MoneyWatch

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 …

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. …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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,” …

Gamers who have been waiting for years for Nintendo to release a successor to its popular Switch console finally got a clue on when to expect an upgraded device. Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa said Tuesday in aposton X (formerly known as Twitter) that the Japanese technology giant will announce the new switch within its current fiscal year, which ends in …

More than 6 million people subscribed to Disney+ in the past three months, helping Walt Disney Co. post a surprise profit in its on-demand video streaming division, executives with the entertainment giant said Tuesday. The earnings boost comes after a rough 18 months at the House of Mouse. In early 2023, CEO Bob Iger announced that 7,000 jobs would be …

Restaurant chain Panera said on Tuesday that it plans to stop selling its Charged Sips caffeinated beverages that are at the center of multiple lawsuits. The company will phase out the caffeine-laden lemonade drinks nationwide, a spokesperson confirmed to CBS MoneyWatch. As of Tuesday, they were still available for purchase on Panera’s website. The move comes as Panera revamps its …