Mortgage rates continued their decline, hitting the lowest level since early February 2023.

The average for a 30-year, fixed loan was 6.09%, down from 6.2% last week, Freddie Mac said in a statement Thursday.

Borrowing costs have fallen significantly in recent weeks in anticipation of interest-rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. The central bank...Read more

For many prospective homebuyers, the last two years have been brutal as high home prices and mortgage rates produced the most unaffordable housing market since the 2000s bubble.

Many experts don't expect drastic improvement soon, but a shift could finally be underway.

The cost of a 30-year fixed mortgage has fallen from above 7% in May to the ...Read more

Rabi Asghar, 37, didn’t realize just how expensive divorced life would be until after the paperwork was filed and the dust had settled.

Without a partner to split bills, the cost of daily life ballooned. For the first time in years, he found himself having to shoulder the full burden of utilities and groceries on his own. His ex had taken the...Read more

For 13 years, the 3% annual salary boost that Ricardo M. could count on every October felt like a beacon of stability and a nod that his loyalty as a plumbing supply salesman was being rewarded.

But in the aftermath of a post-pandemic inflation surge, those raises have since lost their luster. His grocery bills have doubled. The cost of ...Read more

The last worry on a firefighter’s mind as he extinguishes the blaze of a burning building is the potential for water damage. For the Federal Reserve, the same is often true as it battles inflation; there’s little room for concern about what it could mean for jobseekers.

Until those red-hot price pressures start to fizzle out.

For the first...Read more

PALM HARBOR, Florida — They drove, windows down, past the big box stores. Past the other roadside motels and hotels, where other families lived.

When they pulled up to the modest house on Guardian Avenue, Richard Rodriguez took a deep breath. He was 52, with kind, tired eyes. He didn’t want to get his hopes up.

It had been four years since...Read more

The Art Institute announced a transformative $75 million gift Tuesday to construct a new gallery building and begin an ambitious reshaping of its sprawling campus in the heart of downtown Chicago’s lakefront.

The lions will remain at their post in front of the historic 131-year-old main building along South Michigan Avenue, but their ...Read more

It’s the perennial question among stock investors: which is better — growth investing or value investing? Recently, there’s been little contest. Growth stocks, such as Apple and Nvidia, have handily outperformed value names. But it’s not always that way, and many investors think value will once again have its day — although they’ve ...Read more

Bobbie Putman-Bailey knows how to solve problems when it comes to medical bills and health insurance.

In one instance, upon the surprise realization her specialist doctor had gone out of network for her health plan, the 42-year-old Maple Grove, Minnesota, resident convinced the insurer to overturn coverage denials that could have cost her ...Read more

Investors are often drawn to gold during times of high inflation or market turmoil. It’s viewed by many as a safe haven asset and a store of value. If you’re looking to invest in physical gold through an individual retirement account (IRA), you’ll need to open a special type of account known as a gold IRA.

But gold IRAs can come with high...Read more

If you’re gearing up to send a child to college, the cost can feel overwhelming. A home equity line of credit (HELOC) or home equity loan could help pay for it — but before leveraging your home ownership stake in this way, you’ll need to balance a number of considerations. Here’s our crash course on the pros and cons of using your home ...Read more

A controversial bill that would have helped undocumented immigrants in California buy homes was vetoed Friday morning by Gov. Gavin Newsom who cited limitations to the program’s existing budget.

Introduced by its lead author, Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula, D-Fresno, Assembly Bill 1840 would have allowed undocumented immigrants to apply ...Read more

The stock market has had a nice run in 2024, but investors have been nervous lately, because many are concerned that a slowing economy may tip over into an outright recession. To thwart that possibility, the Federal Reserve stands poised to lower interest rates, providing stimulus to consumers and businesses, some of whom have been reeling ...Read more

MOUNTAIN VIEW, California — Microsoft has paid well over $300 million to buy a huge Mountain View tech campus the company occupies, a fresh sign of how the software leviathan has established its roots in Silicon Valley.

In a $330 million deal, Microsoft bought an office and research hub at 1045 La Avenida Street in Mountain View where it now ...Read more