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Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune/TNS

Fate of endangered Chicago historic buildings still hangs in the balance as feds weigh security needs

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

CHICAGO — Historic preservationists thought their demands had been answered this summer when the federal government appeared to green-light the rehab of the two century-old office towers it’s owned on State Street for nearly two decades. But security restrictions governing how the buildings are used going forward have raised questions about ...Read more

Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel/TNS

South Florida has the hottest rental market in the nation, study says

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

A newly released study underscores the competitiveness — and perhaps the frustration — faced by renters across South Florida this year: It concludes the region is the hottest rental market in the country.

The study, conducted by RentCafe, is billed as a year-end report, recapping a year in which we saw somewhat plateauing rental prices, ...Read more

Andrey Popov/Dreamstime.com/TNS

More than a third of Americans say their retirement savings are way off track – 7 ways to get your fund going

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

For many people, retirement is a major goal and represents a life milestone. Unfortunately, 35% of American workers feel significantly behind when it comes to their retirement savings, according to Bankrate’s 2024 Retirement Savings Survey.

The good news is it’s never too late to open a retirement account — or to boost your savings if ...Read more

Kate Talerico/Bay Area News Group/TNS

Bay Area home sales are up 14% from last year, as once-reluctant buyers return to market

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

This fall, Risabh Kumar spent hours scanning home listings and touring open houses. He and his wife hoped there would be fewer homebuyers searching this time of year, especially with interest rates climbing back up again, but that hasn’t been the case.

“We’re trying to find a sweet spot and felt that, because interest rates are high, we ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Housing outlook for 2025: Stubborn mortgage rates, rebounding sales, and flat prices in most places

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Home sales across the country should rebound in 2025 after two sluggish years. But buyers shouldn’t count on 30-year mortgage rates dipping much below 6%. And homeowners in many parts of the country will be lucky to capture price gains above 2% next year, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Realtor.com, however, has named ...Read more

Al Seib/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Landlords beware: Rent-shamers are calling out overpriced listings online

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

LOS ANGELES — The Facebook post seemed straightforward enough, offering up a newly built ADU rental in Burbank. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, 1,000 square feet. A private yard. Finishes “you wouldn’t find in any other ADU.”

The price? $4,500 per month.

“Dam, ya’ll need to chill out!! $4,500 for an ADU??”

“Let the rich become ...Read more

Real estate Q&A: How can we find our dream home?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Q: After several years of renting, we plan to purchase our first home in the new year. Do you have any advice on how we can find our dream home? —Joan

A: Buying your first home is an exciting but anxious time. Getting caught up in the process and ‘losing the forest for the trees’ is easy.

When starting the process, make a written list of...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: The Hot New Trend

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

I wouldn't call it a radical new idea, although a recent issue of a popular women's magazine did say that living below your means is the hot new trend.

It is a simple concept -- spend less than you earn. Still, LBYM is seen by many as a life sentence, not the lifesaver that it is. It can take a crisis like unemployment or a sudden illness to ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Avoid These Expensive Tax Mistakes

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

You've rounded up your receipts, figured out all your deductions, and now you're ready to load that onto your tax forms. This is not the time to get sloppy. Make sure you don't run any of these red flags up the flagpole of your tax return, and you will greatly reduce the chances of getting hit with the most dreaded of all tax events -- the audit...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Readers Share Creative Post-Holidays Tips and Tricks

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

I have so enjoyed the unique holiday tips and tricks you, my dear readers, have sent my way during the holidays. Over and again I find myself saying, "Wow! Why didn't I think that?"

A few weeks before Christmas, I was boiling mad at myself when I opened boxes marked "Christmas" to find supplies of cards, tags and gift wrap purchased on sale, ...Read more

Spencer Platt/Getty Images North America/TNS

We asked financial professionals what the biggest investing regrets are. Here are 5 things they said

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

When it comes to investing, many people look back and wish they would have done something differently, like not pulling their money out of the stock market when things got dicey or saving more for retirement. But sometimes taking a look at the mistakes of others can help you make more informed financial decisions.

We asked certified financial ...Read more

Mandel Ngan/Getty Images North America/TNS

Free tax filing with IRS Direct File: What you need to know

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

The IRS Direct File program, which lets taxpayers file their federal income tax return directly with the IRS for free, is doubling its reach to 24 states for the 2025 tax season, up from 12 states in 2024, the program’s pilot year.

The Direct File program will also accept more types of tax situations for the 2025 tax season. While taxpayers ...Read more

Yuri Arcurs/Dreamstime/TNS

7 tips to prepare for next year's taxes now

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

As the end of the year approaches, now’s the time to start preparing for filing your 2024 tax return in 2025.

When it comes to tax strategies, generally Dec. 31 is the deadline to make changes that might lower your tax bill. One major exception is the deadline for contributing to a Roth or traditional IRA: You have until April 15, 2025, to ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: 7 Fabulous Last-Minute Gift Ideas

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Need a last-minute gift for an office party, a beloved friend, neighbor, coworker or anyone else on your gift list, and for any occasion? Here are seven great ideas that won't take much time and certainly won't break the bank.

GIVE AN EXPERIENCE

Think about fun activities you could do with different people on your list: dinner for a friend, ...Read more

Crockett County Sheriff's Department/TNS/TNS

'1000-Lb. Sisters' star Amy Slaton pleads guilty to drug charges after arrest at zoo

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Amy Slaton Halterman of TLC's "1000-Lb. Sisters" has pleaded guilty to two counts of drug possession following her September arrest at a Tennessee zoo.

The reality TV star on Thursday submitted a plea deal at the Crockett County courthouse conceding guilt for "simple possession" of Schedule I and Schedule VI drugs, according to court records ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Private credit plots expansion in bid for $40 trillion prize

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Private credit firms want more than corporate lending. The largest are laying the groundwork to finance everything from auto loans and residential mortgages to chip manufacturing and data centers in an effort to swell the size of the market by the trillions.

It’s part of a race to grab a bigger share of a universe of potential investments ...Read more

Aric Crabb/Bay Area News Group/TNS

US existing-home sales rise as buyers accept high mortgage rates

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Existing-home sales in the U.S. topped a rate of 4 million in November for the first time in six months as house hunters begrudgingly accept mortgage rates above 6%.

Contract closings increased 4.8% to an annualized rate of 4.15 million in November, the most since March, according to data released Thursday by the National Association of ...Read more

Illia Martynov/Dreamstime/TNS

Real estate Q&A: Our neighbor flies drones near houses. What are our privacy rights?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Q: Our neighborhood has a few recreationalists who like to fly drones. One likes to fly near people’s houses at night — sometimes at altitude levels even with the home’s windows. We all know that drones are equipped with cameras. It can’t be right to allow such invasions of privacy. What are our rights, and what can be done? — Alan

A:...Read more

Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times/TNS

A stunning Brutalist concrete home in LA rivals its neighbor, the Hollywood sign

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

LOS ANGELES — Rising steeply above a ravine in the Hollywood Hills, Nina and Andreas Grueter’s concrete home conjures a villain’s lair in a James Bond thriller — John Lautner’s Brutalist Elrod House in “Diamonds Are Forever” comes to mind — with the nearby Hollywood sign adding to its cinematic allure.

For some, a narrow ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: When Long-Run Emotional Spending Is Not Soothing

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Years ago, I discovered money was a great antidepressant. I spent to change my mood, to reward myself and to make myself feel better after a stressful week. I spent money when I felt sad and when I felt glad. I spent to get approval, to make my kids more popular, to impress people I didn't even know. The list goes on and on.

Who hasn't indulged...Read more

 

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