Do Trump's Credit Card Caps and Housing Crackdowns Actually Hurt Americans

Start making passive income here: https://bit.ly/4pInjx7

President Donald Trump is making big promises as he approaches his one-year mark: banning institutions from buying real estate, capping credit card interest rates, and even talking about firing Jerome Powell. If you've been hearing these headlines and wondering, "Is this actually good for the economy, or are we about to make things worse?" this episode is my straight-shooting breakdown of what happens next and why these ideas won't do what people think they'll do.

Let me be clear: this isn't a pro-Trump or anti-Trump rant. I'm not interested in political tribalism. What I'm interested in is cause and effect. I'm watching smart investors completely switch standards depending on who says the policy, and that's dangerous. If you want to understand money, markets, and real outcomes, you've got to turn your brain on and stop filtering everything through a "love him" or "hate him" lens.

First, I address the idea of firing Jerome Powell. Even if Powell were removed as Fed Chair, he could still remain on the Federal Reserve Board. More importantly, rates aren't set by one person. They're determined by a committee, with multiple Fed presidents voting. So the "fire Powell" narrative makes for a great soundbite, but it won't magically drop rates or fix affordability for everyday Americans.

Second, I tackle the claim that institutions are the reason housing got so expensive. The truth is that institutional buyers are a small slice of the market roughly in the 1–3% range. Are there pockets where they influenced pricing? Sure. But they weren't the primary driver. The real driver was demand fueled by cheap money and massive liquidity injections stimulus, PPP, expanded credits, and low interest rates combined with supply chain disruptions, labor costs, and higher construction expenses. I even share my firsthand experience buying in 2021 to show how everyday Americans, not faceless institutions, were creating bidding wars and pushing prices beyond appraisals.

Third, I break down the most misunderstood headline: the proposed credit card interest rate cap at 10%. This is where "unintended consequences" kick in hard. Credit cards are unsecured debt no collateral so risk is higher and rates reflect that. If you force a cap too low, banks don't suddenly become generous. They reduce lending, tighten standards, and cut off the very people who rely on access to credit. And when credit availability shrinks, spending slows, layoffs rise, defaults increase, and markets react. The economy runs on the flow of money and credit. Restrict the flow, and you don't solve the problem you accelerate the downturn.

Bottom line: banning institutional real estate buyers won't lower prices, firing Powell won't change the committee-driven reality of the Fed, and capping credit card rates won't fix affordability it risks breaking credit access and worsening the correction the economy already needs to go through.

If you want to build real stability and become work optional, don't chase headlines. Focus on fundamentals, cashflow, and strategies that work regardless of which politician is talking. And if your 2026 goal is passive income, go to moneyripples.com and use the Work Optional Calculator to find your number.