ICYMI: Report Shows 'Annoyance Economy' Rips Off Consumers for $165 Billion Annually

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ICYMI: Report Shows 'Annoyance Economy' Rips Off Consumers for $165 Billion Annually

March 4, 2026--Spam and robocalls cost Americans over $32 billion annually, junk fees cost consumers $90 billion annually, and health care headaches cost $41 billion.
Groundwork Collaborative recently published Taking on the Annoyance Economy, which totals the cost of the Annoyance Economy at $165 billion in wasted time and effort.

Groundwork Policy Fellow Chad Maisel and Stanford economist Neale Mahoney find that tactics such as obstructing cancellations can raise corporate profits by up to 200%.

The annoyances are increasingly inescapable: Americans receive more than 130 million scam and illegal marketing calls each day, and over 20 billion spam texts each month. By draining money, time, and energy, the Annoyance Economy amplifies the cost of daily life and hits families hardest who are already stretched thin. As Americans face an affordability crisis, the Trump administration has let the "Annoyance Economy" flourish scrapping airline refund rules, repealing CFPB overdraft protections, and cutting enforcement against scams and abusive practices.

Source: groundworkcollaborative.org

Ranked: The World's Richest Countries vs. the Happiest Countries

February 27, 2026--Several Nordic countries rank among both the richest and happiest in the world.

Some ultra-wealthy nations, including Singapore and Qatar, do not make the top 20 for happiness.

Only a handful of countries appear near the top of both rankings.

WFE Accessing Transition Finance-A Practical Guide for Issuers

February 26, 2026--Transition finance that enables the economy and finance to move towards Net Zero and other sustainability-related goals is a significant opportunity for businesses and investors.
Global climate finance, which supports activities that are already green, reached $1.9 tr in 2023 and is estimated to have exceeded $2 tr in 2024.

Rewiring global value chains in a changing global environment

February 25, 2026--Global value chains are the backbone of the world economy,even at a time when they are undergoing structural and policy-driven changes in the face of a rapidly changing global environment.
Over the past two decades,international production networks have been tested in various ways - by the COVID-19 pandemic, by intensifying geopolitical frictions,by financial shocks and by accelerating climate challenges.

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