Wondering whether you’re ahead or behind the retirement savings curve? A recent look at 401(k) balances shows where Americans actually stand, and the numbers might surprise you. These figures come from Empower’s anonymized data as of last fall and include balances from people using the company’s online financial dashboard. The data may reflect holdings from … Read more

Maybe it’s because I’ve bought and sold many houses over the years, but I look at a house differently than most people. You may see a dream home where you will raise your family. I see a massive, illiquid asset attached to a six-figure debt instrument that requires constant capital infusions just to keep it … Read more

Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr said on Tuesday that another central bank interest rate cut could come somewhere well down the road amid ongoing risks to the U.S. inflation outlook. “Based on current conditions and the data in hand, it will likely be appropriate to hold rates steady for some time as we assess incoming … Read more

Gauging the personal pain that’s hitting those buried by credit card debt and other bills often amounts to absolute disbelief over today’s incredibly high interest rates. The average rate on credit card debt was 22.3% for accounts that carried a balance and ended up being assessed interest, according to the latest November data released by … Read more

U.S. stocks posted modest gains on Tuesday, as technology shares rebounded from earlier lows and financial stocks also provided support. After dropping as much as 1.5% at its lows of the session, the S&P 500 information technology sector pared declines and was up about 1% as gains in Nvidia and Apple overcame declines in Microsoft … Read more

When Tracie Klossner opened up her utility bill this month, she walked over to her thermostat and turned the temperature down a few degrees. A resident of the Rochester, New York, area, Klossner is no stranger to harsh winters. But a stretch of consecutive days of temperatures that hardly cracked the 20s and dipped to … Read more

Does it cost too much to travel? For people like Tim Plyant, the answer is yes. This summer, he plans to avoid travel entirely – it’s just too expensive. “I can’t believe what they’re charging,” said Plyant, an architect from Austin, Texas. He’s especially upset about the soaring food prices at the airport. “I’m on … Read more

It feels like every time you turn on the news lately, there’s another story about a carrier strike group moving into a new body of water. We’ve grown used to “gunboat diplomacy” being the primary way nations talk to each other. But behind the scenes, something else is happening. Diplomats are actually sitting down at … Read more

While the rest of the world is decked out in pink, red and white for Valentine’s Day, Louisiana coats itself in purple, green and gold in anticipation of Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras — also known as Fat Tuesday — falls on February 17 this year. The holiday takes place in the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, … Read more