillion-dollar credit agreement with JPMorgan Chase on Thursday that will replace the facility it took out while two of its large acquisitions were pending last year.
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The new credit line Rocket will use for general corporate purposes has an initial $2.5 billion capacity and allows for the termination of another somewhat similar credit agreement
Analysts typically favor longer debt terms to lower the risk of a funding disruption, so Rocket’s recent pattern of moving the maturity date of this credit agreement out by 12 months annually in recent years has an upside in that regard, but researchers also are wary of
The willingness of a major bank to terminate a facility without early payment penalties, and extend a new one, show confidence in Rocket at a time when lenders may face limits to their origination earnings given the current state of
Broader implications
Some of the confidence may be driven by the fact that analysts have identified large nondepository mortgage acquirers like Rocket as the ones mostly likely to fare well in the current market environment.
“The origination and servicing markets continue to consolidate toward large nonbanks, driven both by organic share gains as franchises strengthen and by acquisitions,” Eric Orenstein and Ryan Wallace, analysts at Fitch Ratings, wrote in a recent report on rising industry leverage.
Among the ways Rocket has been contending with the current market’s limits beside acquisitions has been to double its funding ability relative to 2024 and operate more efficiently, Brian Brown, Rocket’s president, chief financial officer and treasurer said during
“We now have up to $300 billion origination capacity with several hundred fewer production team members than we had,” he said.
Rocket will announce more details of the new facility’s terms down the road. Its current securities filing says that the financing will be priced at a margin above a base rate that will likely be
The new facility has several typical requirements. A significant change in the company’s management or ownership structure could trigger default. The bank also places limits on the extent to which Rocket and its affiliates can add debt or liens and engage in other transactions.
Rocket additionally will need to pay JPMorgan Chase a commitment fee based on its corporate rating for unused commitments from its credit agreement last year.
The parent company has a stable low-end, investment grade credit rating of BBB minus, according to Fitch. While some of its nine nonbank mortgage company peers have lower ratings due to rising leverage, generally ratings for the six of them have been stable.
Rocket’s share price was down 0.77% at $14.78 midafternoon in Friday trading. It’s been trending higher for the past month but lower relative to the beginning of the year, in part due to the shift to a more negative outlook in mortgage rates for lenders during the longer-term period.