No more counting minutes

Is AT&T's Unlimited Mobile to Any Mobile effort enough to stop the VerizoniPhone hemorrhage?

You heard it here first — You won't find me leaving AT&T for Verizon anytime soon.

In a move that was probably too late to prevent anyone from actually making The Big Switch, AT&T rolled out the Unlimited Mobile to Any Mobile package on Thursday — not-so-coincidentally, on Verizon iPhone Launch Day.

But it's not just unlimited calling between AT&T subscribers, mind you. That word "any" is a huge one. Now, you can call any — any! — mobile phone from your AT&T phone without incurring extra charges or using your precious anytime minutes — Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, Cricket, Nextel, you name it, whatever, oh my!

As long as you have a qualifying plan, that is.

What constitutes a "qualifying plan," you ask? If you have an unlimited messaging plan (which will cost you a cool $20 per month) and a $39.99 per month (or higher) voice plan, you're eligible. And that's all you need.

Let's take me, for example. The people I talk to most — my boyfriend, mother, sister, and a few of my closest friends — are all on different carriers, none of which happen to be AT&T.

So, I've been shelling out the big(ger) bucks monthly for a plan that makes me eligible for the A-List, where I pick five people on any cellular network, and calls to them aren't deducted from my anytime minutes (because calls to my A-Listers are unlimited).

It saved me some dough in the long run, because my minutes did not runneth over. But I'd end up with gobs of rollover minutes, because I wasn't using the minutes I was actually paying for. But I had to stay on the higher plan, or else I couldn't have the A-List in the first place.

Yeah, it didn't make a whole lot of sense to me, either.

With AT&T's new Unlimited Mobile to Any Mobile option, the convoluted A-List feature is moot. Poof! Gone! Vanished! Every one of the individuals on my A-List is a cellular user. Like, duh — who isn't?

Score for me! I've lowered my rate plan and saved myself $25 per month. If I sound like a commercial, pardon me, but I can't help it —my cellular bills stand to come in under $100 for the first time in years. Praise be!

I used to be a Verizon disciple, back in my BlackBerry day. But with AT&T's Unlimited Mobile to Any Mobile, there's no way you'll find me crawling back to Verizon with my tail between my legs any time soon.

Woo me with technology, and I'm yours for a contract. Woo me with savings, and I'm yours for life.

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economic news

Texas slides down the list of best U.S. state economies for 2025

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After riding high among the top five best state economies in 2024, Texas' robust economy may be showing some cracks. Texas now ranks as the state with the eighth best economy, four spots lower than last year's ranking, according to a new WalletHub report.

WalletHub's experts ranked all 50 states and the District of Columbia across 28 metrics to measure each state's economic activity and health and its "innovation potential."

Massachusetts moved up two spots from last year to claim the No. 1 best state economy title for 2025, followed by Utah (No. 2) and Washington (No. 3). Texas was surpassed by No. 4-ranking California, as well as New Hampshire (No. 5), North Carolina (No. 6), and Idaho (No. 7).

This is how Texas fared across the three major categories in the study:

No. 4 – Economic activity (down from No. 2)
No. 11 – Economic health (down from No. 7)
No. 24 – Innovation potential (unchanged)

Texas ranked No. 1 with the most exports per capita in a three-way tie with Louisiana and Kentucky, the report found.

The Lone Star State prides itself on its business-friendliness, and cities like Houston boast some of the most innovative companies in the nation. Texas also ranked 13th in WalletHub's separate study of the most and least innovative states for 2025.

WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo says the states that have the best economies are often those that invest in new businesses, technology, and more. The report also suggests low unemployment rates and high wages are among the many factors that can help Texas residents be successful while also boosting the state economy.

"A strong state economy doesn’t guarantee success for the state’s residents, but it certainly makes financial success more attainable," Lupo said.

The states with the worst economies in 2025, according to WalletHub, are Hawaii (No. 49), West Virginia (No. 50), and Iowa (No. 51).

texas economy innovation wallethub reports