Category: United States

Actual panic about inflation seems to be spiraling upward. But investments that will try to protect us from the ravages of inflation seem to be getting cheaper. Weird, right? Only on Wall Street. But this is good news for retirees, who stand more to lose from inflation than pretty much anyone else. (You may have noticed […]

There are so many wicked crosscurrents in the stock market now, from war and pestilence to raging inflation, it pays to check in with the best and the brightest for guidance. So it’s timely that the fund-rating company Refinitiv Lipper recently published its list of the best mutual funds for risk-adjusted performance. The awards showcase […]

The steep upward climb in mortgage rates still isn’t showing any signs of stopping. On Friday, the 30-year fixed mortgage rate 5.06%, according to data from Mortgage News Daily. The 15-year fixed rate hovered at 4.29%. “Only 24% of consumers believe it’s a good time to buy a home, with similar levels of pessimism expressed […]

As the owner of a busy diner in the heart of New York City, Stathis Antonakopoulos prides himself on serving freshly prepared food to a loyal clientele.  But these days, Antonakopoulos says he’s had to cut some corners to keep his Carnegie Diner & Cafe afloat. A perfect case in point: When it comes to […]

You may be an ace at Wordle, the daily New York Times NYT, -0.02% word-puzzle game that’s become a fixation for many Americans since its October launch. But there’s a good chance your friends think you’re cheating your way to success. A new survey from the game website Solitaried found that 29% of those polled […]

With demand for housing in the U.S. still going strong, the prospect of moving may be daunting. Jacob Passy writes The Big Move column. This week he helps a couple that wants to switch to a home without stairs, but is worried about some tricky aspects of the move. More on paying for a house: […]

Dear Quentin, I recently sold my house and had to leave my job due to a medical issue that was easily resolved, and I am now fine. I have approximately $ 150,000 in my checking account from the sale of my house. I am unsure what to do with this and have considered contacting a […]

Dear Ms. MoneyPeace: I’m a 70-year-old single male. I own a farm that’s been in my family since I was born. I’m also an artist working in metal. Your article on digital assets caught my attention. I’m thinking of selling my property, but I have very little cost basis. For example, it might be worth […]

Gold futures were modestly higher Friday midday, on track for a near 1.2% weekly gain as traders brushed off typically negative factors like rising Treasury yields and a stronger U.S. dollar. Gold for June delivery GC00, +0.45% was up $ 8.1, or 0.4%, at $ 1,946 an ounce on Comex, leaving it on track for […]

Dear Quentin, 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 chiseled away at the debt since, often making greater than the minimum payment. The student-loan pause during the pandemic also greatly […]

U.S. stock futures were pointing to a second day of gains on Friday, as investors continue to digest the Federal Reserve’s commentary on interest rates with key inflation data looming. What’s happening Futures on the Dow Jones Industrial Average YM00, +0.31% rose 118 points, or 0.3% to 34608. Futures on the S&P 500 ES00, +0.24% […]

Dear Quentin, My father recently passed away. He was married to my stepmother for 33 years. Prior to his death, he wanted to buy me a manufactured home, and told me to look for a home costing up to $ 200,000. I couldn’t find one in an area that suited me before he passed.   Unfortunately, […]

As we consider how the war in Ukraine will end, we must first understand how it began. Russia invaded for geostrategic reasons — having Ukraine as a buffer state safeguards Moscow from invasion from the west — and for economic reasons, which have often gone overlooked. The transition from the Soviet Union to the Russian […]

Billionaire entrepreneur Peter Thiel on Thursday called billionaire investor Warren Buffett a top “enemy” of bitcoin and part of a “finance gerontocracy” that has held back the cryptocurrency’s adoption. Bitcoin BTCUSD, -0.05% could have a market capitalization that matches the $ 12 trillion gold market and even the $ 115 trillion public equity market, Thiel […]

Amazon.com Inc. plans to appeal its loss last week against union organizers in New York, where workers voted to establish the company’s first U.S. union. The company’s intention was made in a legal filing made public Thursday. Roughly 55% of the workers from a Staten Island facility named JFK8 voted to side with Amazon Labor […]

Alert to sports bettors: Beware of the taxman. Over $ 113 billion has been legally wagered on sports since the Supreme Court struck down the ban on sports betting in 2018. Thirty U.S. states plus Washington, D.C. offer some form of legalized sports betting, according to the latest count from the American Gaming Association. If you placed bets through […]

The numbers: New U.S. jobless claims matched a 54-year low of 166,000 in early April — the second lowest reading in history— during a period of remarkably strong hiring and the lowest layoffs on record. New filings for unemployment benefits declined by 5,000 from a revised 171,000 in the prior week,  the Labor Department said Thursday. […]

When most people hear the term palliative care, they look worried or confused. Introducing myself to patients and families as a palliative medicine physician, I commonly hear things like, “Does this mean I am dying?” or “I am not ready for hospice.” I respond by acknowledging these common fears, but emphasizing that palliative care and hospice […]

The Social Security claiming decision is one of the most complex—and contentious—choices that retirees have to make. I was reminded of that in December, while at a Christmas party. Two former colleagues were discussing their Social Security decision. Both are male, single, childless, retired engineers. Each has a traditional pension, a paid-off home and significant retirement […]

By Jaime Llinares Taboada Shell PLC on Thursday warned that it will book post-tax impairments of $ 4 billion to $ 5 billion in the first quarter related to its activities in Russia. The oil-and-gas major said pretax depreciation will be $ 1.2 billion-$ 1.4 billion for the integrated gas division, $ 2.8 billion-$ 3.1 […]