Money, Wealth & Power—A Daily Look at the Financial World
Homebuyers are not just hesitating, they are walking away from signed contracts at a pace that is reshaping the housing market’s basic rules. In December, more than 40,000 purchase agreements were canceled, equal to 16.3% of homes that went under contract, the highest share since this data started being tracked in 2017. That surge in…
From Swiss financial hubs to Southeast Asian city-states, the world’s priciest destinations are testing how much visitors will really pay. I see the same pattern everywhere: daily costs are soaring, new tourist taxes are piling on, and many travelers now talk openly about being “priced out” of places that once felt attainable. These eight cities…
In 2026, the choice between owning and renting is less about lifestyle labels and more about which path actually builds net worth after all the fees, taxes and market swings are accounted for. Home values and rents are both rising, but not at the same pace everywhere, and the gap between a starter mortgage and…
Beyoncé and Jay-Z are worth more than many small countries, yet they are piling on debt against a single mansion in Bel Air. Their latest move, a second mortgage of roughly $57 million on a home they already leveraged once, has sparked a fierce debate over whether they are stretched thin or playing a sophisticated…
Across the United States, coin shops that usually scramble to find enough bullion to satisfy customers are now struggling with the opposite problem: their safes are packed with silver and gold they cannot easily move. Instead of advertising for more inventory, some are quietly capping how much they will buy, or turning walk-in sellers away…
Bill Gates is quietly shrinking the footprint of Xanadu 2.0, the legendary lakefront estate that has long symbolized the upper limits of tech wealth. After years of assembling neighboring parcels into a single $132 million mega compound, he is now putting some of those homes back on the market, signaling a rare reversal in how…
The American dream has long been built around a 30-year mortgage, a starter home and the promise of building wealth through ownership. Billionaire investor Grant Cardone is arguing that era is ending, warning that the United States is drifting toward a future where renting is the norm and owning is a luxury. His prediction is…
The income bar for homeownership in the United States has lurched upward in just a few years, turning what used to be a middle class milestone into a six‑figure test. To comfortably afford a typical home at a median price of $410,800, buyers now need roughly $50,000 more in annual income than they did in…
Mortgage rates have slipped back under 6 percent, a level that would have seemed punishing a few years ago but now looks like a relative bargain. The national average for a 30‑year fixed loan is hovering near 5.95% to 5.99%, with daily moves that feel more like a clearance rack than a stable price tag….
Tax deed sales sit at the intersection of local tax enforcement and real estate investing, offering investors a path to acquire property when owners fall behind on taxes. Done well, these auctions can deliver discounted purchases and strong returns, but the process is legalistic, unforgiving and very different from a typical home sale. To understand…