MoneyWatch

The Federal Trade Commission is sending more than $5.6 million in refunds to people who purchased Amazon’s Ring camera during a time when the devices were potentially being used to violate their privacy. Payments are coming to 117,044 consumers who had certain types of Ring devices, the result of a settlement of allegations Amazon let employees and contractors access people’s …

Buying a house is costlier than anytime in at least the last decade, with property buyers hit with the double whammy of rising mortgage rates and home prices, according to real estate company Redfin. The average interest rate on a fixed 30-year home loan rose to 7.1%, marking the first time this year rates have topped 7%,accordingto Freddie Mac. Meanwhile, …

Gold’s price has made a spectacular run for the top over the past several months against a backdrop of high demand led by unwavering inflation. According to American Hartford Gold, the commodity was trading at $1,821.35 per ounce on October 5, 2023. Fast forward just over six months later and today, gold’s price is $2,327.05 per ounce – over 27% …

Today’s economic environment can be a challenging one if you have credit card debt. The cost of living is climbing as inflation continues unabated, which can make it difficult to budget for your credit card payments. Moreover, the Federal Reserve’s federal funds rate target currently stands at a 23-year high. And since that’s the primary benchmark for consumer interest rates, …

Over the last few years, the interest rate environment has shifted dramatically, making borrowing money much more expensive across the board. After keeping rates at rock-bottom levels during the pandemic to stimulate the economy, the Federal Reserve aggressively raised its benchmark federal funds rate over the last couple of years in an effort to rein in persistently high inflation. And, …

It’s never a bad time to re-evaluate your financial health and investment strategy. This is particularly true in today’s unique economic climate with strongjob growth, elevated inflation and the highest interest rates in decades. Against this backdrop, some investments may be more beneficial than others. For many, recent economic developments have underlined the advantage of investing in gold. Thanks to …

Today’s interest rate environment can be a big challenge for borrowers. After all, the same mortgage loans that had sub-3% interest rates in 2021 and 2022 now have rates that are over two times higher. And, other types of lending products, like credit cards and personal loans, both carry higher rates than they did in recent years. Considering that all …

In today’s inflationary environment, it can be difficult to decide where you’ll store your savings. No matter where you choose to do so, it’s important that your money earns a return that’s equal to inflation or higher. Your savings will lose buying power if your returns are any lower than the current inflation rate (3.5%). Two options to consider that …

Inflation remains as stubborn as ever and continues to prop up interest rates. The Federal Reserve aggressively raised interest rates 11 times in 2022 and 2023 in an effort to curb inflation. More recently, the Fed has paused interest rate changes at its last five meetings as inflation has slowly ticked up in 2024. The resulting elevated interest rates have …

On Thursday, Venice, Italy became the first city in the world to charge day tourists a feejust to visit its historic canals and other attractions on peak days. The measure is designed to counter over-tourism and mitigate the deleterious impact large crowds can have on some of the city’s fragile sites, while also persuading some tourists to visit during less …