WSJ Your Money Matters

It takes a lot to earn status with airlines. Some rungs on the elite ladder require spending up to $250,000 on a carrier-branded credit card. Those rules were relaxed during the pandemic, but now they are tightening up again. WSJ travel reporter Jacob Passy joins host Daniella Cheslow to explain what’s new in elite status and how to plan for the changes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More colleges are accepting students through a process called “direct admission” that lets them skip many of the traditional application steps and even get a scholarship along the way. Sound too good to be true? Wall Street Journal higher-education reporter Melissa Korn joins WSJ Your Money Briefing host J.R. Whalen to discuss how it works and what students need to keep in mind. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As cryptocurrency exchange Binance proposed and then pulled out of an acquisition of rival FTX, bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies suffered sharp declines. WSJ reporter Vicky Ge Huang joins host J.R. Whalen to explain how these exchanges function and why Binance’s action triggered a crypto selloff.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inflation has made getting a divorce a lot more expensive. WSJ personal-finance reporter Veronica Dagher joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss the rising costs and how some former couples are finding ways to rein in expenses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More employers are including salary ranges in job postings as states and cities pass pay-transparency laws. But some posted salary ranges are so wide, they can leave applicants with more questions than answers. WSJ reporter Theo Francis joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fidelity, the nation’s largest 401(k) plan provider, has begun offering bitcoin in its investment menus. WSJ retirement reporter Anne Tergesen joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss what people should consider before investing in crypto, and how their employers are approaching the investment option. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FSA enrollees have been able to carry over their balances for the past several years. But many will have to spend that money by Dec. 31 or risk forfeiting the funds. WSJ personal-finance reporter Ashlea Ebeling joins host J.R. Whalen with more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A recent Gallup survey indicated more than 40% of Americans do not have any money invested in stocks. Host J.R. Whalen is joined by WSJ personal-finance reporter Joe Pinsker who discusses the trend, and by Florida resident Arlene LaHera who has never had money invested in the market. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many people still decades from retirement age have discovered they can join AARP and reap the financial benefits. WSJ personal-finance reporter Veronica Dagher joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss why people in their 20s and 30s are signing up for an organization geared towards their grandparents.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The tech-focused Nasdaq Composite Index’s value has dropped this year by about $8 trillion. WSJ markets reporter Hannah Miao joins host J.R. Whalen to explainthe correlation between rising interest rates and tech stocks’ declining values, and whether analysts see a recovery on the horizon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices