MoneyWatch

Harvard said it received 5% fewer undergraduate applications this year compared with a year earlier, a dip that follows a tumultuous year for the Ivy League school that included the resignation of President Claudine Gay and a backlash over antisemitic incidents on the campus. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based school received 54,008 applications for the class of 2028, according to the Harvard …

Sara England was putting together Ghostbusters costumes for Halloween when she noticed her baby wasn’t doing well. Her 3-month-old son, Amari Vaca, had undergone open-heart surgery two months before, so she called his cardiologist, who recommended getting him checked out. England assigned Amari’s grandparents to trick-or-treat duty with his three older siblings and headed to the local emergency room. Once …

American Airlines is relaxing part of its pet policy to let owners bring their animal companion and a full-size carry-on bag into the cabin. Until this week, people who carried a pet into the cabin, which involves paying a $150 fee, could only have one other small item that fit under the seat. Anything bigger, like a carry-on bag with …

Debt-to-income (DTI) ratios probably aren’t something many people think about often. But it’s important not to discount this ratio and the impact it can have on your financial stability. After all, your DTI ratio typically plays a significant role in your ability to access loans – or lack thereof. Calculated by dividing your total monthly loan payment obligations by your …

If you’re dealing with mounting credit card debt, you may be looking for ways to pay it off quickly. After all, today’s high interest rate environment means your minimum payments are likely higher now than they have been in the past. But it’s important to understand that when you make the minimum payments, most of your payment goes toward interest …

The collapse ofBaltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge on Tuesday after being struck by a cargo ship has raised questions about who owns and manages the ship, as well as on the potential impact on one the busiest ports in the U.S. Called the Dali, the 948-foot vessel that hit the bridge is managed by Synergy Marine Group, a Singapore-based company …

With Americans living longer and spending more years in retirement, the nation’s changing demographics are “putting the U.S. retirement system under immense strain,” according to BlackRock CEO Larry Fink in his annual shareholder letter. One way to fix it, he suggests, is for Americans to consider working longer before they head into retirement. “No one should have to work longer …

Legislation in Washington state known as the “Strippers’ Bill of Rights,” which advocates say includes the most comprehensive statewide protections in the nation for adult dancers, was signed into law on Monday. Gov. Jay Inslee signed the measure, which creates safer working conditions for people in the adult entertainment industry and makes it possible for the clubs to sell alcohol. …

Steamboat Springs, Colorado, has a problem that’s prevalent among all resort communities where housing costs far exceed local incomes: recruiting staff. That’s because job candidates say they can’t afford to live there. While home prices and rents have soared across the country over the past year, rent and real estate prices in uber-wealthy enclaves are in a league of their …

Following its March meeting, the Federal Reserve did not change the federal funds rate, keeping the target rate at a range of 5.25-5.50%. A few months ago, many experts predicted that the Fed would start cutting rates in early 2024, but conditions have changed, with inflation being more persistent than expected. And with the Fed keeping rates high, that has …