Mortgage applications have jumped to the highest levels since July 2022, driven by homeowners seeking to refinance their loans as rates drop. Applications to refinance or purchase a home in the week that ended Sept. 20 rose 11% week over...
Stocks finished close to where they started Tuesday as investors expressed uncertainty over the size of the Federal Reserve’s expected rate cut, which is scheduled to be announced Wednesday at the conclusion of the widely anticipated policy meeting. The Dow...
This is the economic U-turn we’ve been waiting for. The Federal Reserve is expected to begin lowering interest rates Wednesday. It’s been a long time coming. After inflation peaked at 9.1% in June 2022, the Fed worked to tame consumer...
Everyone dreams of a comfortable retirement, where you don’t have to stress about running out of money or pinching pennies. The goal is to enjoy your golden years with enough financial security to live the lifestyle you’ve always imagined. Whether...
The Federal Reserve unveiled plans that would massively scale back a proposal to raise capital requirements for banks after politicians and the banking industry pushed back on the initial plan, warning it could restrict lending and hurt the economy. The...
The Federal Reserve is nearing the end of an era as the central bank looks to cut interest rates for the first time in four years. If the Fed eases monetary policy at its next meeting on Sept. 18 as...
Thursday marks the one-month anniversary of the Aug. 5 “yen shock” — a mini-market panic that quickly spread throughout global markets after beginning in Japan the Monday following the July jobs report. The Nikkei stock index (^N225) hemorrhaged 12% that...
Being a middle-class worker in America is tough, especially when planning for retirement. With inflation eating away at every dollar, nearly half middle-income earners are finding themselves in a bind, cutting back or even stopping their retirement contributions altogether. A...
It’s been the ultimate no-brainer for more than a year: Park your money in super-safe Treasury bills, earn yields of more than 5%, rinse and repeat. Or as billionaire bond investor Jeffrey Gundlach put it last October, “T-bill and chill.”...
There are glimmers of hope in the U.S. housing market, and ambitious buyers might finally find what they’re looking for in coming months, according to reports released Thursday. To be sure, the reports look pretty grim. Sales of previously-owned homes...
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell sent a straightforward message to markets in a key speech on Friday, saying “the time has come” for the central bank to begin lowering interest rates. Speaking at the Kansas City Fed’s annual economic symposium...
Gregg Abella, a money manager in New Jersey, wasn’t expecting the flood of phone calls he got from clients this past week. “Suddenly people are saying to us, ‘Wow, do you think it’s a good time for us to add...
The Internal Revenue Service is going to get its piece of your hard-earned, tax-deferred retirement savings accounts — it’s just a matter of when. A harsh reality? Perhaps. A chance to think strategically about your retirement accounts? Absolutely. That’s because...
Keep a sharp eye on your email inbox in the coming days and weeks, student loan borrowers. Buried amongst the spam mail and coupons may be the latest information on debt forgiveness. The Biden administration has taken its next steps...
Central bankers are independent of the White House as they set interest rates. But the political cycle can put them under unwanted limelight. Federal Reserve officials are widely expected to embark upon a rate-cutting campaign in the coming months, bringing...
