New cars today are loaded with high-tech features for car shoppers, from their own operating systems to navigation and remote unlock. But with those advancements come questions about driver privacy, said Ivan Drury, the director of insights at Edmunds, a car site. “As much advancement as we have when it comes to new features, many … Read more
Maskot | Maskot | Getty Images After a year of supply shortages and climbing borrowing costs, 2024 is shaping up to be a better time to buy a car. The average transaction price for a new car in the U.S. in February was $47,244, down 2.2% from February 2023. That’s also down 5.4% from the … Read more
Hinterhaus Productions | Digitalvision | Getty Images Savings accounts Higher rates mean that consumers have to pay more to service their debt, but it also means that banks pay higher rewards to savers. It’s one of the silver linings to the current rate environment, said Ted Rossman, chief credit card analyst at Bankrate. “There’s also … Read more
The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday it will leave interest rates unchanged, delaying the possibility of rate cuts as well as any relief from sky-high borrowing costs. Overall, expectations that the Fed is pulling off a soft landing have increased, but that offers little consolation for Americans with high-interest debt. And now there may be fewer interest rate … Read more
Economists expect the Federal Reserve to leave interest rates unchanged at the end of its two-day meeting this week, even though many experts anticipate the central bank is preparing to start cutting rates in the months ahead. In prepared remarks earlier this month, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said policymakers don’t want to ease up too quickly. Powell … Read more
Overwhelming evidence suggests social media has a negative effect on self-esteem. That’s not only true for how people feel about their appearance and social status, but also their financial well-being and economic standing. A new term, “money dysmorphia,” aims to describe the distorted view of one’s finances that nearly one-third, or 29%, of Americans say … Read more
Skynesher | E+ | Getty Images Factors beyond high mortgage rates are affecting housing affordability for many Americans, according to experts. Almost four years ago, a household earning $59,000 annually could afford a new mortgage without spending more than 30% of their monthly income and with a 10% down payment, according to a recent report … Read more
Equal Pay Day is a reminder of the persistent income inequality between men and women. As it stands, women earn just 84 cents for every dollar earned by men, according to an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data by the National Women’s Law Center. “When you look at the cent number, it looks like it’s small,” … Read more
In his State of the Union address, President Joe Biden celebrated his administration’s progress in the fight against inflation. “Wages keep going up and inflation keeps coming down,” Biden said in the annual speech before Congress. To be sure, inflation has cooled while wages have ticked higher — but households are still struggling to keep up with the increased cost of living. More from Personal Finance:Why … Read more
Consumers have been increasingly relying on credit cards to make ends meet, and it may be finally catching up with them. The national average credit score, which has steadily increased over the last decade, fell to 717 from a high of 718 in the beginning of 2023, according to a report from FICO, developer of one of the … Read more
