MoneyWatch

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 …

TikTok could be under new ownership at this time next year, after President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed a bill that gives the social media company about 12 months to either divest from its Chinese owner or face a U.S. ban. TikTok is vowing to fight the new law in the courts, with CEO Shou Chewsaying in a video posted …

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, …