How real estate commissions could change In real estate transactions, the commission is split between the seller’s and buyer’s agents. This fee is set and paid out by the seller from the proceeds of the sale, although sellers often aren’t aware of how much they are paying since it’s baked into the sale price. Within … Read more
As problems with the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid persist into the spring, harsh words are being directed at the U.S. Department of Education. Former top student loan official Wayne Johnson accused the Education Department of “malicious negligence” in a March 7 letter written to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and other senior officials … 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
U.S. President Joe Biden announces a preliminary agreement with Intel for a major CHIPS and Science Act award, during a visit to the Intel Ocotillo Campus, in Chandler, Arizona, U.S., March 20, 2024. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters The Biden administration announced Thursday it would forgive $5.8 billion in student debt for 77,700 borrowers through the … Read more
A landmark class-action lawsuit may change the way Americans buy and sell homes. The National Association of Realtors agreed to a $418 million settlement last week in an antitrust lawsuit where a federal jury found the organization and several large real-estate brokerages had conspired to artificially inflate agent commissions on the sale and purchase of … 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
A person plays lottery at a 7-eleven store as Mega Millions jackpot reaches $ 1 billion 580 million, in Redwood City, California, United States on August 8, 2023. Tayfun Coskun | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images ‘Keep your mouth shut’ Hundreds of millions of dollars can be life-changing for a lottery winner, their family and … Read more
To live “comfortably” as a single person in 99 of the largest U.S. metro areas, you’ll need a median income of $93,933, according to a recent SmartAsset analysis. “Comfortable” is defined as the income needed to cover a 50/30/20 budget, which assumes 50% of your monthly income can pay for necessities like housing and utility … Read more
Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images While inflation is 10 times higher now than 60 years ago, home prices are 24 times more expensive, a new study found. If home prices increased at the same rate as inflation since 1963, the median price of a typical house in the U.S. would be $177,511, according to … Read more
The Good Brigade | Digitalvision | Getty Images Over the last few years, the Biden administration has repeatedly announced that it was forgiving student debt for small groups of qualifying borrowers. So far, it has canceled the loans for almost 3.9 million people, totaling $138 billion in relief. Those who haven’t qualified for the aid … Read more
