The bank account you use for everyday bills can help you earn more interest and combat inflation.
Most checking accounts earn next to nothing in interest. Instead, consider opening brokerage accounts at institutions like Fidelity or JPMorgan Chase. Fidelity’s Cash Management Account can pay close to 4% interest, while Charles Schwab has an attractive Treasury money-market mutual fund with no transaction fees. Vanguard’s Cash Plus account pays 3.65% on an FDIC-insured balance.
And an extra bonus for Treasury funds: Any interest earned is not subject to state income taxes.
Reports suggest Oracle is the leading contender to take over U.S. operations of TikTok, and the software giant is in discussions with the White House to oversee U.S. data—while keeping ByteDance’s signature algorithm, anonymous sources told Politico. Vice President JD Vance, who’s leading the administration’s TikTok negotiations, told NBC News on Friday there “will almost certainly be a high-level agreement” by April 5 “that I think satisfies our national security concerns, allows there to be a distinct American TikTok enterprise.”
The Senate voted to approve the GOP-backed spending plan to keep the government up and running through September, as several Democrats joined Republicans hours before a potential shutdown, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). The move sparked backlash against Schumer from House Democrats, who near-unanimously opposed the bill when it passed the House.
California fintech Aspiration Partners began as an environmentally conscious digital bank, raising nearly $600 million from a star-studded list of investors and briefly earning a $2.3 billion valuation. But earlier this month, Aspiration’s cofounder and largest shareholder Joseph Sanberg was arrested on a federal criminal complaint alleging he conspired to defraud lenders in connection with two personal loans he took out against his shares.
Having a billionaire in the White House has not turned out well so far for members of the three-comma-club: In the first eight weeks of President Donald Trump’s new administration, American billionaires lost a collective $415 billion in wealth as of March 13, Forbes calculates, due to the tumbling stock market and tariff uncertainty. Unsurprisingly, the billionaire who has been hit the hardest is Elon Musk, who has lost about $100 billion since the inauguration.
MORE: Though billionaires poured millions into Trump’s campaign and have sought his favor, Forbes surveyed the world’s billionaires on who they think was the best president in U.S. history, and most cast their votes for past presidents. Of the 35 who answered the question, 10 favored Ronald Reagan, known for lowering taxes on the rich, and 12 chose Abraham Lincoln.
Elon Musk plans to send a SpaceX rocket to Mars by the end of 2026—carrying Optimus, a Tesla-created humanoid robot—followed by spacecraft carrying humans between 2029 and 2031. Musk, who is familiar with overly optimistic deadlines, said he wants to “make it so that anyone can travel to Mars if they would like,” with an eventual goal “to make Mars a self-sustaining civilization.”
In an effort to deport migrants, President Donald Trump used an executive order to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 on Saturday, which was blocked by a federal judge later that day. The Trump Administration had sent more than 250 alleged members of a Venezuelan gang to El Salvador by plane, despite the court order’s instructions to turn flights carrying migrants around. The invoked act allows the president to direct the removal of “natives, citizens, denizens or subjects” of a country the U.S. is at war with, and hasn’t been used since World War II.
The Department of Homeland Security said Friday it arrested a Columbia University student protester for overstaying her visa, the latest arrest of a student involved in pro-Palestinian protests at the school last year to be targeted by the Trump Administration. Last week, former Columbia student and Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, who holds a green card, was arrested, prompting an outcry and First Amendment concerns. DHS has accused both students of supporting Hamas, but has not provided evidence.
President Donald Trump on Saturday ordered the U.S. military to conduct airstrikes targeting the Houthi rebel group in Yemen, the most notable military action of his second term thus far, while threatening Iran to cease its support for the Houthis or else face retaliation. Trump said in a post on Truth Social he directed the strikes in response to the Houthis’ “unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism,” likely referring to the group attacking ships in the Red Sea—a crucial trading route.
As Donald Trump’s administration shutters offices and institutes layoffs at the Department of Education, the approximately 43 million Americans with outstanding federal student loans could soon feel the impacts. The job cuts could hamper the agency’s ability to process payments or manage an increase in defaults as some affordable payment plans end. If the Department of Education is officially dissolved as Trump has suggested, moving student loans to a different department could result in a period in which it would be difficult to get applications processed.
If you live or do business in one of 30 Zip codes in southern California and Texas, the Trump Administration wants to know more about your financial transactions. Starting in April, the Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network will require people in those areas to be reported if they try to spend more than $200 in cash or cash equivalent on items like money orders and traveler’s checks, a major expansion of the current $10,000 threshold. While the goal is to target cartels, it could impact those who rely on such services, like unbanked households, who are disproportionately lower-income and people of color.
DAILY COVER STORY
TOPLINE Rand Larsen’s business is providing something like group therapy for other small business owners—over Zoom, and with a yearly $3,000 membership fee instead of an hourly rate.
To join Larsen SMB Community, a business must have at least $1 million in revenue. Most members are men in their 30s and 40s, ambitious and family-oriented, trying to build something bigger. The group helps them do that, but just as important, it reminds them that they aren’t the first to navigate the choppy waters of entrepreneurship. “Running a small business can be an incredibly isolating experience,” Larsen says.
Connections are hard to come by for small business owners. In a 2024 survey by Truist Bank, just 17% of small business owners reported seeking out peer advice. While 35% have a formal growth plan, less than a third of those with plans have shared them with a formal advisor like a CPA, lawyer or banker. Bottom line: Most small business entrepreneurs carry on without either peer or professional advice.
Business clubs and networking groups have been around forever, but those spaces aren’t built for honesty. No one wants to lay out their struggles in a room where competitors are listening, ready to pounce on any sign of weakness.
Even when the setting is safe for open discussion, the mix of business owners has to be right—which is part of the pitch for SMB Community. Larsen is hand-crafting peer groups by business model and revenue size to keep discussions relevant, while separating participants by geography, to keep discussions safe. Companies doing between $1 million and $7 million are grouped together, while those over $10 million have their own cohort. The goal is to match members with peers facing similar challenges, whether it’s tackling cash flow issues or just venting.
WHY IT MATTERS “Rand Larsen built a company around bringing entrepreneurs together, giving them a place to swap strategies, share secrets, or just vent,” says Forbes reporter Brandon Kochkodin. “Because running a small business can feel like you’re on your own, but it doesn’t have to be. And with millions of baby boomers retiring and looking to sell their businesses, more people may soon find themselves in need of a group like this.”
MORE Small Business Loans Could Be Easier To Get, Thanks To This Entrepreneur
FACTS + COMMENTS
A measles outbreak in Texas had infected over 250 people as of Friday, and the number of cases this year has already exceeded the total number reported in 2024. The illness is highly contagious and cases span 15 states:
301: The number of measles cases in the U.S. so far this year, the CDC reported, surpassing the 285 recorded in all of 2024
2000: The year measles was fully eliminated from the U.S., per the CDC
10 to 14 days: How long it takes for symptoms to appear after someone is exposed to the virus
STRATEGY + SUCCESS
Whether you’re interviewing for your next job or having casual conversations with colleagues, the questions you ask are critical. To get the most out of your questions, think of the conversation as a dance, with both people moving back and forth to establish a shared rapport. It’s also helpful to not just launch into a barrage of questions—to get someone to open up, comment on your shared surroundings while trying to get a read on the other person’s cues.
VIDEO
QUIZ
A partial solar eclipse will be visible in some parts of the world later this month, after a total lunar eclipse last week. What is the term for the precise alignment of the moon with the Earth and sun during an eclipse?
A. Zigzaggy
B. Totality
C. Syzygy
D. Ecliptic
Thanks for reading! This edition of Forbes Daily was edited by Sarah Whitmire and Chris Dobstaff.