Stubborn Inflation: Can Real Wages Resume Their Climb?

csmonitor.com “We had some good progress being made,” says Mark Hamrick, an economic analyst at Bankrate. “In recent months, that progress has stalled.” That means the Federal Reserve may…

I bought an air fryer from Costco. Should I now buy gold?

finance.yahoo.com When I heard that Costco COST is now doing a brisk business selling one-ounce gold bars — up to $200 million worth each month, according to reports — I immediately thought…

Where To Find Princely 5% Yields For Your Cash And Take No Risk

investors.com If you thought cash was headed for the trash heap this year, the Federal Reserve threw you a curveball with interest rates. Cash is still king as inflation ails markets like…

Terry Savage: Warning on credit repair and chasing rewards

chicagotribune.com In my recent column about credit card warnings, I explained the dangers of zero-interest cards, particularly those offered by retail stores. If you fail to pay the FULL…

Despite BNPL’s Popularity, Overspending and Missed Payments Remain Top Issues, Bankrate Finds

digitaltransactions.net Consumer demand for buy now, pay later loans may be high, but consumers are still at risk of overspending when using BNPL to finance a purchase or missing a payment. A…

Wages in the US Rise 7%, Home Prices Skyrocket 45%

watcher.guru An economic imbalance in the US economy is growing as wages are not catching up with the rising inflation and home prices. While home buyers with a median earning of $75,939…

Should you use a 529 plan? What to know about this college savings option

theweek.com If you are planning to help cover the cost of a child's education someday, opening a 529 plan is often considered one of the best ways to start saving. That's because a 529…

Financial security is about time, not money, says self-made millionaire who retired at 35

cnbc.com How much money would you have to make to feel financially secure? CNBC's International Your Money Financial Security Survey conducted by SurveyMonkey recently asked people…

Retail sales surge 0.7% in March as Americans seem unfazed by higher prices with jobs plentiful

abcnews.go.com Americans increased their spending pace in March at a better-than-expected pace from the previous month, underscoring how shoppers remain resilient despite inflationary…

Retail sales up a strong 0.7% in March from February, underscoring the resiliency of the US consumer

apnews.com Americans boosted spending at a hotter-than-expected pace in March, underscoring how shoppers remain resilient despite inflationary pressures and other economic challenges.…

The 14 U.S. states where you can still afford to buy a home if you earn less than $75,000

cnbc.com There are only 14 U.S. states where residents who earn less than $75,000 can afford a median-priced home, a new Bankrate analysis reveals. That number has dropped from 36 in…

Op-ed: Allowances are for kids

cnbc.com You don't have to scroll far to find the #tradwives and #SAHGs (stay-at-home girlfriends) of social media who glamorize the extremes of domesticity, or the wives in Dubai…

The wallet-busting era of car ownership

axios.com This week's Consumer Price Index showed insurance prices up 22% over the last year, the largest annual jump seen in data that goes back 40 years. It's the latest sign the…

Auto insurance premiums are skyrocketing. What's to blame?

aol.com Surging auto insurance premiums are fanning the flames of high inflation and keeping the financial pressure on millions of U.S. households nationwide. Consumer prices rose…

Housing market predictions: The forecast for the next 5 years

aol.com It’s been a wild real estate ride over the last few years. After a red-hot market characterized by very low interest rates and frenzied bidding wars, mortgage rates…

Consumer price growth accelerated in March, adding to cloudy picture for U.S. economy

nbcnews.com Inflation remained elevated once again in March, adding another round of price increases to Americans' already-strained wallets. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that…

Credit card delinquency rates hit worst level on record

aol.com New data published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia shows that a growing number of Americans are struggling to make their monthly credit card payments as they…

The stock market's best-case interest rate scenario is in tatters after March CPI

aol.com None The stock market's best-case scenario for Fed rate cuts is in danger. • None Inflation came in hotter-than-expected for the third month in a row in March. • None The…

Why are auto insurance premiums so high? Blame inflation and a few other factors

nbcnews.com The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported price growth accelerated to 3.5% in March, from 3.2% in February. Few categories had as big a jump year on year than auto insurance,…

Burning rubber: How auto insurance prices have fueled inflation

aol.com The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported price growth accelerated to 3.5% in March, from 3.2% in February. Few categories had as big a jump year on year than auto insurance,…

Stock market today: Dow plunges 470 points as US stocks tumble on hot inflation report

finance.yahoo.com None US stocks tumbled on Wednesday as traders took in hotter-than-expected inflation. • None Consumer prices rose 3.8% year-per-year in March, higher than what economists…

How It Started... How It's Going: Energy prices soar as Biden pursues green agenda

foxbusiness.com Energy prices have shot up by more than a third since President Biden assumed office in 2021 as stubborn inflation continues to tax Americans. The Labor Department's new…

‘Disinflation is out and inflation is in’ after a hotter-than-expected March CPI report, experts say

fortune.com Some of Wall Street’s more pessimistic economists have warned for years that the “last mile” in the Federal Reserve’s battle with inflation would be the most difficult.…

Wall Street tumbles as hot inflation numbers dash hopes of rate cuts

cbsnews.com U.S. stocks are sinking Wednesday following new inflation data that showed prices accelerated for a third consecutive month. The hotter-than-expected report further dashed…

Department stores face another squeeze. This time, with store credit card revenue

cnbc.com Department stores like Macy's and Kohl's have long used store-branded credit cards to drive purchases and get a cut of cash. Starting this spring, though, those cards will…

Quorum Federal Credit Union Celebrates 90-Year Anniversary

benzinga.com Online Credit Union reflects on its beginnings and how it has evolved. PURCHASE, N.Y., April 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Quorum Federal Credit Union, a forward-thinking,…

Should you refinance your mortgage? Here are three signs it's time, real estate experts say

cnbc.com It's unclear when the Federal Reserve could begin cutting interest rates, but many homeowners who took out a mortgage in recent years — as rates hovered between 6% and 7%,…

Cost of gas and housing pushed up US inflation in March

aol.com Rising gas prices and stubbornly high shelter costs have stalled some of the progress made on slowing inflation, complicating the timeline for rate cuts from the Federal…

Money Management International Launches MMI Consumer Distress Dashboard to Illuminate Consumer Financial Trends Across the US

benzinga.com STAFFORD, Texas, April 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In response to dramatic shifts in the US consumer debt landscape, Money Management International (MMI), a leading…

Does home insurance cover fences?

aol.com To effectively manage your property, it helps to understand whether your homeowners insurance extends to covering your fence. While your policy is designed to shield you…

Cash savers still have an opportunity to beat inflation amid cloudy forecast for interest rate cuts

cnbc.com It may be a while longer before the Federal Reserve lowers interest rates, experts now say. That means savers can still earn the best returns on their cash in years,…

Here's what's wrong with the ‘100 envelope’ method and TikTok’s other viral savings challenges

cnbc.com If you're having money problems, someone on TikTok has a solution. Between "cash stuffing," the "100 envelope" method or the "no-spend" challenge, there's no shortage of…

March inflation report: another month of 'hot' price gains expected

aol.com A closely watched inflation report due Wednesday is expected to show that progress in fighting price pressures within the economy slowed again in March. Economists expect…

Gen Z warned about credit-card spending

newsweek.com Generation Z is embracing "funflation" more than any other such group, according to a March survey by Bankrate, planning to spend more on travel and entertainment than…

Stock market today: US stocks end mixed as bond yields climb ahead of latest inflation data

finance.yahoo.com None US stocks traded mixed Monday while the 10-year Treasury bond yield reached a new 2024 high. • None Markets think the odds of a June rate cut have declined to about…

Republicans more likely to say cost of living has gone up since 2020: survey

thehill.com Pandemic-era inflation has placed a financial burden on many Americans, but it seems Republicans are more likely than Democrats to say their financial situation has gotten…

The odds of a US recession in the near year have dropped to a 2-year low

aol.com None Strong economic data has cut the chance of an economic downturn in the next year to 33%, according to Bankrate. • None Economists credit robust consumer spending for…

What is the best way to use your tax refund?

theweek.com If you're owed a tax refund and it hasn't already arrived, it's bound to hit your bank account (or mailbox) sometime soon. As of mid-March, the average refund amount that…