While this year’s sharp selloff in stocks might feel brutal, particularly after the carnage of September, the S&P 500 remains about 17.1% above year-end 2019 levels, according to Dow Jones Market ...
Tag: Construction/Real Estate
If Hurricane Ian destroyed your home, take these critical first steps for disaster relief and insurance
The full financial and human price of Hurricane Ian’s destruction is still unknown, days after it lashed Florida, and now with the Carolinas fresh off its wrath. But even with the immediate search-and...
Mortgage rates recently hit their highest level since 2007. Here’s what 5 economists and real estate pros say will happen next with rates
Where will mortgage rates go from here? Getty Images Since the start of the year, mortgage rates have been trending upwards — and according to many experts, this trend will likely continue through Oct...
Young people shouldn’t save for retirement, new research says
Most financial planners advise young people to start saving early — and often — for retirement so they can take advantage of the so-called eighth wonder of the world – the power of compound interest. ...
‘I would not have been able to do it without him’: I built a property portfolio with 23 units while we were dating. How much should I give to my fiancé in our prenup?
I’m about to marry a wonderful man. I built an investment portfolio of 23 units while we were dating. Now we’re questioning how to create a prenuptial agreement. Over the years, I have identified, pur...
Brace yourselves, the Fed is about to inflict ‘some pain’ to fight inflation — here’s how to prepare your wallet and portfolio
The Fed is ready to bring the pain. Are you prepared? Weeks ago, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell cautioned there would be “some pain to households and businesses” as the central bank jacks up inte...
Home values in August saw their largest monthly decline since 2011. Some cities see house prices drop by 3%.
Home values are edging down as buyers remain spooked by high mortgage rates, according to a new report. The typical value of a home in the U.S. fell 0.3% in August from the previous month, according t...
Jeffrey Gundlach says bonds are ‘wickedly cheap’ compared to stocks — and offers one way to get a 9% return without much risk
You can forgive Jeffrey Gundlach, a long-suffering Buffalo Bills fan, if he has the NFL on his mind now that the team he supports looks like the Super Bowl favorite. The chief executive of DoubleLine ...
‘Some companies are closing their doors, others are shutting down divisions’: Rocket CEO outlines plans to navigate the dramatic decline in mortgages
The mortgage industry is struggling with higher rates and a sharp drop in buyer demand. Rocket RKT, +0.53% says it’s got a plan to turn things around. There’s turmoil in the sector. Volume of originat...
Zillow sees peak rent growth as over, but that isn’t what the Fed’s tracking
A look at Zillow Group’s closely followed rent index shows that last year’s roughly 17% yearly surge in rental prices was probably the peak, with the rate of increases dramatically receding in the pas...
What will people do after getting $10,000 or $20,000 in student debt forgiven? MarketWatch asked readers — here’s the No. 1 answer.
Americans’ student debt loads are poised to lighten up and people are making plans on what’s next for their freed-up cash. Borrowers appear to have two prime targets in mind: getting current on their ...
‘I thought we were pretty solid’: My girlfriend and I sold our Florida home. The $200,000 profit was wired to her account. She refuses to give me my fair share.
My long-time girlfriend and I moved to Florida three years ago. After renting a home for a year in an area we liked, we bought a home together. I was not working at the time, she was, so we agreed tha...
‘Vulnerable time for the housing market’: Mortgage rates are now double what they were a year ago, and will weigh on house prices
The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.66% as of Sept. 1, according to data released Thursday by Freddie Mac. That’s up 11 basis points from the previous week — one basis point is equal to one hun...
I set up a company with friends. It has sales of $1 million. Two partners hijacked control of the bank accounts, and want to push others out. What can we do?
I went into business with friends operating a night market. We hold big events every two weeks. We started an LLC as equal members, all with a 25% share. Friend A had the idea to do it and said they w...
Shrinking the Fed’s balance sheet sheet is not likely to be a benign process, new Jackson Hole study warns
“If the past repeats, the shrinking of the central bank’s balance sheet is not likely to be an entirely benign process and will require careful monitoring of the banking sector’s on-and off-balance sh...
‘It’s a remarkably uncertain time’: Redfin CEO warns of rapidly cooling housing market — says deals under contract are being cancelled
After a stellar two-year run, the housing market is sputtering as buyers pull back sharply. One real-estate chief said the market is indeed course-correcting, and it’s getting hard to make a deal as m...
‘Home prices where I live are close to $600,000.’ Is it a smart move to buy a house with all-cash — or better to take out a mortgage?
Dear Big Move, I’ve recently been thinking about purchasing my first home at 35. I have a nest egg of about $1.8 million that I’ve accrued over the past 14 years. This money is completely invested in...
There’s a new supercycle emerging for the economy, and these are the stocks that would benefit, strategist says
It’s been an interesting summer for financial markets — more or less, a series of mostly downbeat economic data led traders to think the Fed will ease off the pedal, though over the last week they’re ...
July existing-home sales fall for the sixth straight month, realtors see ‘housing recession’
The numbers: U.S. existing-home sales fell 5.9% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.81 million in July, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday. This is the sixth straight monthly de...
Biden will sign the Inflation Reduction Act today. Here’s MarketWatch’s rundown of how it will affect your energy bills, investments and drug costs.
President Joe Biden on Tuesday is scheduled to sign into law the Inflation Reduction Act — the Democrats’ big economic package aimed at addressing climate change, capping drug costs and raising hundre...
‘I’m in a very lucky position’: I will receive a $300,000 inheritance. Should I pay off my mortgage or invest the money?
I currently owe $300,000 on my house with a 2.5%, 30-year mortgage. I am maxing out my retirement accounts — IRA and 401(k) — and looking to retire in less than 10 years. I will receive an inheritance...
Why home prices can stay high, complicating the Fed’s battle against inflation
Sky-high housing prices still threaten to complicate the Federal Reserve’s inflation fight, even as America’s market for single-family homes shows signs of cooling in response to sharply higher intere...
‘I’m stuck in a penny-pincher mindset’: My spouse and I bought a home, but he only wants to buy high-end items. How can we agree?
Dear Quentin, My spouse and I spent years saving for a new house, and living well below our means. It may sound weird, but now that we have a new home, we feel overwhelmed by the prospect of spending ...
My boyfriend, 68, has almost no ‘mad money’ for fun activities and trips. He lives with his father, 95, and expects to inherit his house. Is it unreasonable to expect him to get a part-time job?
I am a 65-year-old retired woman with modest Social Security and annuity payments. I also own my own home and have savings. I’ve been seeing a 68-year-old retiree since just before the pandemic. He li...
Americans are souring on the housing market. Home buyer sentiment hits lowest level since 2011 — and mortgage rates reach 7%.
There’s no respite for home buyers these days. From rising rates, high home prices, and an uncertain economic outlook, shoppers are finding it hard to jump into purchasing a home. Fannie Mae noted th...