Hero Images | Getty Images Since most Americans aren’t eligible for Medicare before age 65, many younger retirees rely on Marketplace health insurance, which offers lower monthly premiums through the end of 2025 thanks to boosted tax breaks. But retirees can face a costly tax surprise without proper planning, experts say. As of open enrollment … Read more
Tourists to New Zealand will be slugged a $NZ100 fee to visit, in a move industry groups say cements the nation “as one of the most expensive countries in the world for a holiday”. The international visitor levy (IVL) will be hiked from $NZ35 ($A32) to $NZ100 ($A92) from October under changes announced on Tuesday. … Read more
Hinterhaus Productions | Digitalvision | Getty Images Travel spending among American households continues to outpace its pre-pandemic levels, a trend underpinned by a zeal for international trips, according to new Bank of America research. “A key part of travel momentum lies within vacationing abroad,” Taylor Bowley and Joe Wadford, economists at the Bank of America … Read more
There are fears skyrocketing rental prices could be “plunging” renters into homelessness as new data shows the areas hardest hit by NSW’s ongoing housing crisis New rental data has highlighted the areas most affected by rising rental costs over the past 12 months, urging welfare agencies to call on state government to help “desperate” people … Read more
Ascentxmedia | E+ | Getty Images With the Federal Reserve poised to start cutting interest rates, experts are divided on what’s ahead for the U.S. economy. While some worry the economy could be in for a broad decline, or recession, others hope the central bank can effectively avoid a downturn and execute a “soft landing.” … Read more
In 2021, I was 36 years old, and I had a big year. Thanks to the income streams that grew from my blog and podcast, I started making enough passive income to quit my 9-to-5. This financial freedom made me start to think about what other goals I wanted to achieve, starting with what I … Read more
As Americans make more money, it appears they’re more likely to stay put. Households from the top 20% of earners — those earning $150,000 or more a year — are the least likely income group to have moved in 2023, according to a HireAHelper.com analysis of Census Bureau data. Just 6.5% of these households relocated. … Read more
Owning isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. For many reasons — including affordability — more Americans are choosing to rent everything from cars and apartments to clothing and furniture these days, according to a report by Intuit Credit Karma. Far beyond the traditional tuxedo, the rental industry has expanded in recent years to … Read more
This article was first published in The Conversation Just three weeks ago, Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock declared interest rate cuts unlikely in the next six months. But if there was any doubt about what’s going to happen to global interest rates, the US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell removed it on Saturday. Know the … Read more
The Good Brigade | Digitalvision | Getty Images Mortgage rates are falling Mortgage rates have already started to come down from recent highs, largely due to the prospect of a Federal Reserve-induced economic slowdown. The average rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage dropped to 6.35% on August 29 from 6.46% a week ago, the lowest … Read more
