Paid medical debt is rolling off consumer credit reports in an overhaul that the credit bureaus say will improve people’s financial wellbeing. In a time of rising interest rates and increased costs wi...
Tag: Consumer affairs
Gas prices edge down just in time for July Fourth travel — here’s why
It’s a cool breeze during a hot moment, but it’s not the summer weather. As record-breaking numbers of Americans pack their cars and travel to Fourth of July barbecues that will cost them more than la...
The 60-40 portfolio is supposed to protect investors from volatility: so why is it having such a bad year?
The first half of 2022 has been a historically bad stretch for markets, and the carnage hasn’t been limited to stocks. As stocks and bonds have sold off in tandem, investors who for years have relied ...
How long will stocks stay in a bear market? It hinges on if a recession hits, says Wells Fargo Institute
When the S&P 500 officially dropped into a bear market on June 13, closing down more than 20% from its last peak, it stirred debate about whether investors should hold tight or think about buying ...
What the Fed’s biggest rate hike in decades means for the bear market in bonds
Historically bad. That’s how the mammoth $53 trillion U.S. fixed-income market has performed this year as the Federal Reserve works to curtail high inflation threatening to wreck the economy. To turbo...
‘I feel bad that I’ll be taking most of his income’: I make twice what my boyfriend does. He pays me $300 in rent, but I want him to pay $800. Is that fair?
Dear Quentin, My boyfriend and I have been together seven years, and in that time I bought a house. I used my own savings and spent about $10,000 on renovations. My house is a three-bedroom family hom...
Crypto crash FOMO? ‘I missed the bus on Bitcoin, but now feel like my time has come. Is it time to go big or go home? I have another 25 years of a boring 9-to-5 job, and I just want out.’
I read a letter from a reader last year who was suffering from crypto FOMO, and I have been following the crypto markets ever since. I felt like I missed the bus on Bitcoin, but now feel like my time ...
‘The goal is never to seek the top’: The wild, hair-raising ride of a 30-something investor who battled against NFT hackers and dodged the crypto crash
Vinny Zane has a taste for life — and an appetite for risk. The 38-year-old teacher and father of a 2-year-old son on Brooklyn’s Coney Island got into crypto in 2017 with $4,000 worth of Bitcoin, and ...
‘I respect every profession equally, but I feel like so many people look down on me for being a waitress’: Americans are tipping less. Should we step up to the plate?
I read your article about tipping. I’ve been serving and bartending for almost 16 years now, since I was 18. Waiting tables is so hard on your body, and a lot of people don’t appreciate all of the wor...
Dow tumbles as inflation reading triggers market shock waves: What investors need to know
From Wall Street to Main Street, fears that the U.S. economy could be sliding into 1970s-style “stagflation” have been percolating. References to the sticky situation appeared in news headlines all we...
‘I’m being taken advantage of by my own husband’: I pay all the bills and gave the down payment for our home, and all he does is buy stuff and contribute to his 401(k)
I’m being taken advantage of by my own husband. I have been married for almost 10 years. When my husband and I were first married, he convinced me to stop working after the first year or so, which I r...
I put $200K toward a down payment for a condo unit with my boyfriend. He is on the title, but not on the mortgage. How do I protect my equity investment now?
Dear Quentin, I recently sold my apartment and put the equity earned (over $200,000) toward a new condo unit I own with my partner. My partner — we are not married — is on title, but not on the mortga...
Apple is offering ‘buy now, pay later.’ 4 reasons to think twice before signing up
After months of speculation, Apple AAPL, -0.45% finally unveiled its buy now, pay later offering this week, wading into an industry that’s experienced explosive growth. But consumers should be wary of...
My parents-in-law sold their home and bought an RV. They have $200K in the bank. How can they protect their assets from being used for nursing-home costs?
My father-in-law has health issues. While he is not quite ready for a nursing home, that may be a necessity in the near future. He has state retirement benefits and a very small Social Security check....
Home affordability has ‘collapsed’ in 2022. What to expect next, according to BofA
The double whammy of surging mortgage rates and skyrocketing home prices has led to “collapsed” housing affordability in America, according to Chris Flanagan’s team at BofA Global Research. The situat...
Biden open to canceling $10,000 in student loans per borrower — what that means for your budget, credit score and tax bill
If $10,000 vanishes from your student debt, you may want to celebrate. This is a question millions of student loan holders may be facing soon if President Joe Biden proceeds with a controversial plan ...
Elon Musk says workers should return to the office or quit. It’s a big gamble: ‘Tesla is kick-starting its own local Great Resignation’
Elon Musk is giving his employees an ultimatum. Tesla’s TSLA, -2.36% chief executive officer and founder responded Thursday to an apparent leaked email that called on employees to return to the offic...
‘I am a 53-year-old single man with very little savings’: I want to take out a 30-year mortgage, but pay it off in 7 years. Is that possible?
I am a 53-year-old single man with very little in savings. I paid off all my credit-card debt a couple of years ago. I have now decided to purchase a home. My rent has increased to the point where it ...
‘Should we wait to see how the market plays out?’ I want to purchase a rental home. Is this a good time?
Dear MarketWatch, Is it a good time to buy an investment home to rent out, or should we wait off on it? We live in Arizona, but the home I’d be buying is located in El Paso, Texas. It would involve ta...
‘I have great plans for myself’: My girlfriend doesn’t understand how her student loan works and rents a pricey apartment. What if we marry — and divorce?
My girlfriend and I have been in a relationship for seven months, and it is getting more serious. I don’t expect us to get married in the next year but I like to plan ahead and if things keep working ...
Bank of America is raising its hourly minimum wage to $22 — here’s how many people don’t even come close to pay like that
Bank of America workers are getting a pay bump at the end June when minimum wages climb to $22 as a part of the major bank’s longstanding plan to get its starting rate to $25 by 2025. It’s good news f...
The Great Resistance is here. Companies and employees are in a battle of wills over returning to the office.
Amy Faust Liggayu, 32, a market-research project manager based in Tinley Park, Ill., and mother of a 7-month-old son, never imagined she would have a life where she could spend five days a week with h...
‘The dip is your friend’: Why some advisers are telling young investors to buy stocks, despite stagflation fears roiling markets
How low can stocks go? This question has made investors nervous, as they fear one bottom after another. The answer: Pick a number. Some analysts say brace for further drops, others expect a bounce. Wa...
‘I partially support my partner of 12 years as his business is, sadly, failing’: I’m 33, and have $300,000 in company stock. Should I sell those shares to pay off my debt of $56,000?
I am 33 years old, I currently make just over $120,000 a year, including an annual bonus, and my company has gifted me with around $300,000 in equity in the firm, although our stock is brand new, so i...
‘Rebalancing during this pullback is a great idea’: 6 questions to ask your financial adviser right now as stocks continue to tumble
First, consider this general guide on investing: it’s about playing the long game instead of hyperventilating over headlines and doing something drastic, financial advisers say. Now file that statemen...
‘I wouldn’t be successful at my job without her’: My friend cleans, cooks and cares for my child. I pay her $50 a day. Am I taking advantage of her?
I’m a working-from-home mom and my supervisors have no intentions of bringing me back to the office at this time. In order to actually get work done, I have pieced together childcare using the help of...