Commodities
How oil prices are set, and why they feed straight into inflation
Benchmarks, freight and refining spreads sit between a barrel of crude and the price on the forecourt.
Yesterday · 6 min
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16 articles
Economy
What inflation figures actually measure
CPI is a basket, a weighting and a method. Each choice changes the number that lands on the front page.
2d ago · 7 min
Tech & Fintech
How card payment networks make money
Every card tap splits a fee between four parties. Understanding the split explains most of fintech's business models.
3d ago · 6 min
Real Estate
What actually moves mortgage rates
Fixed mortgage pricing tracks long-term funding markets, not the central bank's overnight rate.
4d ago · 6 min
Crypto
How crypto custody works: keys, exchanges and counterparty risk
Owning a crypto asset means controlling a private key — or trusting whoever does.
5d ago · 7 min
Economy
How the Federal Reserve actually sets interest rates
The FOMC does not decree a rate. It sets a target range and uses administered rates to steer the market into it.
6d ago · 8 min
Markets
What an ETF expense ratio really pays for
The headline fee is deducted daily from fund assets — but it is not the only cost of owning an ETF.
7d ago · 6 min
Markets
How index funds actually work
An index fund does not pick winners. It buys the market as defined by a rulebook — and that rulebook is the product.
8d ago · 7 min
Markets
What a bond yield means — and why it moves opposite to price
A bond's coupon is fixed. Its yield is not. Understanding the difference explains most of what happens in fixed income.
9d ago · 6 min
Personal Finance
How deposit insurance works in the US, UK and EU
Deposit protection is generous but conditional. The conditions are where savers get caught out.
10d ago · 7 min
Personal Finance
Credit scores: what lenders see and what they don't
A credit score is a probability estimate built from your credit file — not a judgement of character or income.
11d ago · 6 min
Business
How to read an earnings report without being led by the headline
Adjusted figures, guidance and cash flow tell you more than the number in the press release.
12d ago · 7 min
Personal Finance
APR vs APY: the difference that quietly costs you money
One is a borrowing cost that may exclude compounding. The other is a savings return that includes it.
13d ago · 5 min
Crypto
How stablecoins hold their peg — and when they don't
A stablecoin is only as stable as the reserves and redemption rights behind it.
14d ago · 6 min
Personal Finance
What a robo-advisor is, and what it isn't
Automated portfolio management is a real service with a real cost. It is not the same as financial advice.
15d ago · 6 min
Markets
How CFDs work — and why regulators keep restricting them
Contracts for difference offer leveraged exposure without ownership. The leverage cuts both ways, and the data on retail outcomes is public.
16d ago · 7 min