Good morning! It’s Daniel de Visé with your Daily Money.

Is it possible to live comfortably in retirement on Social Security income alone? 

Yes and no. 

Over the weekend, we published a "long read," one of those articles that you'll want to sit down with some coffee and read in full. It's based on interviews with seven households, all of them retired and living mostly on Social Security. We'll let them tell you how they're doing.

RIP DEI?

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump promoted the idea that white Americans were targets of racism, and he made reversing Joe Biden’s “woke takeover” of Washington a priority of his second term. 

Now, with Republicans in control of the White House and both branches of Congress in 2025, the president-elect is in a position to make good on his promises, Jessica Guynn reports. 

On the chopping block: Diversity, equity and inclusion programs.

How borrowers are reacting to rate cuts

When William Doolittle and his boyfriend applied for a mortgage loan in early September, the couple decided to hold off on locking in a 5.125% rate. The Federal Reserve was expected to lower its key interest rate later that month. Doolittle and his partner hoped the cut would drive down mortgage rates even further.

The wait cost them. 

Mortgage rates have been ticking up, Bailey Schulz reports, even after the Fed's rate cuts. Why is that happening, and what are borrowers to do?

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About The Daily Money

Each weekday, The Daily Money delivers the best consumer and financial news from USA TODAY, breaking down complex events, providing the TLDR version, and explaining how everything from Fed rate changes to bankruptcies impacts you.

Daniel de Visé covers personal finance for USA Today.