The steep upward climb in mortgage rates still isn’t showing any signs of stopping. The average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 4.72% as of the week ending April 7, Freddie Mac FMCC, -0.03% ...
Tag: general news
Why Russia Doesn’t Want to Default—Even in a Time of War
Behind the fight over whether Russia should be allowed to pay off its debts is an age-old issue: Borrowers, even in times of war, want to keep their reputations for making investors whole. The U.S. Tr...
Retired? Here’s when you don’t have to file your taxes – and when you do
Not all seniors need to file a tax return, but others may incorrectly think they fall in this category – don’t make that mistake. Retirement Tip of the Week: If you don’t plan to file a tax return th...
We are both doctors but struggle with $472K in student loans. Can we get help?
How to get out of student loan debt Getty Images/iStockphoto Question: I have $237K in loans and my wife has $235K in loans. We are not currently making any payments [thanks to government relief] but ...
Millennials have solved the retirement crisis
Wow. It looks like millennials have totally solved the retirement crisis. And it turns out it was a lot easier than anyone realized. The solution? Cryptocurrencies, of course. A new survey of 4,000 pe...
‘Going to college ruined my life.’ I have $85K in student loan debt for my ‘useless degree’ but only make $16 per hour. How can I cope?
I would give anything to go back and not go to college at all. It wasn’t worth it. iStock Question: I am 32 and got my associates degree in occupational therapy. I owe $25,000 in federal student loans...
Wells Fargo to Pay to Settle Lawsuit Over Its 401(k) Plan
Wells Fargo has agreed to pay $32.5 million to settle a two-year-old case involving alleged self-dealing with the company’s 401(k) plan. Wells Fargo, which had previously sought to dismiss the lawsuit...
These income strategies can help protect your stock investments from inflation and a recession
There is always uncertainty in the stock market, but the deflationary cycle that helped feed tremendous gains over the past several decades has ended. Two related strategies can give you downside prot...
I’m 41, my partner is 50. We have $800,000 in retirement savings and make $250,000. We want to retire ASAP but know our money won’t last us our lifetimes – what can we do?
I love reading your responses to everyone’s retirement questions, but realized that I haven’t seen one that matches up closely to what I’m hoping to do. I am 41, and my partner is 50. We are both empl...
A big shift is under way for markets, and old Warren Buffett shareholder letters point to which companies will survive
Given a war and inflation have marked the start of 2022, investors would be forgiven for holding their breath over the rest of the year’s offerings. Our call of the day from a team at Saxo Bank sees a...
I have 4 degrees and owe $197K in student loans. What should I do?
How to get out of student loan debt Getty Images/iStockphoto Question: I am 55 and a mental health therapist. I have $197,000 in student loans that were for four degrees, plus some in Parent Plus loa...
Investment Firm Files Finra Arbitration Demand Against Morgan Stanley
An investor accused Morgan Stanley of leaking information about a large sale of shares of Palantir Technologies Inc., saddling it with millions of dollars in losses. Morgan Stanley is at the center of...
Want to Unload That Investment Property? What Advisors Recommend.
With valuations high and many boomers gearing up for or entering retirement, many investment property holders could be rethinking their strategy around real estate ownership. It’s a big issue for many...
China Revises Delisting Rule. But Investors May Want to Sell on the Rally.
Text size The probability of a mass delisting of Chinese stocks like Alibaba may have ticked lower with revised rules from China’s regulators. Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images The probability of ...
CEO of Robinhood rival shines fresh light on what retail investors are doing. Wall Street needs to pay attention.
From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago, a newish crowd of retail investors emerged, pouring extra cash into equity markets and steering Wall Street into places they never dreamed, such ...
4 economists and real estate pros on exactly when mortgage rates will hit 5%
Pros expect that higher mortgage rates will cool the housing boom somewhat. Getty Images/iStockphoto If mortgage rates continue on their current trajectory, some experts predict 30-year fixed rates co...
Has the student loan pause done any good?
Two years after the chaos of the pandemic prompted Congress to pause federal student loan payments, new data show many borrowers have used that extra room in the budget to shore up their overall finan...
A Mom Who Died Still Needs Taxes Filed. Here’s How to Handle the Tricky Process
Dreamstime.com Text size Have a question about saving for retirement or your personal financial situation? Whatever the question, Barron’s Retirement can try to help. Email [email protected], and...
My wife and I have $750,000 in savings and earn over $144,000 a year. Can we afford to spend $5,000 per month on housing?
Financial advisers recommend spending no more than 30% of take-home pay on housing. I have always lived by this rule and now have $750,000 in cash savings. But now I need to make a big move. Is there ...
‘A plan to protect any excess cash is vital.’ As inflation sits at a 40-year high, here’s who has ‘too much’ in savings right now
Inflation may be your cash’s greatest enemy. Getty Images As inflation hits a 40-year high, you may be asking yourself if you actually have too much money in your traditional savings account. The answ...
U.S. stock futures steady early Monday as traders weigh prospect of more sanctions on Russia
U.S. stock index futures were little changed early Monday as traders weighed the prospect of further sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine. After the S&P 500 index posted a third straight we...
Russia war could further escalate auto prices and shortages
BMW has halted production at two German factories. Mercedes is slowing work at its assembly plants. Volkswagen, warning of production stoppages, is looking for alternative sources for parts. For more ...
7 red flags that signal it may be time to dump your financial adviser
Getty Images/iStockphoto In these trying financial times, more Americans are leaning on financial advisers for money advice. While in 2020, 22% of Americans said a financial adviser was their most tru...
Defense Stocks Rose With the Ukraine War. Then a Tight Proposed Budget Set Them Back.
Elias Stein Text size Defense stocks took a surprising blow after a proposed defense budget was released last week. The Biden administration asked Congress for $773 billion to fund defense for fiscal ...
Do I resist refinancing my $160,000 federal student loan at a lower rate in the hope there will be loan forgiveness? What are the chances it will happen?
I graduated from college in 2017 with more than $210,000 in federal student-loan debt thanks to out-of-state tuition, a master’s program, and not fully understanding this cost at that time. I’ve chise...