MoneyWatch

For centuries, gold’s finite supply and hefty demand have made it a valuable investment asset — and, these days, it’s one of the most traded assets on the planet. And, this precious metal offers several other unique benefits to investors, making it worth consideration as anaddition to most portfolios. But whenshopping for gold, you may find that there are numerous …

There are a lot of important decisions to make leading up to retirement. Not only do you need to decide which investments and savings goals align with your financial plan, but you also need to make sure that you have the right types of healthcare insurance coverage in place, too. After all, aging comes with unique health challenges — and …

In the U.S.,credit card debt is a relatively common issue. Americans collectively owed about $1.08 trillion to credit card lenders as of the third quarter of 2023 — and the total will likely continue to grow, given today’s tough economic environment. And, it’s not just overspending that’s causing the issue. Credit cards typically come with high interest rates and minimum …

When it comes to building a well-diversified investment portfolio, many investors turn to gold to help offset some of the risks from traditional assets, like stocks. That strategy makes a lot of sense. The stock market can be vulnerable to economic fluctuations, and sudden downturns can result in hefty losses. But gold prices tend to increase when the market is …

After keeping rates paused since last summer, all eyes will turn to the Federal Reserve this week as they meet for the first time in 2024. On the agenda will be the future of the benchmark interest rate range, which currently sits between 5.25% and 5.50% —the highest it’s been in decades. The Fed had been consistently raising that rate …

While the Federal Reserve wants to see inflation heading toward 2.0%, December 2023 brought an increase of 0.3%, moving the Consumer Price Index (CPI) up to 3.4%. Still, many expect the federal funds rate to stay at 5.33% this month and decrease later this year. But what will that mean for the housing market overall – and prices, in general? …

X has disabled Taylor Swift-related searches on its platform in an attempt to curb the spread of fake pornographic images in the likeness of the singer that began circulating on social media last week. Since last Sunday, searches for “Taylor Swift” on X have returned the error message, “Oops, something went wrong.” X blocked the search term after pledging to …

Walmart said its store managers can now earn up to $400,000 annually, with the company announcing on Monday that it will give $20,000 in stock grants each year to Supercenter managers. “We ask our managers to own their roles and act like owners — and now, they’ll literally be owners,” said Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner in a video posted …

Major corporations in the media, retail and technology sectors have conducted mass layoffs to trim costs as they invest in AI, and after bulking up workforces during the pandemic. High interest rates are also contributing to layoffs at tech companies, in particular. A number of companies across sectors kicked off 2024 by announcing they are slashing jobs on the heels …

The company behind a global recall of sleep apnea machines said Monday it will stop selling the devices in the U.S., under a tentative agreement with regulators that could cost the manufacturer nearly $400 million. Device maker Philips has recalled more than 5 million pressurized breathing devices due to risks that their internal foam can break down over time, leading …