MoneyWatch

The home buying landscape has shifted dramatically over the last couple of years. At the height of the pandemic, 3% mortgage rates were common, but home prices were also surging and a shortage of inventory was adding to the stress on buyers. These days, housing inventory remains low in many markets and home prices remain elevated. But the big difference …

According to the US. Census Bureau, 49 million households own dogs, or roughly 38% of the nation’s 128.5 million occupied housing units. Of course, we love our pets, so much so that 97% of all pet owners consider their pets part of the family, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. While our love for our dogs is limitless, …

Stellantis has recalled thousands of Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 cars because of a manufacturing defect that could cause airbags to rupture unexpectedly, resulting in metal fragments flying out, potentially killing passengers. Fiat Chrysler America (FCA) said in recall documents that it began investigating the inflator issue last month and found that some of the “affected vehicles may have had …

The Women’s Cancer Fund raised $18.3 million by vowing to help patients, telling donors that their money would help pay the living expenses of women going through treatment for the disease. But a new lawsuit from the FTC and 10 states allege that the bulk of the money instead went to pay the charity’s president and for-profit fundraisers. The lawsuit, …

Sacramento, Calif. — State Farm will discontinue coverage for 72,000 houses and apartments in California starting this summer, the insurance giant said this week, nine months after announcing it wouldn’t issue new home policies in the state. The Illinois-based company, California’s largest insurer, cited soaring costs, the increasing risk of catastrophes like wildfires and outdated regulations as reasons it won’t …

Three antitrust lawsuits filed by food businesses in federal court in Minnesota this week accuse some of the largest U.S. sugar-producing companies of conspiring to fix prices. The lawsuits name United Sugars, which includes American Crystal Sugar and the Minn-Dak Farmers Cooperative; Domino Sugar; Cargill; other producers, and a commodity data company. The plaintiffs in the class-action lawsuits include Great …

The rate environment of recent years has not been favorable for borrowers but it has been a boost for savers. Thanks to decades-high inflation and a rapid rise in interest rates meant to tame it, savers have seen their returns increase exponentially. It’s not difficult to find a high-yield savings account over 5% right now while select savers can secure …

Former President Donald Trump will soon be at the helm of a publicly traded company that will trade under the ticker “DJT,” after his initials, and boast a potential valuation of more than $5 billion — a lofty amount for a business that’s losing money and has scant revenue. Trump’s next career move as head of a publicly traded company …

Your burger and fries could soon cost $12 in the morning and $20 just a few hours later — at the same restaurant. That’s because more eateries are experimenting with so-called dynamic pricing by lowering and raising menu prices based on demand. People who use ride sharing services like Uber or Lyft are accustomed to the companies boosting prices when …

If you own a home, you may have a significant amount ofhome equity. One common way to tap into it is by using a home equity line of credit (HELOC), which can be a smart option forseveral reasons. For starters, HELOCs typically have competitive interest rates because they’re backed by collateral: your home. And, as lines of credit, a HELOC …