The Bottom Line · November 2, 2026

Est. 2026

Read the economy the way it actually moves.

Weekly blogs on markets, monetary policy, and the fiscal decisions that shape your financial life, written without the jargon.

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By Ayaan Jindal  ·  Mondays  ·  0 blogs · 0 topics

The Latest

October 12, 2026

Stocks Hit Records Last Week. The Average Stock Didn't.
Issue No. 25
Markets

October 12, 2026

Stocks Hit Records Last Week. The Average Stock Didn't.

U.S. stocks hit record highs last week, but the Dow, small companies, and the average S&P 500 stock are all still well below their August highs. Here is what drove the records and who got left behind.

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From the Archive

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The Number Behind Your Mortgage Rate Just Hit a 24-Year High
MarketsOctober 5, 2026

The Number Behind Your Mortgage Rate Just Hit a 24-Year High

The 10-year Treasury yield touched 5.34% on October 1, its highest level since 2002, and mortgage rates are now above 7%. Here is why yields keep rising, what it costs a homebuyer, and how Friday's weak jobs report changed the picture.

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The AI Boom Is Getting Big Enough to Move the Economy
MacroeconomicsSeptember 28, 2026

The AI Boom Is Getting Big Enough to Move the Economy

The OECD says heavy spending on AI is helping the U.S. economy grow, even as consumers slow down and oil prices rise. But this week, one huge data center project ran into a very basic problem: it was having trouble getting enough power.

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The Fed Raised Rates, and Nobody Disagreed
Monetary PolicySeptember 21, 2026

The Fed Raised Rates, and Nobody Disagreed

On September 16, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time in three years, and the vote was 12-0. In July, three officials had wanted a hike. Here's what changed, what Chair Kevin Warsh said, and how markets reacted.

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Apple's $1,999 Foldable iPhone Is Here. The Stock Jumped Anyway.
MarketsSeptember 14, 2026

Apple's $1,999 Foldable iPhone Is Here. The Stock Jumped Anyway.

Apple unveiled its first foldable iPhone on September 9, along with new phones, watches, and AirPods. The Duo costs $1,999, and Apple's stock still jumped the next day. Here's what Apple announced and what analysts think.

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The Author

Writing that
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These blogs exist because most economic commentary is either too technical to be useful or too vague to be honest.

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Guiding Principle

“One of the great mistakes is to judge policies and programs by their intentions rather than their results.”

— Milton Friedman

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