Retiree benefits bump, credit repayment slump, and a dating app in the dumps

The July inflation data shows a 3.4% increase in the CPI-W, a specific index used to calculate Social Security cost-of-living adjustments, which may lead to the largest benefit bump in four years. Simultaneously, the financial health of consumers faces pressure as 12.8% of credit card debt is now seriously delinquent, marking levels not seen since the Great Recession due to a combination of persistent inflation and lingering pandemic-era debt. Meanwhile, the dating app Bumble is attempting to reverse a 16% decline in paying users by abandoning its signature "women-first" messaging, allowing all users to initiate contact. This shift reflects a broader corporate trend of discarding foundational brand promises to address stagnant growth, as companies like Bumble and Match Group pivot toward in-person social events to re-engage users and combat widespread app fatigue.