The Consumer Financial Protection Agency is still just a bill, but if it winds up getting passed and created as the Obama Administration has been pushing for Americans will have a bold new ally every time they sign up for a credit card, write a check or take out a home loan. The goal: to make sure that financial products aren't rigged in favor of the firms selling them and that ordinary people have a shot at wading through complicated contracts and fee structures to really understand what they're getting themselves into.
From a rocket of the future to a $10 million lightbulb, here are TIME's picks for the best new gadgets and breakthrough ideas of the year