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☆ 1 in 7 Gen Z credit card users are ‘maxed out’
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Ariel Barnes plunged into a credit card debt spiral in college, and a decade later she’s yet to escape. Barnes, a manager of gift processing at Jackson State University, has maxed out seven credit cards and is struggling to make minimum payments on $30,000 of credit card debt. Roughly one in seven (15.3%) Gen Z credit card borrowers have maxed out their credit cards, according to new research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. For instance, the median Gen Z borrower’s credit limit is just $4,500, compared with $16,300 for Millennials and $21,800 for Gen X, the NY Fed said. There’s never a good time to carry a credit card balance, but right now is arguably the worst time.

Persons: CNN — Ariel Barnes, Barnes, ” Barnes, Baby Boomer, Xers, ”, “ I’ve, Zers, Ted Rossman, Gregory Daco, ” Daco, haven’t, X, it’s, There’s, That’s, Daco, CNN’s Alicia Wallace Organizations: CNN, Jackson State University, Federal Reserve Bank of New, Fed, NY Fed, Bankrate.com, Wall, NY, Federal Locations: Jackson , Mississippi, Federal Reserve Bank of New York

☆ Americans were paid an additional $235 billion in interest in 2023, thanks to the Fed
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

High-yield savings accountsThe average interest rate on regular bank savings accounts is roughly 0.5% but can run as low as 0.01% at the biggest banks. By contrast, the average on high-yield savings accounts is well over 4%, according to DepositAccounts.com. If you leave it parked in a regular savings account at 0.5%, you’ll get $50 in interest for a year. As with any savings account, banks can lower the rate they offer — also known as the APY — at any time. Money market accounts and money market fundsAlthough money market deposit accounts and money market mutual funds are both generating yields competitive with the best high-yield savings accounts, there are important differences.

Persons: —, It’s, ”, Greg McBride, you’ll, McBride, “, ” McBride, Ben Bakkum, Collin Martin, Martin Organizations: New, New York CNN, Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, FDIC, National Credit Union Share Insurance, Securities Investor Protection Corporation, Treasury, Fed, Schwab Center, Financial Research Locations: New York, Schwab.com, United States

☆ 29% of households have jobs but struggle to cover basic needs: They are 'one emergency from poverty,' one expert says
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Stubborn inflation has driven many households near the breaking point, but the pain of high prices has not been shared equally. By most measures, low-income households have been hardest hit, experts say. The Federal Reserve responded with a series of interest rate hikes that took its benchmark rate to its highest level in more than 22 years. The spike in interest rates caused most consumer borrowing costs to skyrocket, putting many households under pressure. Inflation continues to prove stickier than expected, dashing hopes that the Fed will be able to cut interest rates anytime soon.

Persons: ALICE, Brett House, Greg McBride, we've, Jerome Powell, Hoopes Organizations: Columbia Business School, Federal, Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics

☆ Big banks are touting sweet CD yields in excess of 5%. Where you can find them
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

"From our experience, the brokered CD market is more competitive," said Richard Carter, vice president of fixed income products and services at Fidelity. Like traditional CDs, brokered CDs are offered in different maturities. For instance, JPMorgan's one-year CD, with its 5.4% yield, can be called as early as Oct. 30, according to Fidelity's website. With a brokered CD, you'll have to sell it on the secondary market — and you may lose some of your principal. Depending on your time frame, you may consider a one-year ladder with CD maturities three months apart, a two-year ladder with CD maturities six months apart, or a five-year ladder, with maturities one year apart, he said.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, Schwab, Richard Carter, Carter, you'll, there's, Morgan, Greg McBride, It's, McBride, staggers maturities Organizations: JPMorgan, Fidelity Investments, Bank of America, Fidelity, Vanguard, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, Morgan Stanley Private Bank and Bank of America Locations: U.S

☆ Here's what's wrong with the ‘100 envelope’ method and TikTok’s other viral savings challenges
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Between "cash stuffing," the "100 envelope" method or the "no-spend" challenge, there's no shortage of suggestions to better your financial standing. How these savings challenges work'Walk before you run'"I would definitely stress walking before you run," Rossman said. Rossman advises having money regularly transferred from your paycheck to a savings account. After a series of interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve, some top-yielding online savings account rates are now paying even more than 5%, according to Bankrate.com — well above the rate of inflation. For example, if you have $5,000 in a high-yield savings account earning 5%, you'll make roughly $250 in interest in a year.

Persons: TikTok, Ted Rossman, Rossman, Matt Schulz, Schulz, Bankrate.com Organizations: Federal Reserve, FDIC

☆ The No. 1 factor that makes people feel financially secure—and how to achieve it
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

For many people, credit card debt is standing between them and financial security. And although many people feel that financial security means having little to no debt, achieving that goal is typically easier said than done. 1 factor that makes them feel financially secure, according to CNBC's International Your Money Financial Security Survey conducted by SurveyMonkey. While there are many different kinds of debt, from student loans to mortgages, by far one of the most expensive forms of debt is credit card debt. The majority of Americans wouldn't be able to cover a $1,000 emergency expense with their savings, per Bankrate's 2024 emergency savings report.

Persons: Ted Rossman, wouldn't, Matt Schulz Organizations: Financial Security, SurveyMonkey, Financial, CNBC

☆ Map shows how much income you’ll need to buy the median-prices home in your state
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-01 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | Rachel Wilson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

(The median is the price at which half of homes for sale in an area are more expensive and half are less expensive.) Back in January 2020, a six-figure income was needed in only six states and the District of Columbia. Assuming you make a 20% down payment and get a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at the average 52-week rate, this map shows you how much household income Bankrate’s analysis found you’ll need to afford the median-priced home in your state. “Manageable” means it won’t exceed 28% of your gross household income. It’s worth noting, too, that the median price of a home in a given state won’t necessarily reflect the median price in the part of the state you’re seeking to buy.

Persons: Bankrate.com Organizations: New, New York CNN, District of Columbia Locations: New York

☆ In these 22 states, you need a six-figure income to afford a typical home, analysis finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-31 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Buying an affordable home in the United States has gotten a lot harder for many people since 2020. A new analysis from Bankrate.com finds that in 22 states and Washington, DC, buyers need a six-figure household income to comfortably afford a typical median-priced home. That’s a lot more than in January 2020, when Bankrate found buyers needed a six-figure income in just six states and the District of Columbia. For instance, Bankrate found that the income needed to buy a median-priced home rose the least in North Dakota (up 9.2%); Illinois (up 27.2%); and Kansas (up 29.3%). The complete Bankrate analysis can be found here.

Persons: Bankrate, ”, Jeff Ostrowski, –, Redfin –, homebuyers, ” Ostrowski Organizations: New, New York CNN, District of Columbia, “, United States –, of Columbia, Washington State Locations: New York, United States, Washington, DC, West, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Maine, Maryland, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, South, Midwest, Mississippi, Ohio, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Dakota, Illinois, Kansas

☆ 3 smart money moves to make in your 20s to be more successful
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Annie Probert | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

If you're questioning how to put your money to use in your 20s, here are three smart money moves to set yourself up for success later in life, according to two certified financial planners. The most common forms of debt for twentysomethings include credit cards, auto loans, student loans and personal loans. High interest rates have made paying off debt even harder, and in 2023 people under 29 carried an average of nearly $3,000 in credit card debt. To tackle credit card debt, Rossman recommends either signing up for a 0% balance transfer card or consolidating your credit card debt if you have several balances on different cards. Student loans are another common burden for many young people, with nearly 35% of adults ages 18 to 29 carrying student loan debt, according to the Education Data Initiative.

Persons: you've, Z, Andrew Fincher, Joe Conroy, Ted Rossman, Rossman, Fincher Organizations: Financial, CNBC, Education Data Initiative Locations: what's

☆ The average tax refund is over $3,000. Here are 7 ways to put it to good use
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —The average federal tax refund is more than $3,000, according to the latest data from the IRS. … They don’t understand how much interest they’re paying,” Russ said. Create or add to an emergency fundYou can use your refund to start or bolster an emergency fund. If you have high-rate debt and you’re lacking emergency savings, Russ suggested you might use a portion of your refund to attack your debt and the other portion to create an emergency fund. If you need the money within three years, you might consider putting your refund in certificates of deposits and US Treasury bonds.

Persons: you’re, ”, Eric Bronnenkant, Keyana Russ, ” Russ, Russ, Bronnenkant, Roth, Bronnenkant, Charles Schwab, ” Bronnenkant Organizations: New, New York CNN, Ponds Financial, Invest, Roth IRA, Treasury Locations: New York, Ponds

☆ Inexpensive ways to access emergency funds
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Jeanne Sahadi | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

And while surveys indicate that there are plenty of people in just such a situation, there are some inexpensive and safe ways to access emergency funds. putting it on a credit card but paying that bill in full when it comes due). An earlier survey by Bankrate, meanwhile, found that two-thirds of US adults worried they don’t have enough emergency savings to cover them if they lost their primary source of income. Her bills were piling up and she had already accrued high credit card balances from her years in school. To make the next emergency expense less stressful and costly, you can build emergency savings with small amounts consistently over time.

Persons: Bankrate.com, Bankrate, Noah Damsky, ”, Marcel Miu, ” Miu, Daisy Martini, she’d, Rodney Williams, Martini, “, Damsky, Linda Grizely Organizations: New, New York CNN, Federal Reserve, Marina Wealth Advisors, New York City’s Department of Education, Financial Locations: New York, New

☆ After Biden praises progress on inflation in State of the Union, economists weigh in
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-08 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

In his State of the Union address, President Joe Biden celebrated his administration's progress in the fight against inflation. "Wages keep going up and inflation keeps coming down," Biden said in the annual speech before Congress. Inflation has cooled while wages have ticked higher, but households are still struggling to keep up with the increased cost of living. However, "it is difficult to tell people that inflation isn't so bad as it was, given that it has taken about one-fifth of purchasing power away from people," he said. The consumer price index, a key inflation barometer, has fallen gradually from a 9.1% pandemic-era peak in June 2022 to 3.1% in January.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Mark Hamrick Organizations: Finance Locations: California

☆ These surprise sources of income could cost you during tax season
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Investors are celebrating a year of easy-to-obtain interest income, but the Tax Man will want his slice this spring. Institutions report interest income of $10 or more to their customers and the Internal Revenue Service on Form 1099-INT . For instance, you can be on the hook for an accuracy-related penalty of 20% of the underpayment of the tax. Interest income from these I bonds is subject to federal income tax, but investors don't receive it until they redeem the bond or it matures. "It might be worth it to buy the MLP and pay the tax," Kearns said.

Persons: Elizabeth Buffardi, Buffardi, you'll, Jerrod Pearce, Adam Markowitz, Brian Kearns, Kearns Organizations: Internal Revenue Service, IRS, CPA, Creative Planning, Luminary, CFP, Haddam, Advisors, MLP Locations: Oak Brook , Illinois, Overland Park , Kansas, Windermere , Florida, Evanston , Illinois

☆ Lower rates help homebuyers more than cardholders: Bankrate's Ted Rossman
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailLower rates help homebuyers more than cardholders: Bankrate's Ted RossmanTed Rossman, senior industry analyst at Bankrate.com, joins 'The Exchange' to discuss how rates affect home prices, the outlook for homebuyers, and more.

Persons: Ted Rossman Ted Rossman

☆ How America racked up a $1 trillion credit card bill
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Delon Thornton | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Americans have accumulated a record-breaking $1 trillion in credit card debt. This comes as the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes have caused average interest rates for credit cards to spike to more than 22%. Rates on retail credit cards are even higher, nearing 29% on average. However, big box retailers like Macy's and Nordstrom have issued warnings about a slowdown in repayments on their credit cards over the summer, highlighting a potential risk to retail revenue this holiday season. Watch the video above to find out more about how Americans' credit card debt ballooned past the $1 trillion threshold, and whether U.S. consumers can keep spending enough to keep a looming recession at bay.

Persons: Tedd Rossman, Nordstrom Organizations: National Retail Federation

☆ Rates may have hit their peak. How to get the biggest bang out of cash heading into 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"It's important to keep sharing this idea to do something with your cash; these rates won't be here forever." Municipal money market funds Rather than tying up money in CDs or T-bills, Sachs prefers municipal money market funds for investors in the highest income tax brackets. Vanguard's Municipal Money Market Fund (VMSXX) has a 7-day SEC yield of 3.53% and carries an expense ratio of 0.15%. Residents in high-tax locales may also want to consider state-specific muni market funds, which have the additional benefit of providing income that's free of state taxes. For instance, there's the Vanguard California Municipal Money Market Fund (VCTXX) and the Fidelity New York Municipal Money Market Fund (FSNXX) .

Persons: –, Catherine Valega, Sallie Mae, Jeremy Keil, Keil, There's, Charles Sachs, Kaufman, Sachs, Michael Bloom Organizations: Federal, Green Bee, Synchrony, Financial, Keil Financial Partners, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp, FDIC, ., CFP, Money Market Fund, SEC, Residents, Vanguard, Fidelity New York Municipal Money Market Fund Locations: Winchester , Massachusetts, New Berlin , Wisconsin, Miami, Vanguard California

☆ Federal Reserve Meeting Fed Expected to Keep Rates on Hold
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Jeanna Smialek | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +7 min

The Fed last raised its benchmark rate, the federal funds rate, in July to a range of 5.25 to 5.5 percent. In recent weeks, the long-term market rates that influence many types of consumer and business loans have drifted higher, even as the Fed left its key rate on hold. Car LoansHigher loan rates have been dampening auto sales, particularly in the used-car market, because loans are more expensive and prices remain high, experts said. Used-car rates were even higher: The average loan carried an 11.4 percent rate in September, matching a high set earlier in the year. Home-equity lines of credit and adjustable-rate mortgages — which each carry variable interest rates — generally rise within two billing cycles after a change in the Fed’s rates.

Persons: ”, Anna N’Jie, Bankrate.com, Matt Schulz, Jonathan Smoke, that’s, Freddie Mac, Ken Tumin, DepositAccounts.com Organizations: Federal Reserve, Fed, Re, LendingTree, Cox Automotive, Treasury, Savings Vehicles Savers, Consumers, DepositAccounts.com Locations: LendingTree

☆ The Federal Reserve leaves rates unchanged. Here's what that means for your wallet
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

watch nowThe Federal Reserve left its target federal funds rate unchanged for the second consecutive time Wednesday. What the federal funds rate means for youThe federal funds rate, which is set by the central bank, is the interest rate at which banks borrow and lend to one another overnight. To a certain extent, many households have been shielded from the brunt of the Fed's rate hikes so far, House said. As the federal funds rate rose, the prime rate did as well, and credit card rates followed suit. If the 10-year yield stays near 5%, federal student loan interest rates could increase again when they reset in the spring, costing student borrowers even more in interest.

Persons: Brett House, that's, Sung Won Sohn, Sohn, bode, Greg McBride, Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's, Tiffany Hagler, Bankrate, Jacob Channel Organizations: Federal Reserve, Fed, Columbia Business School, Loyola Marymount University, SS Economics, Treasury, Geard, Bloomberg, Getty, Auto Locations: Larchmont , New York

☆ Americans ran up $105 billion in credit card interest last year alone
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

New York CNN —Danielle Foskie is among a growing number of Americans who have stumbled into a credit card doom loop. She turrned to credit cards to get by, eventually racking up $60,000 in credit card debt. Americans were hit with $105 billion in credit card interest last year alone, according to the CFPB’s biennial consumer credit card report. As signs of consumer stress emerge, the credit card industry continues to perform well financially. The report also warned of an “apparent lack of competition” on credit card rates.

Persons: Danielle Foskie, I’ve, ” Foskie, She’s, Renee Barrett, ” Barrett, Barrett, “, ”, Rohit Chopra Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, Financial, “, New York Fed Locations: New York, Cleveland , Ohio, United States, Bronx, Covid

☆ How the long-awaited recession became a 'richsession' for America's wealthy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Delon Thornton | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Sticky inflation, white-collar layoffs, and surging interest rates are all putting pressure on a certain type of American — higher-income earners. The same year, 1.8 million Americans lost their millionaire status, according to UBS' 2023 Global Wealth Survey. Bank of America's Consumer Checkpoint Survey for September 2023 found that high-income households have become more pessimistic about the economy. The same group also appears more cautious about spending because of soft wage growth and slowing job creation for high earners. Watch the video above to find out more about how the so-called "richcession" could affect the entire economy.

Persons: Greg McBride Organizations: UBS, Survey, Bank of America's Locations: U.S

"When the 10-year yield goes up, it will have a knock-on effect for almost everything," according to Brett House, economics professor at Columbia Business School. There are many factors driving the recent spike in Treasury yields, economists said. Most of the recent jump in Treasury yields is due to a so-called term premium, said Andrew Hunter, deputy chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics. Student loans could get pricierThere is also a correlation between Treasury yields and student loans. The government sets the annual rates on those loans once a year, based on the 10-year Treasury.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Mark Hamrick, Brett House, Andrew Hunter, Hunter, Tony Dwyer, Canaccord Genuity, Freddie Mac, Eugenio Aleman, Raymond James Organizations: Federal, Stock, Fed, Columbia Business School, Treasury, Capital Economics Locations: U.S

☆ As mortgage rates hit 8%, home 'affordability is incredibly difficult,' economist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Lifestylevisuals | E+ | Getty ImagesHow home affordability has changedIn August 2020, the typical monthly mortgage payment was $1,581, based on an average interest rate of 2.94%, Redfin found. Nowadays, the typical U.S. homebuyer's monthly mortgage payment is $2,866, according to Redfin — an all-time high. "In the next year or two years, interest rates will be lower, and people will have the ability to refinance." That said, competition for homes on the market is likely to be worse in a few years as interest rates cool, she said. "When interest rates come down, everyone's going to come back to the marketplace," said Cohn.

Persons: Redfin, homebuyers, Mark Hamrick, Alicia Huey, Melissa Cohn, William Raveis, Cohn Organizations: Bankrate.com, Istock, Federal Reserve, CNBC, William Raveis Mortgage Locations: U.S, Birmingham , Alabama, New York

"When the 10-year yield goes up, it will have a knock-on effect for almost everything," according to Columbia Business School economics professor Brett House. Why Treasury yields have jumpedA bond's yield is the total annual return investors get from bond payments. There are many factors driving the recent spike in Treasury yields, economists said. Student loans could get pricierThere is also a correlation between Treasury yields and student loans. The government sets the annual rates on those loans once a year, based on the 10-year Treasury.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Mark Hamrick, Brett House, Andrew Hunter, Hunter, Freddie Mac, Eugenio Aleman, Raymond James Organizations: Treasury, Columbia Business School, Fed, Capital Economics Locations: U.S

☆ Keep your sweetened CD yields going with this maneuver
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The one-year Treasury bill is yielding 5.47% Wednesday, and one-year CDs at some institutions offer annual percentage yields exceeding 5%. "It always makes sense to look at the landscape," said Danika Waddell, a certified financial planner and founder of Xena Financial Planning. Ally Financial and Bread Financial are among the institutions offering a higher renewal rate for customers who stick around. Consider that about a year ago, the average one-year CD had an APY of less than 1%, according to Bankrate.com . Consider that Synchrony Financial has an 11-month no-penalty CD that offers a 4.5% APY, while its 12-month standard CD yields 5.1%.

Persons: Danika Waddell, Morgan Stanley, Banks, Betsy Graseck, Mark Hamrick, It's, Waddell, Michael Bloom Organizations: Federal Reserve, Treasury, Investors, Xena, PNC, WFC, Bankrate.com, Ally, Federal Deposit Insurance Corp Locations: JPM

Retail sales increased 0.7% in September, driven by nonstore retailers and spending at food and drinking establishments, the Census Bureau reported on Tuesday. Even after stripping out autos, as some analysts do, the increase was 0.6%, way above estimates of a 0.2% gain. As long as those trends remain positive, consumers will feel they have the wherewithal to continue shopping. “Consumer spending has been fairly flat over the last two months,” according to Bank of America Institute’s Consumer Checkpoint October report. However, the wages and salaries of higher-income households are still growing at slower rates than other income cohorts.”Many retailers will be looking to the critical holiday season for a boost in sales.

Persons: ”, Ted Rossman Organizations: Census, Bankrate.com, “, Federal Reserve, Employers, Labor Department, Bank of America, ” Bank of America, Cyber, Signifyd’s Commerce

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