Jessica Roy

Thanks!

Worried about an AI bubble? Here’s what to do with your money now Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg and Eric Schmidt have all acknowledged the possibility of an “AI bubble.” How can non-tech billionaires protect their money from the potential fallout of a burst?

Is there an AI bubble? Some of AI's biggest boosters seem to think so. I talked to financial experts about what you can do with your money to protect it (or prepare to ride out a downturn) if there's a burst: www.sfchronicle.com/personal-fin...

You can soon save more pretax money for child care — but there’s a catch Attention, parents doing open enrollment: You can sock away more money for day care costs in 2026, thanks to a change in the dependent care flexible spending account limit.

Exciting news for working parents with kids under 13: The dependent care FSA, which has had the same limit since it was introduced in 1986, is finally increasing next year: www.sfchronicle.com/personal-fin...

The government shutdown is costing workers entire paychecks — here’s what you can do now Thousands of federal workers in the Bay Area are going without pay amid the government shutdown. If you’re one of them, here’s a list of financial resources to tap — and things to avoid.

Federal workers are now missing entire paychecks due to the shutdown. We rounded up grants, loans, food banks, restaurants, hardship loans, unemployment information and other resources for federal employees.

No paywall: www.sfchronicle.com/personal-fin...

Here’s how much the $1.50 Costco hot dog deal would cost if it kept up with inflation The hot dog and soda deal at Costco has cost $1.50 ever since it debuted 40 years ago. If it had kept track with inflation, here’s how much it would set you back today.

And how much would it cost, anyways? Find out here: www.sfchronicle.com/personal-fin...

Milton Cardoza of Sunnyvale with a Costco food court hot dog sign, a Costco food court hot dog shirt, and a Costco food court hot dog.

Sometimes you just can't predict where your reporting will take you. I set out to find out how much the $1.50 Costco hot dog deal -- now celebrating its 40th year -- would cost if that price had kept up with inflation. I wound up in a conversation with a Costco super-fan who owns a piece of history.

How the government shutdown could impact the Social Security COLA increase The 2025 cost-of-living adjustment increase for Social Security recipients was set to be announced Oct. 15. The government shutdown is expected to delay that.

The COLA increase for 2026 was set to be announced on Oct. 15. The government shutdown “is going to delay that announcement.” www.sfchronicle.com/personal-fin...

What private school costs in the San Francisco Bay Area, school by school Compare tuition for the 2025-2026 school year at private schools across the San Francisco Bay Area. See the list of most expensive schools, plus how much costs went up in the past year.

And here's the @sfchronicle.com's newly updated database of private school costs: www.sfchronicle.com/projects/202...

One SF private school made national top 100 list. Here's what it costs to attend Bay Area private high schools shuffled spots in a competitive national ranking this year, with nine of them cracking the top 100. See which schools rose, which fell and what families are paying.

Here's the full story: www.sfchronicle.com/personal-fin...

Bay Area private school rankings: Schools ranked in the top 100 in the U.S. in 2026 by school information website Niche and their annual tuition.

How much does it cost to send your child to the top-ranked private high schools in the Bay Area? In many cases, more than UC tuition. Here's how the top private schools ranked this year and what they cost.

These are the 50 richest California cities — and why some didn’t make the list We got lots of emails from readers asking about omissions on our “richest suburbs in California” list. Here’s why some cities didn’t make the cut — and where they would have landed.

I love getting emails from readers, and I try to write back as often as I can. But when I published our list of California’s richest suburbs, my inbox overflowed with variations on the same question. So I wrote a follow-up: www.sfchronicle.com/personal-fin...

Bay Area parents: Tell us your thoughts on private school — and help shape our coverage Many parents in the Bay Area choose to send their children to private K-12 schools. Are you one of them? We’d like to hear from you for an upcoming series.

Bay Area parents: Tell us your thoughts on private school — and help shape our coverage www.sfchronicle.com/personal-fin...

The best way to save money as grocery prices spike? Make these easy shopping swaps When grocery prices go up, consumers buy fewer things and reduce spending. But there's another simple way to save money at the grocery store.

“The fact is we’re paying more partly because of tariffs.”
www.sfchronicle.com/personal-fin...

Gov. Newsom weighs in: "Corrupt, despicable, & spineless behavior. A coordinated effort to control the media is happening before our eyes & it needs to be called out."

Boomers, Gen X, Millennials or Gen Z? Who’s hurting most from student loans in California The number of Californians delinquent on their student loans has spiked into the hundreds of thousands — with some age groups hit harder than others, according to a new report.

A new study out of the California Policy Lab found hundreds of thousands of Californians are now delinquent on their student loans. Older borrowers are more likely to be behind. www.sfchronicle.com/personal-fin...

My favorite quote in this story came from a virologist, who said, "I think we’ll all look at the menu and go, 'mental health disorders, that’s what 2025 has done to me.' I think we're all qualified to check that box."

I got what I needed for that story but I appreciate you getting back to me!

List of conditions that qualify you to get a COVID-19 shot. List: BMI above 30 Mental health conditions Physical inactivity Heart conditions Diabetes Disabilities (including ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, cognitive impairment and “limitations with self-care or activities of daily living”) Asthma Cancer Pregnancy and recent pregnancy Current and former smokers Neurological conditions Chronic kidney, liver or lung disease HIV

Some (not all!) of the conditions that qualify you to get the new COVID shots under FDA guidelines: www.cdc.gov/covid/hcp/cl...

COVID vaccine chaos: Even pharmacists are confused, but here’s who can get one Confusion in the wake of new federal restrictions on COVID-19 vaccine eligibility has caused frustration for some Californians trying to get the updated shots.

Even in vaccine-friendly California, people are having trouble getting COVID shots. Here are the conditions that qualify + other tips to get one here. www.sfchronicle.com/health/artic...

Hi Raea - I write for the SF Chronicle. Could I ask you a couple questions about your experience getting a COVID vaccine in CA? If you follow me back you can DM me here. Thanks.

Hi Jenn - I write for the SF Chronicle. Could I ask you a couple questions about your experience getting a COVID vaccine? If you follow me back you can DM me here. Thanks.

Hi - I write for the SF Chronicle. Could I ask you a couple questions about your experience trying to get a COVID vaccine? If you follow me back you can DM me here. Thanks.

Hi Chris - I write for the SF Chronicle. Could I ask you a couple questions about your experience trying to get a COVID vaccine? If you follow me back you can DM me here. Thanks.

These are California’s 50 richest suburbs — a Bay Area city tops the list The Bay Area isn’t just wealthy — it’s home to most of California’s richest suburbs. Here are the 50 wealthiest statewide and what it costs to buy in.

These are California’s 50 richest suburbs — a Bay Area city tops the list www.sfchronicle.com/personal-fin...

KQED's Forum Forum tells remarkable and true stories about who we are and where we live. In the first hour, Alexis Madrigal convenes the diverse voices of the Bay Area, before turning to Mina Kim for the second…

🎧 Listen to the Podcast!

@sfchronicle.com's @jessicaroy.bsky.social, @latimes.com's Andrea Castillo and McClatchy's David Lightman broke down what the new law means for everyday Californians like you.

🔗: buff.ly/1As0FhK

I’m in downtown Los Angeles where the “No Kings” protest is set to begin in half an hour. There are already well over 1000 people here. The crowd is rapidly growing, and in my estimation is made up of a significantly older contingent than previous anti-ICE protests in LA. I’ll be covering all day

We published real photos of troops sleeping on a floor in L.A. Right-wing critics called them fake So widespread were the claims that fact-checking organizations launched inquiries. Then the Pentagon confirmed the Chronicle’s images of National Guard troops in Los Angeles were authentic.

The Pentagon confirmed to the Chronicle that the photos of sleeping soldiers are real. www.sfchronicle.com/california/a...

As faith leaders have a crowd take a knee and pray outside the federal building, DHS officers raise their weapons at priests and National Guard members lineup with riot shields against them tonight in downtown L.A.

Law enforcement is violently targeting press at protests around Los Angeles, from easily recognizable "mainstream" outlets to freelancers and independents. ALL press have explicit legal protections in California. #JournalismIsNotACrime.

This evidence thread may get graphic. 🧵👇

In the last 20 or so minutes I’ve seen LAPD officers shove women to the ground without provocation, rip a sign out of a man’s hand and then swing a baton into his leg and raise a less-lethal launcher to aim
directly at a protester (which I’m 99% is a major policy violation.)