Gretchen Morgenson
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Senior financial reporter, NBC News Investigations; Pulitzer Prize 2002; former NYT, WSJ; latest book on predatory finance bit.ly/TheseAreThePlunderers
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Articles by Gretchen Morgenson
Promesas incumplidas: las quiebras de residencias para mayores dejan a las familias sin los ahorros de toda su vida
Sept. 27, 2026, 6:53 PM EDT Por Gretchen Morgenson - NBC News Roger Scales creía que estaba haciendo lo correcto cuando trasladó a su anciana madre a The Buckingham Senior Living Community, un complejo residencial de 23 acres situado en un barrio exclusivo de Houston. El centro estaba a solo 20 minutos de su casa y ofrecía servicios de vida asistida y atención de enfermería especializada por si ella llegara a necesitar un mayor nivel de cuidados en el futuro.
Promises unkept: Senior living home bankruptcies rob families of their life savings
Sept. 27, 2026, 6:00 AM EDT Roger Scales thought he was doing the right thing when he moved his elderly mother into The Buckingham Senior Living Community, a 23-acre property in an upscale neighborhood of Houston. It was just 20 minutes from his home and offered assisted living and skilled nursing in case she’d need an increased level of care in the future. Just a moment. We are getting your experience ready. Follow popular topics ElectionsArtificial intelligencePop CultureScienceHealthSee your feed›
The $21 billion problem regulators missed in Mark Walter’s insurance empire
If you have life insurance or an annuity, pay attention to the unfolding federal investigation into the financial empire of Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter.
Trump’s war on woke leaves almost $300 million in small-business loans in limbo
FOR SUBSCRIBERS President Donald Trump signed an executive order last year directing that a long-standing fund for small businesses be eliminated.Samuel Corum / Getty Images Aug. 20, 2026, 7:01 AM EDT Small businesses already strained by tariffs, higher prices and interest rates have lost access to a crucial lifeline: The Trump administration is withholding $289 million Congress appropriated for loans to Main Street. Just a moment. We are getting your experience ready.
Private equity needs new investors. It’s targeting your 401(k).
Most of the roughly $30 trillion Americans hold in 401(k)s and IRAs is in mutual funds. Proposed regulations would let regular investors put money in private equity funds previously available only to accredited investors with sufficient assets. David Paul Morris / Bloomberg via Getty Images Aug.
Foul ball: These aging ex-MLB stars say the league is turning its back on them
After Randy Jones, a Cy Young award-winning pitcher for the San Diego Padres, died last fall at the age of 75, the team celebrated his life and career in grand fashion.
Millions of women may lose Medicare coverage for a breast cancer test hailed by doctors
Millions of women may lose Medicare coverage for a breast cancer test hailed by doctors A private company advising the agency that oversees Medicare has recommended against reimbursing for the biomarker tests, sparking a backlash from cancer specialists.
Is your hospital run by private equity? Expect a bigger bill
Stage 3 renal cancer cost Jill Shannon a kidney in 2023. Then the healthcare worker in Las Cruces, New Mexico, experienced difficulties with chemotherapy injections, and her doctor suggested she have a port put in place to make the treatments easier. Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscription Get exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.
Bugs and black mold: What some mobile home park residents see after investors buy in
This article is part of "Unaffordable America," a series examining rising economic inequality in the U.S. and the policies that drive it. Soon after Aliea Brown rented Unit 62 at the Buck Island Manufactured Home Community in northern Mississippi in 2023, it became clear she couldn't stay. The front door was hung upside down, Brown said, black mold began growing throughout the unit and the windows weren't sealed properly. Termites and ladybugs invaded.
Is SpaceX stock worth $135 a share? Pros weigh in on IPO
Analysis SpaceX's stock is expected to start trading Friday in the biggest IPO in history. Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo / AFP via Getty Images file June 10, 2026, 6:01 AM EDT The world’s richest person wants to sell you the world’s biggest IPO — and one of the most expensive. SpaceX insiders are certain to reap a huge return from a stock sale expected to rocket Elon Musk into being the first trillionaire, but what about the rest of us? Just a moment. We are getting your experience ready.
Bugs and black mold: What some mobile home park residents see after investors buy in
June 10, 2026, 6:00 AM EDT This article is part of “Unaffordable America,” a series examining rising economic inequality in the U.S. and the policies that drive it. Soon after Aliea Brown rented Unit 62 at the Buck Island Manufactured Home Community in northern Mississippi in 2023, it became clear she couldn’t stay. The front door was hung upside down, Brown said, black mold began growing throughout the unit and the windows weren’t sealed properly. Termites and ladybugs invaded.
Nation’s largest public pension fund plagued by secrecy and underperformance, probe finds Original
May 22, 2026, 6:00 AM EDT An independent investigation into the nation’s largest public pension, the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, concluded that its 2.4 million members are imperiled by secrecy, chronic underperformance, understated investment costs and conflicts of interest. The report was commissioned last year by a nonprofit advocacy group that includes beneficiaries of the $630 billion fund who were concerned about its lagging performance and lack of transparency.
She paid an insurance company $99,000 to generate retirement income for life. Then it collapsed. Original
May 20, 2026, 6:00 AM EDT When Annie Benjamin invested $99,000 in an annuity 10 years ago, she trusted the insurance company to provide her with retirement income. She also relied on the company’s regulator to ensure the insurer could meet its obligations. Benjamin’s trust in both was misplaced. PHL Variable Insurance Co., a private equity-owned life insurer, collapsed in 2024 and is heading for liquidation.
Ex-Live Nation executive files wrongful termination suit alleging 'serious corporate misconduct' Original
April 24, 2026, 5:29 PM EDT A former Live Nation executive has sued the company alleging wrongful termination, saying that he was fired last year after notifying the company of "serious corporate misconduct" that included "a company-wide pattern of financial misrepresentation and misleading disclosures." Nicholas Rumanes joined Live Nation in a leadership position in 2022 and was tasked with establishing a new real estate development unit at the company, according to the lawsuit filed...
Documents reveal how Live Nation muscled venues, artists and rivals — even while under government scrutiny
Michael Rapino, president and CEO of Live Nation, received $195 million in compensation in the three years ending in 2024, a figure the federal judge hearing the antitrust trial in New York barred the jury from hearing after the company's lawyers argued it was prejudicial.Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images file April 10, 2026, 5:01 AM EDT Facing antitrust allegations in a New York City courtroom this month, Live Nation has argued it is not a monopoly and does not strong-arm venues and artists.
Hospital costs are rising far faster than inflation and drowning Americans in debt Original
April 2, 2026, 6:45 AM EDT This article is part of “Unaffordable America,” a series examining rising economic inequality in the U.S. and the policies that drive it. Stricken with severe abdominal pain, Randy Slaughter spent three days at a nonprofit hospital in College Station, Texas, in April 2024. But doctors couldn't determine the cause and sent him home, Slaughter said, advising him to change his diet.
Senator launches probe of investment groups buying up trailer parks Original
The top Senate Democrat on the congressional Joint Economic Committee launched a new probe Monday into investment firms that hold large stakes in mobile home parks. Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire has asked six firms to produce internal documents and materials showing the impact their business practices have had on mobile home residents and the profits their investments have generated.
U.S. women are increasingly shut out of a breast cancer treatment valued around the world Original
Oct. 7, 2025, 6:00 AM EDT It’s not uncommon for breast cancer patients in the rural South to travel hundreds of miles to reach the medical practice run by Dr. Phillip Ley, a cancer surgeon in Jackson, Mississippi. For those who are good candidates, Ley recommends a therapy that delivers a single, targeted radiation dose to a patient’s breast tissue immediately after surgery to remove a tumor.
More On TIAA Whistleblower Complaint: NBC News
Rhode Island sheriffs' retirement account woes bring scrutiny to their state-run plan With their money locked up and investment costs undisclosed, a captain and a sergeant described the situation as “a disaster” and “infuriating." By Gretchen Morgenson, NBC News …..
Death rates rose in hospital ERs after private equity firms took over, study finds Original
After hospitals were acquired by private equity firms, patient death rates in the emergency departments rose by 13% compared with similar hospitals, according to research published this week in Annals of Internal Medicine. The research, which compared outcomes at hospitals over a 10-year period, adds fresh evidence to previous studies showing harmful patient outcomes and higher costs among health care entities owned by profit-oriented financiers.
Rhode Island sheriffs' retirement account woes bring scrutiny to their state-run plan Original
Jason Allaire, left, a captain with the Rhode Island Division of Sheriffs, and Robert Jalette, a sergeant with the department. Sophie Park for NBC News Over the last 13 years, Jason Allaire, a captain with the Rhode Island Division of Sheriffs, had saved thousands of dollars in a state retirement plan created for public employees.
Rhode Island sheriffs' retirement account woes bring scrutiny to their state-run plan
Over the last 13 years, Jason Allaire, a captain with the Rhode Island Division of Sheriffs, had saved thousands of dollars in a state retirement plan created for public employees. The account is a 401(a), a 401(k) equivalent for government workers, so he assumed it worked the same way: He could withdraw funds before he hit retirement age but would have to pay a penalty and taxes to do so.
Overbilling at women's health care group padded private equity profits while costing patients, insider says
Gretchen Morgenson Fri, September 19, 2025 at 9:00 AM UTC 10 min read When seven expectant mothers in Palm Beach County had their babies delivered by midwives at Florida Woman Care, one of the largest female health care operations in the state, the cost should have been at least 20% less than what physicians charge.
Mother with cerebral palsy struggles to hire aides after private equity takeover Original
Renee Christian, a single mom with cerebral palsy, lives in Buffalo, New York, with her 12-year-old daughter. Although her condition forced her to spend most of her childhood at a nursing home, she has resided in her own home for years with the help of personal assistants she hires under a New York State Medicaid program.
High-ranking DOGE official and Elon Musk ally, Antonio Gracias, has left government
Antonio Gracias, a high-ranking DOGE official who was simultaneously managing nearly $2 billion in assets for nine public pension funds, has left the government, his firm said, after a top union leader raised questions about the risks Gracias' dual roles posed to the funds. Gracias is founder, chief executive and chief investment officer of Valor Equity Partners, a private equity firm that manages $17.5 billion in assets.
AI is helping patients fight insurance company denials
Stephanie Nixdorf was at Disney World with her family in December 2021 when she got the call. A mysterious bump on her elbow was melanoma, her doctor said. Tests later showed it was Stage 4, with spots on her lung and two tumors in her brain. Nixdorf, 51, a mother of four who lives with her husband, Jason, in Davidson, North Carolina, began treatments immediately, and by January 2024 her cancer was abating.
AI is helping patients fight insurance company denials
July 18, 2025, 6:00 AM EDT Stephanie Nixdorf was at Disney World with her family in December 2021 when she got the call. A mysterious bump on her elbow was melanoma, her doctor said. Tests later showed it was Stage 4, with spots on her lung and two tumors in her brain. Nixdorf, 51, a mother of four who lives with her husband, Jason, in Davidson, North Carolina, began treatments immediately, and by January 2024 her cancer was abating.
AI is helping patients fight insurance company denials
Stephanie Nixdorf was at Disney World with her family in December 2021 when she got the call. A mysterious bump on her elbow was melanoma, her doctor said. Tests later showed it was Stage 4, with spots on her lung and two tumors in her brain. Nixdorf, 51, a mother of four who lives with her husband, Jason, in Davidson, North Carolina, began treatments immediately, and by January 2024 her cancer was abating.
AI is helping patients fight insurance company denials: 'It is wild'
Scientists Found the Staggering Natural Switch That Could Bring Back Your Eyesight Millions of people live with vision loss that we thought was permanent. This may change the equation. What if your eyes could fix themselves? Turns out, your body might already have what it takes to regrow the cells you need to see better—and scientists may have found the switch to simply turn it …
AI is helping patients fight insurance company denials: 'It is wild'
Stephanie Nixdorf was at Disney World with her family in December 2021 when she got the call. A mysterious bump on her elbow was melanoma, her doctor said. Tests later showed it was Stage 4, with spots on her lung and two tumors in her brain. Nixdorf, 51, a mother of four who lives with her husband, Jason, in Davidson, North Carolina, began treatments immediately, and by January 2024 her cancer was abating.
California public pension fund, the nation's largest, faces probe launched by concerned retirees
In recent years, the handling of the nation's largest public pension fund has caused growing alarm among a group of retirees who rely on it. They have sought an outside audit of California's $530 billion pension fund, known as the California Public Employees' Retirement System, or CalPERS. They have also tried to persuade legislators to install an inspector general to monitor its operations. Both efforts went nowhere. Now, they've decided to take matters into their own hands.
Taking on Goliath: Brain surgeon's clash with UnitedHealthcare shows insurer's hardball tactics
Dr. Catherine Mazzola, a pediatric neurosurgeon, runs a practice she says is in serious jeopardy because of recent moves by UnitedHealth Group. Zach Gross for NBC News Dr. Catherine Mazzola, a pediatric neurosurgeon, runs a practice in New Jersey that treats low-income children on Medicaid. Since 2008, she has cared for boys and girls with cerebral palsy, spina bifida and other neurological disorders.
Taking on Goliath: Brain surgeon's clash with UnitedHealthcare shows insurer's hardball tactics
June 20, 2025, 6:00 AM EDT Dr. Catherine Mazzola, a pediatric neurosurgeon, runs a practice in New Jersey that treats low-income children on Medicaid. Since 2008, she has cared for boys and girls with cerebral palsy, spina bifida and other neurological disorders. But now, her practice is in serious jeopardy, she says, because of recent moves by the insurance and health care giant UnitedHealth Group. The story begins in February 2024, when a unit of UnitedHealth experienced a massive hack.
Facing sky-high medical bills? Your hospital may have overcharged you Original
May 30, 2025, 6:00 AM EDT After Blake Pfeifer, a veteran plumber in Colorado Springs, Colorado, underwent emergency stomach surgery at a nearby nonprofit hospital in 2022, he struggled to understand the bills flooding in for his weeklong stay. The initial charge for the procedure at the University of Colorado Health Memorial Hospital Central was $104,000, his records show. Because Pfeifer had no insurance and would be paying out of pocket, he was quoted a discounted price of $58,124.
Cash App owner Block pays $40 million fine to New York over 'serious compliance deficiencies'
New York state’s top financial regulator struck a $40 million settlement Thursday with Block Inc., the parent of Cash App, the popular money transmission service, after having found the company had “serious compliance deficiencies” related to its anti-money laundering program and transaction monitoring processes.
A Vietnam vet found a dream senior living community. Then new owners jacked up the rent by 365%.
When Martha Bray and her husband moved into River Glen of St. Charles, a senior living community west of Chicago, she figured it would be her last home. The couple loved the neighborhood’s tree-lined streets, tended lawns and tidy red-brick townhomes. The Brays paid a $314,000 entry fee for their townhouse in 2013, plus a monthly maintenance fee. They didn’t own the property, but if they decided to leave, their contract promised they’d receive 85% of the current value determined by a local realtor.
DOGE plans to cut VA contracts may harm veterans' care, employees say Original
Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency abandoned some of its plans to slash contract spending for veterans' health care services this week after a revolt by front-line Veterans Health Administration employees who contended many of the cuts would imperil safety at the agency's almost 1,400 hospitals and clinics. What had been a list of 875 VA contracts scheduled for termination a little over a week ago has now become 585 canceled contracts, the VA said Monday.
They were told to get extra breast cancer screenings. Then they got stuck with the bill.
Continue reading More for You Continue reading More for You
They were told to get extra breast cancer screenings. Then they got stuck with the bill.
When Molly Smith went for her first mammogram in 2021, she had reason to be wary. Her grandmother, mother, sister and another family member have all been diagnosed with breast cancer. The mammogram detected abnormal tissue - said Smith, 46, a mother of two from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina - and more testing was necessary. To her great relief, Smith received a clean report following an ultrasound, MRI and biopsy. But she incurred bills of more than $1,000 that her insurance didn't cover.
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