MoneyWatch

Southwest Airlines is suspending service at some airports across the U.S. as it slows its growth, in part because of Boeing aircraft delivery delays. The airline is set to receive just 20 of the 46 Boeing 737 Max 8 planes it was expecting in 2024, Southwest said Thursday. The delays mean slower growth for the airline, which is looking for …

Well-heeled home shoppers are increasingly paying cash, helping turbocharge price gains for the most expensive U.S. homes. The median sale price of luxury homes — valued in the top 5% of the market nationally — hit an all-time high $1.23 million in the first quarter, an increase of 8.7% from the same period last year, according to an analysis by …

Internet service providers can no longer fiddle with how quickly — or not — customers are able to browse the web or download files, the Federal Communications Commission ruled Thursday. The 3-2 vote to adopt net neutrality regulations, which block wireless companies from selectively speeding up, slowing down or blocking users’ internet traffic, restores a policy that was discarded during …

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 …