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The U.S. housing market’s topsy-turvy ride shows no sign of letup in the new year, as mortgage applications rose sharply last week despite fears that home sales will keep sinking in 2023. By Vance Cariaga Mortgage applications for the week ending Jan. 13, 2023, rose a whopping 27.9% from the prior week, according to data released Wednesday by the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA). The uptick was due to a combination of falling mortgage rates and the normal post-holiday rise in applications....

Today’s cars, trucks, and SUVs last longer and perform better than any vehicles that came before. But that kind of efficiency comes with a drawback that wasn’t an issue in the days of planned obsolescence — modern cars outlast their parts. By Andrew Lisa “With vehicles today having an average age of over 12 years hundreds of thousands of miles, the overall condition of items that were not necessarily considered in the past should now be examined before making any large investments in a vehicle,” said John ‘JB’ Burkhauser, director of education at Bolt On Technology....

Medicare doesn’t cover everything. In fact, data from The Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit healthcare think tank, shows that Americans 65 and older were more likely to put off or go without healthcare within the past year because of cost, reported Next Avenue. By Josephine Nesbit See: Decreasing US Salt Intake Could Save Country $40 Billion in Healthcare CostsFind: As Healthcare Costs Rise, Some Workers Cut Retirement Savings The report also found that out of 18,477 adults surveyed, 20% of Americans age 65 and older had out-of-pocket health costs over $2,000 — about 7% of their income — last year....

Social Security is far from a static benefits program. By John Csiszar Although the broad strokes of Social Security remain the same from year to year, many of the financial details change. Perhaps the most important of these changes, and certainly the most well publicized, is the annual cost of living adjustment, or COLA. This increase in payments is made annually to ensure that the payments made to Social Security recipients remain in line with increasing costs due to inflation....

With the Build Back Better plan stuck in Congress, the extended Earned Income Tax Credit is in jeopardy. Under the American Rescue Plan, the extended EITC gives the poorest working Americans a fully refundable tax credit of up to $1,502 — and lower-income Americans with two children much more. By Dawn Allcot See: How To Acquire Your First Social Security Check Find: Is Delaying Social Security Using 401(k) ‘Bridge’ a Viable Option For You?...

Despite legal entanglements that have temporarily halted the Biden administration’s federal student loan forgiveness program, administration officials continue to inform borrowers that they are approved for relief. That doesn’t mean borrowers will get relief anytime soon, however. By Vance Cariaga Student Loans: Will Biden Extend Repayment Pause as Relief Program Is Blocked?Find: Student Loan Refund Checks Are In the Mail for Anyone Who Paid During the COVID-19 Moratorium On Saturday, the U....

Shopping season has officially begun, and though you may be tempted to dig into your savings account, it would be nice to have a credit card at a place you are going to frequent before the holidays. Walmart has the convenience of being a one-stop-shop, so it may make sense to apply for its credit card. There is no time like the present — pun intended — to get started. So how do you get instantly approved for Walmart credit?...

After a notably quiet 2020, wedding season is officially back in full swing. If you’re on the guest list for at least one wedding, while you’re honored and excited to be included, you’re probably not trying to spend a fortune on someone else’s nuptials. By Jennifer Taylor Follow Along: 31 Days of Living RicherIntroducing Modern Money Etiquette: Answering Thorny Questions About Tipping, Gifts and More That can be easier said than done, as the average cost of being a wedding guest in 2019 was $430, according to The Knot....

If you were an investor in 2022, chances are you’ve got a lot of red ink on your statements. With the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both in bear markets — and some well-known stocks like Tesla and Meta Platforms down more than 50% each — it’s been hard to avoid losses on individual positions. The good news for investors with a long-term perspective and some dry powder is that there is no shortage of stocks to invest in now....

It doesn’t take a financial whiz to understand the importance of saving for retirement. A retirement fund such as a 401(k) essentially serves as a personal bank that you tap into to cover bills and other expenses when you no longer have a steady paycheck rolling in. The higher your retirement savings balance, the more money you have to spend. By Vance Cariaga $2,000 Quarter? Check Your Pockets Before You Use This 2004 CoinDiscover: 7 Surprisingly Easy Ways To Reach Your Retirement Goals...

Filling out the Free Application for Student Aid form — better known as a FAFSA — can be long and arduous, yet yield thousands of dollars in subsidized loans for students. Due to the amount of time it typically takes to fill out, there are some common mistakes the Federal Aid Office has seen often enough to bring to the attention of students and parents. By Georgina Tzanetos See: 30 Ways To Prevent a Tax AuditFind: Comparing Private Student Loans vs....

The second round of the advance monthly portion of the Child Tax Credit for 2020 hit bank accounts earlier last month, but the growing balance has people worried if they will be hit with a tax bill next year. By Georgina Tzanetos We Asked: Are You Actually Spending Your Child Tax Credit Payment? Take Our PollPortal Update: New IRS Update To Child Tax Credit Portal Allows Parents to Update Their Address...

At its best, there’s something magical about snow. It covers over the grime of dirty streets, and offers fun opportunities for play and sport, to adults and children alike. If you’ve always wanted to live or vacation in a snowy wonderland, now might be the perfect time to do so — by investing in property in towns where the steep home prices haven’t quite caught up, and the cost of living is reasonable....

About Capital One Quicksilver Credit Card The Capital One Quicksilver credit card is available only to people with excellent credit scores. Its wide range of cardholder benefits and perks makes it a good option for those who qualify. By Scott Jeffries Overview Key Features Additional Features Who It’s Best For Competitors Cash Back Rewards 4.5 Fees 4.0 Welcome Bonus 4.5 Account Benefits 4.0 Pros 1.5% unlimited cash back on all purchases No foreign transaction fee No expiration on rewards 0% intro APR for 15 months Rewards can be redeemed for cash Cons Requires an excellent credit score No bonus categories to increase reward earnings Key Features Here’s how it does in terms of rewards, fees and other important aspects....

By Bob Haegele See Our List: 100 Most Influential Money ExpertsCheck Out: This Credit Score Mistake Could Be Costing Millions of Americans These scams are a major problem — and credit card providers know it. While many people unfortunately still fall victim to them, credit card issuers are taking steps to help prevent them. Will credit card fraud ever become a thing of the past? It seems unlikely, but these resources can significantly cut down on the number of people who fall into the trap of credit card fraud....

What Is CrowdStreet? CrowdStreet is an online platform that lets you invest in commercial real estate without going the conventional route of buying a property yourself. As an individual investor, you can become a co-landlord of sorts, with access to a real estate market you might not otherwise have. By Kelli Francis What Is CrowdStreet? Who Is It Best For? How to Apply for CrowdStreet CrowdStreet Features How CrowdStreet Earned its Scores CrowdStreet vs....

Things are moving fast for Elon Musk and Twitter. Twitter has announced it appointed the Tesla CEO to its board. By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy See: Musk Buys 73.5 Million Twitter Shares, Stock Spikes 25.9% Find: Just How Rich Are Elon Musk, Donald Trump and These Other Big Names? “I’m excited to share that we’re appointing @elonmusk to our board! Through conversations with Elon in recent weeks, it became clear to us that he would bring great value to our Board,” Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal tweeted April 5....

If it’s Monday (or Tuesday, or Wednesday, etc.), then Elon Musk must be in the news. This time the Tesla CEO and Twitter suitor made headlines for offering his support of Dogecoin after he was sued for $258 billion by a Dogecoin investor who accused Musk of running a pyramid scheme to support the cryptocurrency. By Vance Cariaga In a tweet on Sunday, Musk offered this short statement: “I will keep supporting Dogecoin....

With gas prices so high, drivers need every break they can get. Trying to find every opportunity for savings out there has many consumers asking where they can put air in their tires, as vehicles with underinflated tires consume more fuel. By Teddy Garcia Map of Locations Discount Tire Costco Firestone Complete Auto Care QuickChek Hy-Vee Just Tires NTB Sam’s Club Goodyear Auto Service Big O Tires There are plenty of ways to find the perfect source of free tire air near you....

The credit card industry is strongly rebounding from the early impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Gen Z Americans are leading the way in terms of both originations and bank card balance growth, according to a new report. By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy See: 4 Best Starter Credit Cards for Gen ZFind: Should You Refinance Now With the Low Mortgage Rates? The TransUnion Q3 2021 Quarterly Credit Industry Insights Report also found that this youngest generation of consumers is performing well on these credit products....