consumer services – Page 11

Budget already squeezed? 6 more things you can do to stay ahead of inflation.

July 18, 2022 admin No Comments

Inflation is a nightmare for many Americans who already stretch their dollars to cover basic needs. What happens when those dollars lose value? Their choice is probably not about whether to cut streaming services or opt for store-brand groceries. Instead, they may have to choose between buying enough food and paying rent. The families hit…

Investment

‘It’s not about the future of work, it’s about the future of living’: How to handle the dreaded ‘return-to-work’ Zoom call with your boss

July 18, 2022 admin No Comments

Some people may be tempted to quote that famous New Yorker cartoon and reply, “How about never — is never good for you?” But what is acceptable in a smarty-pants magazine cartoon strip is hardly acceptable in real life. Few managers will take kindly to a zero-sum game. So how do you handle that conversation?…

Investment

Will companies continue to raise prices to maintain their record profit margins?

July 17, 2022 admin No Comments

As earnings season kicks into high gear, there is one major question that could determine where stocks and inflation will head from here: Will companies continue to raise prices or cut costs in an attempt to maintain the record profit margins of 2021? As this column discussed three months ago, the S&P 500 index’s SPX…

Investment

My mother-in-law moved into our rental home years ago and made $60,000 in upgrades. We now want to sell. Should we repay her?

July 16, 2022 admin No Comments

Dear MarketWatch, My mother-in-law moved into our rental home eight years ago. From the start there was miscommunication about how much the rent was going to be. We thought she would pay the asking amount; she thought she would get a deal. She paid the asking price at the time. Fast forward eight years, and…

Investment

I’m spending a fortune on home maintenance. I realize my second husband is essentially living in my house for free’: What is a fair way to split costs?

July 16, 2022 admin No Comments

I am a retired 62-year-old woman. I was widowed in 2006 at the age of 46 and raised my two children (now 24 and 27) on my own. I used my husband’s life insurance money (about $500,000) to maintain our home, provide child care, and get both children through college without student loans. I did…

Investment

‘She has no ambition’: I make $100,000. I’m buying a home before the wedding. My fiancé earns $50,000 and has $20,000 in student debt. What’s a fair prenup?

July 16, 2022 admin No Comments

I have been in my current relationship for almost three years. I’m a young woman, 41, have a great, stable career and make about $100,000 a year. I am ambitious and my prospects have me increasing my income by $10,000 every year. I have about $140,000 in savings, and no debt. I am close to…

Investment

Why Home Depot’s 12-foot Halloween skeleton is already on sale

July 15, 2022 admin No Comments

Yes, the country just celebrated the Fourth of July less than two weeks ago. But Home Depot HD, +0.58% has already dropped its Halloween home decor online — including its viral $299, 12-foot skeleton that’s been a seasonal sensation since 2020. The towering and terrifying figure, officially named “12-foot Giant Skeleton with LifeEyes LCD Eyes,”…

Investment

7 financial planning steps to take in the decade before retirement

July 15, 2022 admin No Comments

The decade leading up to your retirement is one of the most critical periods for retirement planning. There are a number of financial planning issues to consider during this time period to help ensure a financially secure retirement for you. Prepare a retirement spending plan This is the time to take a hard look at…

Investment

Dow climbs 600 points as stocks look to snap 5-day losing streak

July 15, 2022 admin No Comments

US equities rose sharply Friday morning, following five down days, on good retail sales data and a moderation in inflation expectations while a mixed batch of bank earnings helped propel financial stocks higher. How are stocks trading? The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA rose 650 points, or 2.1%, to 31,248. The S&P 500 SPX gained…

Investment

Here’s why Britain’s Warren Buffett is sticking with Facebook’s parent and other beaten down techs

July 15, 2022 admin No Comments

Exasperated observers – probably those who have made the wrong bet – often claim that markets are incapable of absorbing more than one important thing at a time. Well, inflation was so last Wednesday. Now it’s all about the earnings. The macro guys hand the baton to the micro. Top down to bottom up, allowing…

Investment