It may not cause the sticker shock of last year’s whopping increase, but State Farm is set to raise homeowners insurance rates in Illinois by another nearly 8% this fall, according to a recent filing with the state.

The increase went into effect for new policies on October 1, while current customers will see the higher rates beginning in ...Read more

Mortgage rates surged in September, and they’ve reached their highest point since May 2024. The run-up in rates has left many consumers feeling less than eager to dive into the housing market.

The war in Iran sent oil prices soaring in recent months. Higher energy prices translate to both higher inflation and rising 10-year Treasury yields. ...Read more

Take a deep breath in Hollywood's Kimpton Everly Hotel and you may catch a whiff of sandalwood, leather, fennel, cardamom, violet and cedar.

And if you sniff the lobby of downtown Los Angeles' Ritz-Carlton, you may detect "bright effervescent notes ... layered with soft florals," a custom fragrance known as Champagne & Shimmer.

For years now, ...Read more

Look to the fine print of Treasury futures for the next big jump in bond yields.

As U.S. 30-year securities head ever closer toward 6%, the move threatens a shakeup in futures, which are widely used by investors to hedge government bond positions, and by leveraged funds in strategies such as the popular “basis trade.”

It has to do with ...Read more

MIAMI — When South Florida billionaires Ken Griffin and Stephen Ross gathered with business leaders in February, they made a powerful pitch for a different kind of South Florida.

Through a statewide initiative powered by the advisory group Florida Council of 100, Griffin and Ross called on CEOs, billionaires and entrepreneurs to bring and ...Read more

Mortgage rates surged to the highest level since November 2023, further straining a U.S. housing market already hampered by high borrowing costs.

The average for a 30-year, fixed loan jumped 25 basis points from a week earlier to 7.28%, Freddie Mac said in a statement Thursday. The weekly increase was the biggest since October 2022. A year ago,...Read more

Remember when you could get a mortgage for 2.5%?

Those days seem almost as distant as dial-up internet and $1 gallons of gasoline.

Americans are living in an economy where everything is expensive — and the latest quarter-point interest rate increase by the Federal Reserve will make the cost of borrowing money higher too.

“The U.S. is a ...Read more

Credit cards are powerful financial tools that offer an opportunity to build your credit score. It’s no secret, though, that they can also pave the path to a mountain of debt. Forty-seven percent of cardholders carry a credit card balance from month to month, according to Bankrate’s 2026 Credit Card Debt Report — a potentially expensive ...Read more

The U.S. housing market has been stuck in neutral for nearly four years, with sales of new and existing homes plodding along at a historically slow pace. One explanation is that the average rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage in the U.S. passed 6% four years ago and has stayed above that ever since, creeping past 7% this week.

Mortgage rates ...Read more

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. founder Warren Buffett is stepping down as the company’s chairman to be replaced by his son Howard, effectively ending roughly six decades at the helm of the conglomerate.

The billionaire will become chairman emeritus of the company, effective immediately, according to a statement Friday. The elder Buffett will remain...Read more

Hoping to spur apartment construction, Seattle City Council members will soon consider a plan to slash fees developers of new housing pay.

The proposal from Councilmember Dionne Foster, slated for an initial hearing Friday, would temporarily offer developers a 60% to 80% break on Mandatory Housing Affordability fees the city charges on new ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Charmira and Quincy Pilgrim wanted to become homeowners a decade ago when they got married.

But over the years, job losses, jobs that didn’t pay enough, children, unpaid maternity leave, and rising costs of living made saving for homeownership impossible.

They were finally able to start putting money away late last year. And...Read more

Cheryl Palumbo was out shopping for herself and her husband last week to pick up some items she had forgotten the day before at the supermarket — and couldn’t quite believe her bill.

The 78-year-old retiree had already spent $150 and here she was back at her local Ralphs forking over another $70 for fruit, vegetables and other food crammed ...Read more

The U.S. national debt now exceeds $40 trillion — a MEGO number, which stands for "my eyes glaze over." Why should you care? No one else seems worried. Not Congress, for sure. They just keep spending and borrowing more.

There’s always been someone willing to lend us money. The rest of the world — until now — has been comfortable buying ...Read more

Senators from both parties blocked a landmark digital asset market structure bill in a procedural vote Tuesday, sending cryptocurrency stocks tumbling after a major setback for industry.

The long-stalled legislation sought by crypto firms would hand the Commodity Futures Trading Commission the primary authority to regulate the digital assets ...Read more

Legislation that will extend mortgage relief to victims of the January 2025 Los Angeles County wildfires and establish a similar permanent program for disaster victims statewide was signed into law Tuesday by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The mortgage forbearance bills by Assemblymember John Harabedian, D-Pasadena, who represents the devastated...Read more