They changed the income you get from looter bands. Earlier you earned 200 +/- for bands of 9+. Now you earn 50+ for >10, 100 +/- for 20 and maybe 200 for 30 to 50. Take the number with a grain of salt, as they vary.
The grind is insane, so you should keep your daily expenses around 80 if you want to make it. Army speed is also a must, get a horse for every infantry you have plus some packmules. That is just for keeping you afloat, to actually have some surplus after a week, you need to constantly do quests.
Trading at this point can get you going, but it is the worst grind out of all of them to make it work, and you need pre-learned traderoutes.