Americans are addicted to caffeine but not to Starbucks, it seems. When Chicago writer Natalia Nebel steps out for an espresso, for instance, Starbucks no longer comes to mind, even though she lives within walking distance to two of the coffee chain’s more than 17,000 U.S. stores. “I used to go all the time and now I don’t go anymore,” …

Although Americans continue to deal with high inflation and high interest rates, the upside has been that many investments have been rising too, such as with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average hitting record highs in 2024. But stocks aren’t the only hot investment. Gold prices, for example, have also recently hit record highs as some investors have …

Gold has long been considered a smart investment. Thanks to its ability to hedge against inflation, diversify portfolios, act as a safe-haven asset and remain steady in value, the precious metal has been relied on for decades by investors. And in today’s unique economic climate, in which inflation is sticky and interest rates are high, it’s been particularly advantageous to …

Are you finding it difficult to financially cope with the rising prices of consumer goods and services? Are you using your credit cards to cover the cost of everyday purchases and making minimum payments to keep those cards active? Doing so can result in ever-growing credit card balances and minimum payments. And, those growing minimum payments will only exacerbate your …

Today’s high-rate environment has made it pretty tough for people to juggle their daily living expenses and their revolving debt. After all, when interest rates are high overall, variable-rate debt, like credit card debt, tends to cost a lot more than it otherwise would. And, with the average credit card rate currently closing in on 22%, and persistent inflation pushing …

With inflation sticky and interest rates at their highest point in decades, few cost-effective borrowing options are available for Americans right now. Credit cards and personal loans come with average rates in the double digits and mortgages are hovering near their highest point since 2000. Homeowners, however, do have one relatively inexpensive way to borrow cash — their home equity. …

In recent years, a surge in home values has provided many homeowners with a significant boost in their home equity levels. And, thanks to that widening gap between property values and outstanding mortgage balances, the average homeowner currently has nearly $300,000 worth of home equity that can be leveraged for financing home renovations, consolidating high-interest debt, funding education expenses, covering …

If you’re a homeowner, there’s a high probability that you have quite a bit of borrowing power available to you. And, that borrowing power could be coupled with competitive interest rates. The average homeowners has potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars to tap into right now. But, what if you needed to get your hands on $40,000, and decided to …

Former GOP Senate candidate Tiffany Smiley officially launched her campaign Monday to unseat central Washington Rep. Dan Newhouse, one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump. “For almost 20 years, I have worked to change the government from the outside, and now it’s clear the best way for me to continue my work and deliver …

Shayanna Jenkins, the fiancée of late New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, condemned jokes made at his expense during NFL legend Tom Brady’s roast. Jenkins, who is the mother of Hernandez’ only child, told TMZ that she was disappointed her partner was the target of multiple jabs during the three-hour live Netflix special, including from former teammates. “It’s sad …