MoneyWatch

T-Mobile, the nation’s second-biggest mobile carrier, plans to acquire most of U.S. Cellular in an acquisition worth $4.4 billion, the wireless carriersannounced on Tuesday. The deal involves cash and as much as $2 billion in debt, with Bellevue, Washington-based T-Mobile buying 30% of U.S. Cellular’s spectrum assets as well as the regional carrier’s customer accounts and retail stores. U.S. Cellular …

Insurance companies are hiking the cost of homeowners coverage to offset the growing risk posed by powerful storms of the kind that ripped across five states over the Memorial Day weekend. The stormsleft a trail of destructionin Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Texas and parts of Virginia, leveling homes and killing at least 23 people. The increasing frequency and severity of extreme …

Americans who spend Memorial Day scouting sales online and in stores may find more reasons to celebrate the return of warmer weather. Major retailers are stepping up discounts heading into the summer months, hoping to entice inflation-weary shoppers into opening their wallets. Target, Walmart and other chains have rolled out price cuts — some permanent, others temporary — with the …

A group of investors will put up $6 billion to fund development of artificial intelligence by Elon Musk’s xAI. The company said on its website Sunday that the Series B funding round will be used to take xAI’s first products to market and speed up research. xAI said it has made “significant strides” during the past year in developing the …

With Memorial Day finally here, Americans from coast to coast are gearing up to celebrating the holiday with family and friends, or perhaps quietly solo. Whether you’re hosting a barbecue or attending one, you may find yourself in need of a last-minute run to the grocery store before the grilling begins. Those without plans may want to partake in some …

Tesla shareholders should reject CEO Elon Musk’s $56 billion pay package, according to proxy advisory firm Glass Lewis, which singled out the “excessive size” of the deal and its potentially negative impact on smaller shareholders. The recommendation from the influential proxy advisory company comes as Tesla is asking its shareholders to vote again on his 2018 pay package after a …

If someone reaches out purporting to be a member of Geek Squad’s tech support team, they could be an imposter trying to take your money. Electronics retailer Best Buy and its Geek Squad tech help arm was the most impersonated brand in 2023, according to a new report from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Amazon and PayPal were the second …

The high cost of long-term care can significantly impact seniors’ finances at a time when many older Americans can least afford it. According to Genworth’s 2023 Cost of Care Survey, the average cost for a private room in a nursing home is $116,800, representing a 4.9% increase over 2022 costs. While getting assistance from a home health aid is substantially …

You can get a mortgage with a small down payment (or sometimes none at all), but most mortgage lenders would prefer you to put at least 20% down. If you don’t, they’ll likely charge you for private mortgage insurance (PMI). Paying PMI means a larger monthly mortgage payment and typically amounts to about $30 to $70 more per month for …

Walmart has ended a partnership with Capital One that made the banking company the exclusive issuer of Walmart’s consumer credit cards. The companies announced the change in a joint statement Friday. The companies said card-holders can still use their Capital One Walmart Rewards cards, which will continue to accrue rewards unless customers are notified of a change. Capital One will …