As aspiring homeowners contend with high mortgage rates, rising home prices, and a low number of homes for sale, the construction of single-family homes built deliberately to be rented is forging full steam ahead as investors bet on rentals. The number of newly built single-family homes being sold to investors to rent, or also known…
The debt-ceiling deal struck by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy over the weekend contains many compromises for both Republicans and Democrats. Some may be harder to stomach than others. Chief among them: changes to the federal government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food-stamp program. “The agreement prevents the worst possible crisis, a…
Got a question about the mechanics of investing, how it fits into your overall financial plan and what strategies can help you make the most out of your money? You can write to me at [email protected]. I recently read the article you wrote about a person who had $5 million+ and couldn’t figure out how…
I am married, but we are both different people, and I get the feeling my husband doesn’t even like me. He’s too tired to leave, and we don’t have anything but bills. He doesn’t have a driver’s license, and he won’t even go to court to pay his fines and get it back. He’s content…
For many of us, the upcoming Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start to the summer season. But we should never forget the true meaning of Memorial Day itself (Monday, May 29) — an occasion to honor those who died while serving their country. The national holiday traces its roots back to 1868, when a…
If you plan to barbecue this weekend, here’s some good news: You’ll get slightly more beef for your buck. However, unless you want to eat your burger plain, you’ll need to shell out more dough for condiments and buns. A new study from data-analysis company Datasembly found that barbecue staples are more expensive than they…
Generation Z is getting smarter about their money, with some starting to invest even before they turn 18, according to a new report. The survey by FINRA Investor Education Foundation and the CFA Institute, which defines Generation Z as those aged between 18 to 25, concluded that 6 in 10 owned at least some investments….
Entry-level hiring is slowing. Hiring for entry-level positions in the U.S is down 32% on the year in April for jobs that require a college degree and down 22% in April for jobs that do not require a college degree, according to a LinkedIn report released Monday. Hiring slowed across all industries in April. It…
Financial Literacy Month puts a spotlight on the financial knowledge Americans are supposed to know and often don’t. But what about financial knowledge that we think we know, but should reconsider? When it comes to money, we pick up lessons from a mish-mash of sources ranging from parents to TikTok videos to high school classes….
I’m a 46-year-old woman, and single mother to a 14-year-old boy. I bought a centrally located house in Miami after the housing market crash in 2010 for $167,000. The house is small but has a big lot in front of it, and I currently owe $128,000. The house is now worth about $400,000. I have…
Traveling this Memorial Day Weekend? Put some deep breaths on your checklist. Americans should brace for jammed highways and long airport lines with more people projected to drive and fly this holiday weekend compared to last year, experts say. Gas is $1 cheaper than it was at the same point last year and airline passengers…
Americans are job hopping, although not always by choice. More than 199,000 global technology-sector employees have been laid off since the start of 2023, according to data compiled by the website Layoffs.fyi. The number of global tech layoffs has risen almost eightfold since mid-January. Facebook owner Meta META, +2.61% is one of a number of…
Dear Quentin, My brother-in-law is being honored by an organization that provides medical assistance to children of families who can’t afford their treatments. I was included on the email invitation, and the ticket price is $375 per person. I feel that it is unfair to ask an individual to incur such an expense. I feel…
The numbers: The number of Americans who applied for unemployment benefits before Memorial Day weekend totaled a low 229,000 after Massachusetts took dramatic steps to weed out a massive increase in fraud. New jobless claims in the seven days ended May 20 rose by 4,000 from 225,000 in prior week, the Labor Department said Thursday….
Despite fears of a potential recession, stubborn inflation and interest-rate hikes, Americans socked away more money for their retirement in the first quarter, especially the youngest workers, Generation Z, according to Fidelity Investment’s first-quarter analysis. In a review of 44.5 million retirement accounts, Fidelity found that account balances are up for the second quarter in…
Americans want to travel this summer, but they’re stressed out about money. Luckily, experts say there are ways to find cheap flights — but it may require a bit of detective work. “All estimates show that it’s going to really be a busy summer,” Ben Ayers, a senior economist at Nationwide Economics, told MarketWatch. The…
The Big Apple is living up to its name as one of the most expensive places to live, with rents at record heights. As government officials and companies try to bring more workers back into the city, a new report by real-estate company Douglas Elliman and appraiser Miller Samuel found that rents were up in…
Florida topped the ranking for best places to live for retired military families, followed by South Carolina and Virginia, driven by factors such as healthcare, favorable tax policies and a strong job market. Oregon came in last place, while the District of Columbia ranked 50th and Nevada ranked 49th, according to a study by WalletHub….
The housing market has cooled in recent years, but it’s still hot in some parts of the U.S. “It’s an exciting time to be a realtor in Gainesville,” said Dani Burns, who joined the real-estate profession 21 years ago, and who now works with Keller Williams Lanier Partners. Out of the 15 homes she’s sold…
Paying servers the minimum wage has influenced tipping practices in the U.S. Many folks were taught that you should tip 18% or 20% — unless the service is outright horrendous. But wait staff are already making the minimum wage in many cities and, if you add the tips they earn, they are oftentimes making significantly…