Money, Wealth & Power—A Daily Look at the Financial World
After more than a decade of relentless price gains that pushed homeownership out of reach for millions, buyers in certain U.S. housing markets are finally gaining ground. The shift is measurable: sellers now outnumber buyers by the widest margin on record, discounts off asking prices have hit levels not seen since 2012, and existing-home sales…
Life insurance is one of those financial products that many people assume they can put off until later, but for certain groups, waiting carries real risk. The question is not whether everyone needs a policy but rather which people face the most serious consequences without one. Three categories stand out when you look at the…
The U.S. car market is entering 2026 under growing strain, and luxury SUVs sit squarely in the crosshairs of a pricing correction that could reshape what buyers pay for premium vehicles. With new-vehicle sales projected to decline, wholesale values softening, and affordability pressures mounting, the conditions are aligning for significant depreciation in a segment that…
Rents across the United States have slipped to a four-year low, and a wave of new apartment supply in Sun Belt cities is pulling prices down faster than anywhere else. But the relief is distributed unevenly. Mid-income renters in high-growth metros are catching a break, while the lowest-income households, many of whom already spend more…
A fast-growing financial product is letting homeowners pull cash from their properties without monthly payments, but federal regulators and state prosecutors warn the arrangement could strip away far more equity than borrowers expect. Home equity investment contracts, or HEIs, give homeowners an upfront lump sum in exchange for a share of their home’s future value….
Mortgage delinquencies are rising in pockets across the United States, and the borrowers falling behind are disproportionately those with the least financial cushion. While national averages still look manageable, county-level and metro-level data tells a different story, one that federal tracking tools have been recording for months without generating the alarm the numbers probably deserve….
Several West Coast housing markets are flashing warning signs that could spell serious trouble for homeowners and investors over the next year. After years of relentless price gains fueled by pandemic-era demand and cheap money, official government data now shows quarterly price momentum stalling or reversing in key metropolitan areas along the Pacific coast. The…
Real estate professionals across the country say a growing mismatch between where homes are being permitted and where buyers need them is creating a distinct strain on the housing market. The concern centers on a geographic split: construction authorizations are concentrated in a handful of fast-growing regions while many high-demand coastal metros see comparatively less…
Homeowners over 70 who finally decide to sell are absorbing sharper price reductions than younger sellers, and the financial penalty grows wider with each passing year of ownership. The forces behind this gap are not mysterious: deferred maintenance, fewer renovations, and selling channels that bypass competitive bidding all chip away at returns. When you layer…
Buying a home with a small down payment has long been a goal for first-time buyers, and the federal agencies that set mortgage limits just made it easier for 2026. With the Federal Housing Finance Agency raising the baseline conforming loan limit to $832,750 and HUD updating FHA loan ceilings effective January 1, 2026, borrowers…