The Daily Money

ALL THE MONEY NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Wed Jan 8 2025

Daniel de Visé | Personal Finance Reporter

Good morning! It's Daniel de Visé with your Daily Money.

President-elect Donald Trump has publicly called the state of the country and its economy a "disaster" and a "total mess." But in a private meeting, the president-elect complimented President Joe Biden's economic policies, at least according to Biden.

"He was very complimentary about some of the economic things I had done," Biden said in a 55-minute interview with USA TODAY. "And he talked about − he thought I was leaving with a good record."

Here's more on Biden's economic record.

Is $1m the new retirement benchmark?

Retirement in America now costs $1 million or more in 15 states, according to a new analysis.

The cheapest retirement state in 2025 is West Virginia, where you'll need an estimated $712,913 in savings, and an annual budget of $50,954, to retire in comfort, according to new data released this week by GOBankingRates, the personal finance site.

Here are the 15 priciest retirement states.

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What Uneaka Daniels experienced the last couple of times she was in the United States was enough to stop her from coming back.

Bermuda-born and raised, Daniels was in Atlanta in 2019 and decided to get her hair done. On her way to the salon, she stopped a man to ask for directions. Suddenly, everyone ducked. It was a drive-by shooting.

She's not alone: A growing number of international travelers are opting out of trips to the U.S.

About The Daily Money

Each weekday, The Daily Money delivers the best consumer and financial news from USA TODAY, breaking down complex events, providing the TLDR version, and explaining how everything from Fed rate changes to bankruptcies impacts you.

Daniel de Visé covers personal finance for USA Today.