Personal Finance
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After the pause: This is how borrowers are preparing for resumption of student-debt payments
She doesn’t know how much her student-loan bill will be when the years-long pandemic-era freeze on payments ends. Eminger’s loans were transferred during the pandemic to a new servicer, but she’s struggled to communicate with the organization, which could help her learn her monthly payment amount. She’s also rushing to take steps that could provide…
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How to invest in one of the hottest stock market sectors while cutting your risk
Here’s a summary of how the 11 sectors of the S&P 500 SPX, -0.14% have performed his year and how forward price-to-earnings ratios compare to valuation levels at the end of 2021: Sector or index 2023 return 2022 return Return since end of 2021 3-year return 5 year return Forward P/E Forward P/E at end…
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I’m 54, single and make $60,000 in a good year. Do I need to leave California to buy a house?
I’m 54, single, and I have saved $100,000. The good news: I also have no debt. I work as a server at a steakhouse, and make between $55,000 and $60,000 a year. I live and rent a condo for $1,500 a month in Southern California. I’m not sure if I should buy something in California,…
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‘When I ran it past the missus, she went ballistic’: I want to buy a $40,000 car, but my wife said no. Then things really got weird.
My wife and I enjoy two week-long vacations a year to the local seashore, and we generally live well within our means. I’m convinced we can afford a new-car payment, but my wife is convinced it will break us, and that’s a problem. I’m 45 and my wife is 43. My wife and I make…
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We want to retire somewhere with pleasant winters. Our budget is $600,000-$700,000. Where should we go?
Dear MarketWatch, We are looking to snowbird in about three years, and have about $600,000 to $700,000 to invest in a place to live. We won’t be there in deep summer, but are looking for mild and pleasant outdoor weather in the winter. We would like to be within an hour of a major airport.…
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Bond holders have more to fear from the Fed than the debt-ceiling standoff
The U.S. debt-ceiling drama on Capitol Hill makes for great theater, but is little more than a sideshow for bond investors. That’s because the shorter-term direction of U.S. interest rates is almost entirely a function of the Federal Reserve’s actions, and not the debt-ceiling negotiations in Washington. Yet judging by the saturated coverage of these…
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Banks trim loans slightly as deposits fall to nearly two-year low
Lending by banks fell slightly last week even as deposits dropped to a nearly two-year low, suggesting that U.S. financial institutions are in stable condition a few months after a bevy of bank failures. Total bank lending fell by $3.3 billion to $12.1 trillion in the seven days ending May 10, the Federal Reserve reported…
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U.S. stocks fall on debt-ceiling and regional-bank worries, but Dow still books weekly gain
U.S. stocks finished lower Friday, weighed down by worries over the debt-ceiling deadline and concerns that more mergers involving regional banks may be needed. How stock-indexes traded The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, -0.33% fell 109.28 points, or 0.3%, to close at 33,426.63. The S&P 500 SPX, -0.14% fell 6.1 points, or 0.1%, to finish…
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Debt on trophy office buildings is starting to buckle as loans come due
The financial fallout from half-empty U.S. office buildings has begun to be reflected in prices for bonds backed by luxury office buildings. From New York City’s famed Park Avenue to San Francisco’s California Street, properties long considered fortress investments are reeling as efforts to return more staff to office buildings in big cities stall. Recent…
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Most Americans aren’t happy with how much income tax they paid this year and how to invest in one of the hottest stock market sectors while cutting your risk
Hi, MarketWatchers. Don’t miss these top stories. Most Americans aren’t happy with how much income tax they paid this year Tax fairness and tax burdens are front-and-center, as a fight over the soon-to-be-expiring Trump tax cuts looms. Kia and Hyundai settlement: See if you qualify for part of the $200 million payout Some U.S. cities…