Here are three of the week’s top pieces of financial insight, gathered from around the web: The 1% down mortgage Forget 20%. Zillow is offering some homebuyers a 1% down payment, said Matthew Fox in Business Insider. For now, the hefty financing option is “only offered to eligible borrowers in Arizona, though the company intends…
Is it time for your household to rein in its spending? The Washington Post reported that American consumers are increasingly falling behind on car loan and credit card payments, a “troubling signal of consumer stress” that is “most acute for lower-income earners” who mostly spent down the stimulus money they socked away during the pandemic.…
The disparity in the United States between those who have money and those who don’t is continuing to rise. In the first quarter of 2023, “69% of the total wealth in the United States was owned by the top 10% of earners,” according to Statista, while the “lowest 50% of earners only owned 2.4% of…
Here are three of the week’s top pieces of financial insight, gathered from around the web: Oversharing on Venmo Venmo is still sharing way too much of your personal life, said Brian X. Chen in The New York Times. Despite numerous complaints, the money-transfer app “is still set by default to publicly share when you…
The smartest insight and analysis, from all perspectives, rounded up from around the web: Sky-high prices for luxury rooms Hotel prices are rising to unprecedented heights, especially for five-star stays, said Nikki Ekstein in Bloomberg. Prices at brands like Holiday Inn and Best Western have risen 19% in the U.S. and 32% in Europe since…
Here are three of the week’s top pieces of financial insight, gathered from around the web: The in-person work lunch returns The business lunch is back with a vengeance, said Ray A. Smith in The Wall Street Journal. With office occupancy rates during the workweek back above 50% for the first time since the pandemic,…
Here are three of the week’s top pieces of financial insight, gathered from around the web: A terrible gold deal for retirees Gold IRAs are no safe haven, said Jeremy B. Merrill and Hanna Kozlowska in The Washington Post. Gold IRA investment companies like Lear Capital and Hartford Gold Group typically promote their products as…
Here are three of the week’s top pieces of financial insight, gathered from around the web: New homes get more affordable New homes are no longer selling at a premium, said Matt Phillips in Axios. “The median price for an existing single-family home stood at $416,000 in June,” according to FactSet. That’s almost exactly the…
Here are three of the week’s top pieces of financial insight, gathered from around the web: Older investors take a pass on bonds More older Americans are investing “like 30-year-olds,” said Anne Tergesen in The Wall Street Journal. According to Vanguard, “nearly half of 401(k) investors” who are over the age of 55 and are…
Here are three of the week’s top pieces of financial insight, gathered from around the web: ARMs lose their allure Adjustable-rate mortgages are a losing proposition for most homebuyers right now, said Veronica Dagher in The Wall Street Journal. The average rate on ARMs is currently “nearly equivalent to the average 30-year fixed rate of…