MoneyWatch

17 high-yield savings accounts that outpace inflation right now

There’s no question that inflation has had a big impact on many people’s finances over the last few years. Higher inflation means your money can’t stretch as far due to higher prices at the pump, in the grocery store and just about anywhere else you shop. And, when you add in the other economic issues, like elevated borrowing costs, today’s …

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How homebuyers can reduce their mortgage rate by half a percentage point

Homebuyers waiting for mortgage rates to be reduced may have to wait a few more months. That seemed to be the message this week after the latest inflation reportfrom the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed inflation higher in January than expected. Although that 3.1% rate was lower than December’s 3.4%, it was still more than a full percentage point above …

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Tesla Cybertruck owners complain their new vehicles are rusting

Tesla’s Cybertruck hasn’t been on the road for long, but the stainless steel vehicles are already showing signs of rust, some owners are complaining. The sport utility vehicles, which start at $57,390 and cost up to $96,390, were first delivered to customers in December. Just two months later, buyers are posting images on social media showing orange rust spots appearing …

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Trump $354 million fraud verdict includes New York business ban for 3 years. Heres what to know.

A judge’s ruling on Friday inDonald Trump’s civil fraud trialdeals a severe blow to the former president, who is now barred from running the New York-based company that for decades has served as the hub of his global business empire. In a 92-page decision, New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron barred Trump from serving as an officer or director …

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OpenAIs new text-to-video tool, Sora, has one artificial intelligence expert "terrified"

Another groundbreaking generative artificial intelligence tool from the company behind ChatGPT unveiled Thursday is expected to accelerate the proliferation of deepfake videos and have implications for virtually every industry. Sora, an AI application that takes written prompts and turns them into original videos, is already so powerful that one AI expert says it has him “terrified.” “Generative AI tools are …

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3 surprising things to know about mortgage rates

2023 was not a great year for the mortgage market. Thanks to elevated inflation and the highest interest rates in decades meant to tame it, mortgage interest rates surged, hitting their highest point since 2000. And while they’ve dropped slightly since, they’re still exponentially higher than they were in 2020 and 2021, for example. The long-term forecastfor rate cuts and …

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Loophole allows man to live rent-free for 5 years in landmark New York hotel

For five years, a New York City man managed to live rent-free in a landmark Manhattan hotel by exploiting an obscure local housing law. But prosecutors this week said Mickey Barreto went too far when he filed paperwork claiming ownership of the entire New Yorker Hotel building — and tried to charge another tenant rent. On Wednesday, he was arrested …

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Tinder and Hinge dating apps are designed to addict users, lawsuit claims

There may be a reason so many hopeful singles on dating apps say they bank hours a day on the platforms swiping and scrolling without great results. Match Group-owned apps including Tinder and Hinge are designed to addict users and lock them “into a perpetual pay-to-play loop,” according to a proposed class-action lawsuit, filed in California district court on Wednesday …

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How often do Lyft and Uber customers tip their drivers? Maybe less than you think.

When it comes to having food delivered, Americans are accustomed to offering a gratuity. But it’s a different story for people whose job is delivering people to their destination. Only some 28% of rideshare trips result in tips, according a recently released report by Gridwise Analytics, which operates an app that tracks earnings for 500,000 active rideshare and delivery drivers. …

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After searing inflation, American workers are getting ahead, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said “American workers are getting ahead” now that their pay is growing faster than inflation, making the Biden administration’s case that the U.S. has rebounded from the economic calamity caused by the pandemic. “We know that Americans are experiencing discomfort because some important prices are higher than they were pre-pandemic,” Yellen told “CBS Evening News.” “But …

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