Personal Finance

With home prices and mortgage rates soaring, it would seem that something has to give. So it may not surprise you to learn that 78% of Americans expect a housing-market crash, according to a study by Consumer Affairs, a consumer information service. What may surprise you is that 63% of those surveyed want a housing… Continue reading Guess How Many of Us Hope for a Housing Crash

The U.S. added 528,000 new jobs in July and the pace of employment during the second half of 2022 is expected to remain strong, economists and analysts said. The job growth in July “far surpassed” the second quarter average of just under 375,000 jobs added month to month, said Joel Berner, a senior economic research… Continue reading Hiring in Second Half Expected to be Strong

Finally, some good news on the housing front for buyers … well, sort of. Home inventories, as measured by active listings, soared at a record-high year-on-year rate of 31% in July, according to Realtor.com. That marks the third straight all-time monthly peak. The good news is this means more homes from which prospective buyers can… Continue reading Housing Market: For Once, a Positive Development for Buyers

Inflation tamped down a bit in July, clocking in at an 8.5% rate, according to the U.S. consumer price index. That’s down from 9.1% in June, due primarily to declining U.S. energy prices. While the latest CPI is mildly encouraging, the nation’s back-to-school shoppers aren’t exactly doing cartwheels over the latest news. Consider a brand-new… Continue reading For Back-to-School Purchases, Inflation Prompts Creativity

Guns are big business in the U.S., and gun crime has remained a high-profile political issue. Jinitzail Hernandez/Shutterstock Guns are big business in the U.S., and gun crime has remained a high-profile political issue. America has more guns than people — 120.5 guns for every 100 residents. Guns are big business in the U.S.: One… Continue reading The States That Rely Most on the Gun Industry

For many of us, credit scores are very important. “Lower interest rates [on loans], better insurance coverage, and access to better credit cards are just a few of the benefits you can experience when establishing a good line of credit,” wrote Alex Miller, chief executive of Upgraded Points, a travel information service. You can add… Continue reading What are Best and Worst Cities to Lift Your Credit Rating?

The July consumer price report provided mixed data on inflation, with prices unchanged in the month from June but still up 8.5% from a year earlier. A report on July consumer payments by Bank of America Institute, the bank’s internal think tank, similarly showed mixed results. Total payments rose 7% in July from a year… Continue reading Consumers: Not Drowning but Not Soaring Either

Gasoline prices continued their decline falling to $3.99 on Aug. 9 and meeting the lows in March — but market analysts say drivers aren’t yet out of the woods. The latest figures mark the 55th consecutive day of declines. giving drivers a break as high inflation rates have pummeled their budgets. The national average price… Continue reading Gasoline Prices Fall to $3.99, Reaching March Lows