(i don’t use twitter anymore.) finance reporter & satire writer. work in @newyorker @salon @nerdwallet @theonion @marketwatch @mcsweeneys @reductress + more.
Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by Cara Michelle Smith
Life With My Two Latest Rescues
Wynand (left) and Cooper (right) Written by Cara Smith Photography by Shannon Fletcher I’ve been fostering animals for years; it brings me more joy than anything else in this life. As a consequence of fostering, I’ve had a few “foster fails”. There are many more I would have loved to keep, but with these two, the timing was right, the circumstances were right – and we were finally able to adopt them.
"Made no money, had no benefits": Companies are selling people on cheaper perks
After I read the report that led to this story, I put out some feelers on social media, asking folks to tell me about their job benefits — specifically, if their company’s description of its benefits would match an employee’s description of those same benefits.
FOMO economy: Social media is driving Gen Z into debt
The phrase “keeping up with the Joneses” first appeared in 1850 in The New Yorker, describing how the neighbors of Elizabeth Schermerhorn Jones, a wealthy New York socialite, were so intimidated by her summer home in the Hudson Valley that many were prompted to renovate their own properties to, as the magazine put it, keep up with the Joneses. Since then, the idiom has found a home in the competitive arena of middle-class America.
My personal recession indicators: I’m stress-buying frozen meat and investing in gold
I don’t need an economist to tell me whether we’re in a recession. Because over the past few months, I’ve noticed significant changes in how I’m spending money. My weekly afternoon in a coffee shop has become a black drip from Dunkin'. Instead of Honey Nut Cheerios, I’m starting my days with a boxed cereal called “O’s Bee Juice.” And last week, I got invited to a friend’s wedding in a city I’ve always wanted to visit. Normally, I’d plan on attending, perhaps arriving early.
Humor: I want to join your cult
The system is failing. Economic insecurity is rampant, the planet is burning and loneliness is at an all-time high. And frankly, in these conditions, I should be getting more erratic literature from modest, homespun polygamist cults capitalizing on the moment, enticing me with the rent-free, abandoned farmhouse its nude members get to share.
I want to join your cult
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key Takeaways The system is failing. Economic insecurity is rampant, the planet is burning and loneliness is at an all-time high.
Boomers wanted to help their kids. Instead, they're getting resentment Original
It’s time to challenge the conventional wisdom around baby boomers, millennials and Gen Z. At the risk of sounding slightly conspiratorial (I’ve already had four cups of coffee), plenty of headlines will have you convinced that these generational cohorts are locked in an epic battle of good versus evil, whether that’s the liberal underdogs versus the conservative rich, or a face-off between a hard-working, traditional generation and spoiled, unrealistic liberal youngsters.
Return to the office turns rude: 62% more "acts of incivility" reported in the workplace Original
Does going to the office make us miserable, or is misery simply inherent in the American office? It’s a capitalist “chicken or egg” question that, just half a decade ago, would’ve been difficult to treat as anything other than a thought experiment.
Seriously, I love being a renter
Honestly? I’m psyched to be a renter in this market. Because, let’s be real: Homeownership barely makes sense anymore. Housing prices, of course, have hit record highs in recent years, all while workers’ wages have plateaued. Even rising property values bring steeper tax bills! And for most Americans, this makes homeownership a risky financial crop whose juice, frankly, might not be worth the squeeze.
Retiring in Trump’s economy? Don’t touch your savings
To the millions of Americans who have recently retired, or who hope to retire soon, President Trump’s trade war and the ensuing global market panic has wrought a tremendous amount of anxiety over the future of their life’s savings. Since Trump announced his sweeping global tariffs on April 2, U.S. stock markets have nosedived, with the S&P down 4.2% and the Dow Jones down 3.2%. More than 60% of America’s top CEOs think we’re headed into a recession in the next six months.
A glimpse into the girlboss era
Hello, girlbosses. Welcome to your company’s networking luncheon for women. It’s the year 2015, we’re less than a year away from electing the first female president and things have never been better for women of all stripes — blondes, brunettes, even redheads. Wow, would you look at that cutlery and table linens?
Boomers are still bankrolling their adult kids - but not all are mad about it Original
The economic tension between younger and older Americans — millennials and Gen Zers in their 20s, 30s and 40s versus baby boomers and older Gen Xers in their 60s, 70s and 80s — has become Greco-Roman in scale.
Silicon Valley’s hottest femtech apps
“Women represent half of the planet’s population. ...
How to build affordable housing and get filthy rich
It’s no secret that America has an affordable housing shortage. At the same time, too many housing developers hear “affordable housing” and think, “Nope. Those projects don’t let me afford as many lambskin house slippers as building another high-rise. And if I can't get lost in the aroma of a saffron tagine because I'm distracted by itchy slippers, I’m going to kill somebody." Do you want that to happen? We don’t, either.
All my friends are quitting Amazon
Haven’t you heard? Everyone's trying to quit Amazon. Or, perhaps, this is just how it feels to me. Because I’m not talking about the company’s workers, 73% of which are thinking about leaving their jobs. I’m talking about a fairly diverse cross-section of American shoppers — those living all around the country, in major metros like Houston, Nashville and Austin; in more walkable urban cities like New York and Chicago; and in small cities and towns like Tempe, Arizona and Hereford, Texas.
All my friends are quitting Amazon
Haven’t you heard? Everyone's trying to quit Amazon. Or, perhaps, this is just how it feels to me. Because I’m not talking about the company’s workers, 73% of which are thinking about leaving their jobs. I’m talking about a fairly diverse cross-section of American shoppers — those living all around the country, in major metros like Houston, Nashville and Austin; in more walkable urban cities like New York and Chicago; and in small cities and towns like Tempe, Arizona and Hereford, Texas.
“Cops, AI, drug companies”: Who wants to buy your DNA from 23andme? Original
The bankruptcy of personal genomics company 23andMe is a headline that has broken past the well-heeled haze of the business world — given, of course, its existential implications for millions of Americans’ genetic information. The company, founded in San Francisco 2006, and having served 15 million individuals to-date, is one of a handful of genetic testing businesses whose customers mail in a cotton swab of their saliva.
Tariffs have "a profound effect" on new car prices - but may boost value of your used car Original
On April 2, a month-long reprieve that U.S. automakers were given from a 25% tariff on Canadian and Mexican imports is set to expire. That means car prices are expected to rise dramatically, given that they’ll also be impacted by President Trump’s 25% tariff on steel and aluminum, which went into effect last week. The steel and aluminum tariffs alone are “going to have a profound effect on the prices of vehicles,” Joe Giranda, director of sales and marketing for CFR Classic, told Salon.
"Ripe with potential": Here's what real estate developer speak really means
One moment, everything’s fine. The next, boom. There it is, sprouted from the ground. Maybe it appears on an empty lot in the neighborhood, or on the razed site of a treasured eatery that just closed its doors after 30 years.
"Ripe with potential": Here's what real estate developer speak really means
One moment, everything’s fine. The next, boom. There it is, sprouted from the ground. Maybe it appears on an empty lot in the neighborhood, or on the razed site of a treasured eatery that just closed its doors after 30 years.
Trump's banking deregulation affects your money
It’s clear the actions undertaken by President Trump’s second administration are going to reshape Americans’ finances in myriad ways. And one less flashy part of his federal government overhaul — banking deregulation — is worth paying attention to. As of now, the only federal agency that explicitly monitors banks and other depository institutions for abusing consumers is on life support.
Trump's banking deregulation affects your money
A customer making a contactless payment using a credit card. Getty Images/VioletaStoimenova It’s clear the actions undertaken by President Trump’s second administration are going to reshape Americans’ finances in myriad ways. And one less flashy part of his federal government overhaul — banking deregulation — is worth paying attention to. “The cop on the beat is gone,” said Chris Fasano, an attorney who was fired from his position at the CFPB last month amid DOGE's attempts to dismantle the bureau.
Trump CFPB drops suit against Warren Buffett's mobile-home lender that "knowingly traps people"
The lawsuit read like a fable of American capitalism. It accused the nation’s biggest mobile-home builder — owned by one of the world's wealthiest men and servicing the most financially vulnerable homeowners — of giving loans to borrowers who clearly wouldn't be able to make the payments.
Does homeownership still make sense?
Homeownership has always been at the crux of the American dream. But with housing’s rising unaffordability, that dream is looking more like a moonshot for most everyday Americans — and the juice might not be worth the squeeze. For most apartment dwellers, saving for a down payment on a home can take years. For residents of Hawaii, it could take as long as 16 years and seven months.
Homeownership is more important — and less accessible — than ever
Continue reading More for You
Homeownership is more important - and less accessible - than ever
When your pipe breaks, who do you call: a plumber, or a landlord? How younger Americans answer that question may be key to their financial fortunes. Perhaps more than any generation up to this point, young Americans’ ability to build wealth may uniquely hinge on whether they can afford to own property. Their wages, while no doubt affording them a higher standard of living than other generations, still haven’t risen as quickly as inflation and the cost of living.
Homeownership is more important — and less accessible — than ever
Depressed woman looking through window Getty Images/martin-dm Perhaps more than any generation up to this point, young Americans’ ability to build wealth may uniquely hinge on whether they can afford to own property. Their wages, while no doubt affording them a higher standard of living than other generations, still haven’t risen as quickly as inflation and the cost of living.
"Consumers are likely to pay higher prices": Trump tariffs are here
President Donald Trump's campaign pledge to slash gas and grocery costs for everyday Americans could be upended by is other pledge that went into effect Tuesday: steep tariffs on Mexico and Canada and an increase on tariffs on China. Trump put a 25% tariff on all imports from Mexico and Canada, with the exception of Canadian energy and oil products, hit with a 10% tariff. Trump ordered an additional 10% tariff on all Chinese goods, bringing the total to 20%.
"Consumers are likely to pay higher prices": Trump tariffs are here
President Donald Trump's campaign pledge to slash gas and grocery costs for Americans could be upended by his other pledge that went into effect Tuesday: steep tariffs on Mexico and Canada and an increase on tariffs on China. Trump put a 25% tariff on all imports from Mexico and Canada, with the exception of Canadian energy and oil products, hit with a 10% tariff. Trump ordered an additional 10% tariff on all Chinese goods, bringing the total to 20%.
Can Trump actually ban DEI? The confusion is the point Original
In the elite boardrooms of corporate America, executives have either slashed or completely abandoned workplace policies promoting diversity and inclusion in the wake of President Donald Trump’s executive order calling the programs “illegal discrimination.” The swiftness of the reversals brings to mind the image of the executive order as a gunshot, booming through a meadow, and American executives as a herd of startled deer, rushing to ensure they’re complying with the gunholder’s wishes.
Rich people are scared of getting shot in the streets. A dangerous app is capitalizing on it Original
The arc of the moral universe may bend toward justice, but the arc of American capitalism, without a doubt, bends toward guns. I’m talking here about Protector, a new gig app that lets users book armed drivers and personal security agents. Protector launched in New York and Los Angeles last week, where users can now request ride shares with gunslinging drivers and bodyguards, all of them either active or retired military or law enforcement personnel.
"SNL" is a haven for straight white guys, yet its NYC roots make it queerer than its peers
In 1975, the year "Saturday Night Live" premiered, nearly 70% of Americans said they believed that homosexuality was always wrong. That figure would only rise over the next decade, a National Opinion Research Center poll found, peaking in 1987 at 75%.
Women’s financial power is rising. But it's still a man's world, right? Original
It’s a surreal time for American women. On the one hand, the United States just installed a president found liable for sexual abuse; who previously appointed three Supreme Court justices to end federal abortion protections, sending mortality rates for pregnant people skyrocketing; and who halted the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s collection of equal pay data during his first term. On the other hand, a new report says women’s economic gains have outpaced men’s over the past few years.
"I am embarrassed" that Trump blamed DEI for D.C. air disaster
Continue reading More for You Continue reading More for You
"Accidents should never be made political": Trump blames DEI for airline disaster Original
An American Airlines passenger jet collided in midair with a Black Hawk helicopter over Washington, D.C., at roughly 9 p.m. on Thursday night, sending both aircraft into the Potomac River. The jet reportedly had 64 people on board and the helicopter carried three military personnel. Authorities believe all 67 people died, among them a number of prominent American and Russian figure skaters who were returning from Wichita, Kansas.
Gen Z workers aren't feeling great. What's the problem?
Continue reading More for You Continue reading More for You
Gen Z workers aren't feeling great. What's the problem? Original
Fewer than one in three Gen Z workers with full-time jobs feel holistically healthy — from a social, mental, physical and financial standpoint — a figure that's 10% lower than their older colleagues. That’s according to a survey by MetLife, scheduled to be released in March. The insurance and employee benefit company surveyed 2,964 full-time workers aged 21 and older for its 2025 Employee Benefit Trends.
"That says it all:" Big Tech takes prime seats at Trump inauguration Original
Scattered among President Donald J. Trump's family members, his vice president, his Cabinet appointments and a handful of his billionaire donors on Monday were a few key faces that sent a clear signal: Big Tech is in the president’s inner circle. Behind Ivanka and Donald Jr., a pouf of Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s strawberry-blonde curls could be seen.
Cecile Richards, prominent abortion rights advocate, dies at 67
Continue reading More for You Continue reading More for You
Cecile Richards, prominent abortion rights advocate, dies at 67 Original
Cecile Richards, a prominent advocate for abortion rights who served as president of Planned Parenthood for more than a decade, died on Monday. She was 67. Richards was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a terminal brain cancer, in 2023. She died at home, "surrounded by family and her ever-loyal dog, Ollie," Richards’ family said in a statement. Her passing came hours before Donald Trump was inaugurated as president.
What can Trump inauguration donors expect in return? 2017 offers a look
Much of Donald Trump's political era is unprecedented, but at least one element is familiar: an inauguration with record-setting fundraising and deep-pocketed donors. Trump raised a record $107 million from corporations and wealthy individuals in 2017 and has reportedly hauled in an estimated $170 million for Monday's festivities. And while donors often argue they're merely doing their civic duty, a report suggests what they might get in return for some very expensive patriotism.
Big Tech, billionaire donors at Trump's inauguration Original
Donald Trump’s return to the White House, once seen as nearly impossible in the immediate aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, was boosted by ultra-wealthy political donors, tech titans and business moguls who opened their deep pockets — many of whom are expected to attend his second inauguration. Some, such as Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, are hopeful Trump will treat them more favorably than he has previously indicated.
Nixon paved the way for Trump’s "new standard" of inaugural fundraising Original
Much ink has been spilled over Donald Trump’s record-shattering fundraising for his second inauguration. The president-elect has collected a reported $170 million for the smattering of ceremonies and festivities in Washington, D.C. on Monday, and is expected to raise more than $200 million after fundraising concludes. Unlike campaign fundraising, there are no legal limits on how much donors can give inaugural committees and there is little transparency around how the money is spent.
OpenAI, valued at $157 billion, isn't profitable. Should that be normal?
Continue reading More for You Continue reading More for You
OpenAI, valued at $157 billion, isn't profitable. Should that be normal?
Sam Altman Mike Coppola/Getty Images OpenAI, as you likely know, is one of tech’s biggest unicorns. A group of entrepreneurs and researchers, including Elon Musk and the company’s current CEO Sam Altman, founded the artificial intelligence company in 2015. Today, OpenAI is valued at a whopping $157 billion — putting it on par with the market capitalizations of public companies like AT&T, Goldman Sachs and Uber, per The Wall Street Journal.
Financial relief, or "loan shark in your pocket"?
Continue reading More for You Continue reading More for You
Cash advance apps: Financial relief, or "loan shark in your pocket"?
Dave, a cash advance app that allows users to borrow money from their next paycheck, comes with an eye-catching claim they can "get up to $500 in five minutes." "Like David slaying Goliath, we’re taking on big banks and their outdated ways," Dave’s website states. The app grew quickly last year. Dave ended 2024 with the highest annual share price growth of any U.S. financial stock; shares were trading on Dec. 20 at a price 934% higher than the start of the year.
Rachel Maddow announces temporary return of full-time show Original
Try as some might to disassociate from a second Trump administration, the president-elect will indeed be sworn in a week from today. But TV audiences will be getting another flash of déjà vu from 2017 — five weeknights of Rachel Maddow breaking it down. MSNBC has announced that “The Rachel Maddow Show” will return to its full-time schedule for the first 100 days of Trump’s term. The show will air weeknights at 9 p.m. ET starting Jan.
"Clearly, they expect something in return": The corporate costs of inaugurating Trump Original
It's not new for big businesses and wealthy individuals to contribute to a president's inauguration festivities. There are no legal limits on how much they can give, and the incoming president largely determines what kinds of donations to accept and how much. But Donald Trump's massive fundraising haul for his second swearing-in is unprecedented in the modern era, experts say, and underscores the degree to which powerful corporate interests are now willing to court his favor.
Record-smashing home sales of 2024 Original
For most American homebuyers, 2024 was a tough year. The U.S. is on track to record 4 million home sales in 2024 — the lowest volume in nearly 30 years. But among the country’s wealthiest homebuyers, the market is booming. Luxury home sales — including properties listed for $1 million or more — were up 5.2% in the first half of 2024. That’s compared to overall home sales volume dropping 12.9% over that same period, according to data from The Agency, a global luxury real estate brokerage.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with Cara Michelle
Contact Cara Michelle, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack