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☆ These home remodeling projects offer the highest return on investment in history, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

And when it comes to the return on investment, some projects now offer the highest return values in history — with a few home upgrades averaging returns of nearly 200% for the first time ever — according to the 2024 Cost vs. Value report from Zonda Media, a housing market research and analytics firm. Garage door replacements offered the highest average return at 194%, followed by upgrading to a steel front door, with a 188% return on investment — both worth nearly double what they were last year, the report found. Curb appeal is keyForget a designer chef's kitchen, the projects offering the greatest returns in resale value are mostly related to curb appeal rather than more glamorous kitchen and bath remodels, according to Zonda's report. In fact, nine out of the top 10 projects with the highest return on investment were exterior improvement projects, the report found. Only three projects on Zonda's list can typically deliver even a 100% return on investment, including replacing the garage doors, upgrading to a steel front door and installing a stone veneer.

Persons: Clay DeKorne, Zonda's, DeKorne, Angelica Ferguson VonDrak, Todd Tomalak, Tomalak Organizations: Zonda Media, Finance, Photodisc, Getty Locations: Rhinebeck , New York

☆ A rural Kansas county wants remote workers to move there. It's giving new residents $4,500 cash, an internet stipend, and fresh eggs.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Allie Kelly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewLincoln County, Kansas is recruiting new residents. But local community leaders are hoping to attract remote workers and grow the local economy by offering new residents $4,500 cash, a $500 credit toward high-speed internet, a gym membership, and a monthly basket of farm-fresh eggs. These programs were launched in West Lafayette, Indiana; Ellsworth County, Kansas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and more. To qualify, remote workers must be employed full-time, make at least $50,000 annually, and reside outside Kansas before moving. The program is marketed and monitored by Make My Move, an Indianapolis-based company that helps communities connect with remote workers through cash and perks.

Persons: —, Lincoln, Kelly Gourley, who'll, Gourley Organizations: Service, Business, Lincoln, Innovation Center, Innovation, Northwest Kansas Business, Economic Development Foundation, Kansas counties Locations: Lincoln County , Kansas, Wichita, West Lafayette , Indiana, Ellsworth County , Kansas, Tulsa , Oklahoma, Kansas, Indianapolis, Northwest Kansas, Northwest, Lincoln, Atlanta, Dallas, Memphis , Tennessee

Mortgage rates dropped last week following the release of April's Consumer Price Index data, which showed that inflation slowed last month. Mortgage rates are expected to go down as inflation decelerates toward the Fed's 2% target level. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates will affect your monthly and long-term payments. Now that the Fed has paused hiking rates, mortgage rates have come down a bit. Once the Fed starts cutting rates, which is likely to happen this year, mortgage rates should fall even further.

Persons: Freddie Mac Organizations: April's, Federal Reserve, Mortgage, Zillow, Fed Locations: Chevron

☆ U.S. and Europe Move Closer to Using Russian Assets to Help Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Alan Rappeport | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The United States and Europe are coalescing around a plan to use interest earned on frozen Russian central bank assets to provide Ukraine with a loan to be used for military and economic assistance, potentially providing the country with a multibillion-dollar lifeline as Russia’s war effort intensifies. Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen said in an interview on Sunday that several options for using $300 billion in immobilized Russian assets remained on the table. But she said the most promising idea was for Group of 7 nations to issue a loan to Ukraine that would be backed by profits and interest income that is being earned on Russian assets held in Europe. The urgency to find a way to deliver more financial support to Ukraine has been mounting as the country’s efforts to fend off Russia have shown signs of faltering. “It would generate a significant up-front amount that would help meet needs we anticipate Ukraine is going to have both militarily and through reconstruction.”

Persons: Janet L, Yellen, “, Ms, ” Organizations: Finance Locations: States, Europe, Ukraine, Italy, Russia, Germany

☆ Biden confronts 2024 weak spots with young, Black voters at Morehouse commencement
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

U.S. President Joe Biden addresses Morehouse College graduates during a commencement ceremony in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., May 19. Biden's commencement address at Morehouse comes as recent polling has showed Black voters, especially young ones, have weakening enthusiasm for the president. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump's support from Black voters has increased by 9 percentage points. But Biden still has the majority of support among Black voters, at 69% vs. Trump's 18%. Vice President Kamala Harris has spent years reaching out to Black voters over the course of Biden's first term.

Persons: Joe Biden, Morehouse, Donald Trump's, Biden, Biden's, Sebastian Gordon, Kamala Harris, Wally Adeyemo, Steven Horsford, Harris, Adeyemo Organizations: Morehouse College, Morehouse, Black, NBC, NBC News, White House, Georgia, NAACP, state's Democratic, Biden Locations: Atlanta , Georgia, U.S, Gaza, Black, Atlanta, Israel, Detroit, Nevada, Wisconsin

☆ Some consumers are punting big purchases like pools and mattresses
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Rachel Wisniewski | ReutersAmericans are kicking the can down the road on some more-costly, traditionally financed purchases as elevated inflation and interest rates bite. "As a result, consumers continue to scrutinize their spending and make near-term decisions based primarily on need, price and perceived value. But those options have fallen out of favor as interest rates rose. He also cited increased interest rates as another weight on their shoulders. Lofty interest rates have also hampered housing improvement efforts for those staying put, according to Home Depot .

Persons: Rachel Wisniewski, Joe, Shelly Ibach, Ibach, FactSet, Mark Mathews, Platt, J, Mitchell Dolloff, Dow Jones, it's, Mathews, Enphase, Badri Kothandaraman, Marc Bitzer, Patrick T, bode, Robert Ohmes, Richard McPhail, It's, McPhail Organizations: Reuters, Reserve, Prosper, National Retail Federation, San Francisco Fed, New York Fed, Management, Commerce Department, Consumers, Whirlpool, Fallon, Bloomberg, Getty, Bank of America, CNBC Locations: Gilbertsville , Pennsylvania, Minneapolis, U.S, California, Torrance , Calif, Minnesota

With average credit card interest rates at 21.59% as of February 2024 per the Federal Reserve, carrying any amount of credit card debt can become costly in a hurry. Can a debt consolidation loan actually make debt worse? "Their credit score tanks, which means they can't get another debt consolidation loan or even a credit card," said Dvorkin. Debt consolidation doesn't solve spending issuesFinancial expert Andrea Woroch points out that debt consolidation may be nothing more than a Band-Aid if you don't identify and fix the poor money management habits that got you into debt in the first place. Some debt consolidation loans have additional risksFinally, remember that some types of loans you can use for debt consolidation have a unique set of risks.

Persons: Howard Dvorkin, they're, Andrea Woroch, Kendall Meade, SoFi, Meade, Anne Lester, Lester Organizations: Federal Reserve, Business, Solutions, Asset Management

Mortgage interest rates have moved lower amid signs that persistently high inflation may be starting to cool. The 10-year Treasury yield fell following the release of this data, and mortgage rates followed suit. Once inflation slows enough that the Federal Reserve is able to start lowering the federal funds rate, mortgage rates and other consumer rates should trend down. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowToday's refinance ratesMortgage type Average rate today This information has been provided by Zillow. This means your entire monthly mortgage payment, including taxes and insurance, shouldn't exceed 28% of your pre-tax monthly income.

Persons: you'll, Fannie Mae Organizations: of Labor Statistics, Treasury, Federal Reserve, Investors, Zillow, Mortgage, Association, Sky Locations: Chevron

☆ CNBC's Inside India newsletter: What's next for India's regulators?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

People stand in front of a Reserve Bank of India logo at the Global Fintech Fest in Mumbai, India, 5 September, 2023. Instead, there's been a flurry of activity this month at a number of regulators across India's financial system. That frightened bank investors and immediately knocked off more than 3% from the India Nifty PSU Bank index. "RBI has been tightening the screws," Rajeev Agrawal, hedge fund manager and managing partner at DoorDarshi India Fund, told CNBC's Inside India. We also had hedge fund manager Andrew Holland, who spoke on India's infrastructure projects and the outlook for the country's economy.

Persons: Niharika Kulkarni, there's, Nirmala Sitharaman, SEBI, Rajeev Agrawal, Agrawal, Shailendra Singh, India's, they've, Dinesh Kumar Khara, Andrew Holland, Sri Jegarajah Organizations: Reserve Bank of, Global, Securities and Exchange Board of India, Reserve Bank of India, Futures Industry Association, Bombay Stock Exchange, Reuters, India Nifty, DoorDarshi India Fund, Peak XV Partners, Sequoia Capital, CNBC, CNBC Pro, U.S ., State Bank of India, U.S . Federal Reserve, Center Locations: Reserve Bank of India, Mumbai, India, Sequoia, Sequoia Capital India, Southeast Asia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Sri, Japan, Indian, Chennai

☆ Biden’s tariffs on Chinese imports are boosting these beaten-down stocks
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Beaten-down clean energy stocks have rallied this week. The iShares Global Clean Energy exchange-traded fund, which tracks sectors from renewable electricity to semiconductors to solar energy, has gained roughly 3%. Plug Power shares have climbed 33%, Enphase Energy shares have gained 8% and NextEra Energy shares have added 4%. Some investors warn that though the tariffs could continue boosting clean energy stocks, the recent rally isn’t driven by just improving fundamentals. Damaging hacks expose the weak underbelly of America’s health care systemA pair of recent ransomware attacks crippled computer systems at two major American health care firms, disrupting patient care and exposing fundamental weaknesses in the US health care system’s defenses against hackers, reports my colleague Sean Lyngaas.

Persons: New York CNN — It’s, Joe Biden, CNN’s Kayla Tausche, ”, Steve Sosnick, Roaring Kitty, Keith Gill, Dow, Nicole Goodkind, stoking, Gary Pzegeo, ” Read, Sean Lyngaas, cybersecurity, ” Joshua Corman, Sen, Ron Wyden Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Clean Energy, Enphase Energy, NextEra Energy, Biden, Federal Reserve, Interactive Brokers, CNN, GameStop, AMC Entertainment, Roaring, Dow Jones Industrial, Nasdaq, Markets, Bureau of Labor Statistics, CIBC Private Wealth, “ Industry, Oregon Democrat Locations: New York, China

☆ David Einhorn was once the young thorn in the side of executives. Now he's dealing with his own.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Bradley Saacks | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewIn 1996, David Einhorn founded Greenlight with less than $1 million in capital — a good chunk of which came from his parents — at the precocious age of 27. And now the 55-year-old is dealing with something he once was: a thorn in the side. Fishback sued his old firm for defamation in October, which is now in arbitration, according to a person familiar with the case. Thursday, Fishback said he was invited to debate Tesla with his old boss, saying Einhorn didn't understand Musk's company's "core value driver" of autonomy.

Persons: —, David Einhorn, sayer, sneering, Elon Musk, Einhorn, He's, year's Sohn, James Fishback, Fishback's, Fishback, Greenlight, Pharma Bro, Martin Shkreli, — Fishback, Tesla, Fishback —, Free Press —, I'm Organizations: Service, Business, Lehman Brothers, Allied, Tesla, Pharma, Free Press Locations: —, New York, Bari

☆ Why some investors are bullish on this asset class that's yielding over 6%
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Michelle Fox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Right now, securitized products in general look relatively cheap, said John Kerschner, head of U.S. securitized products and portfolio manager at Janus Henderson Investors. To meet this need, Janus launched its Securitized Income ETF (JSI) in November, which invests across the securitized space. JSI YTD mountain Janus Henderson Securitized Income ETF Collateralized loan obligations Another fund Kerschner manages is the Janus Henderson AAA CLO ETF . One way investors can get broad exposure to CMBS via BlackRock's iShares CMBS ETF . CMBS YTD mountain iShares CMBS ETF year to date However, Janus' Kerschner pointed out that all office work isn't going away.

Persons: Nick Travaglino, Nuveen, Travaglino, John Kerschner, Janus Henderson, Janus, Kerschner, Rick Rieder, I've, Rieder, CLOs, it's, isn't, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Kershner, We're Organizations: Investors, Fund, Janus Henderson Investors, SEC, Janus Henderson AAA CLO, Bank of America, AAA CLOs, BlackRock AAA CLO Locations: CLOs, BlackRock, Moody's, CMBS, multifamily

Given this outlook, the firm lifted its price target to $70 from $65, reflecting 24% upside from Thursday's close. — Samantha Subin 6:20 a.m.: Citi trims price target on Roblox, cites slower bookings growth Citi cut its price target on Roblox to $40 from $52 a share as the gaming platform grapples with a deceleration in bookings growth. "We are updating our model to account for 1Q24 results and our latest outlook," wrote analyst Jason Bazinet. For 2025, Citi now expects bookings growth of 14% versus 21%, or 4% below consensus. The firm expects bookings growth of 10% in 2026, which is 11% below consensus.

Persons: Macquarie, Jefferies, Reddit, Ronald Josey, OpenAI, Josey, – Samantha Subin, Mark McLaughlin, McLaughlin, — Samantha Subin, Jason Bazinet, DAUs, Bazinet, Craig Siegenthaler, Siegenthaler, Robinhood, — Fred Imbert, Morgan Stanley downgrades Baidu, Morgan Stanley, Gary Yu, Yu, Ellie Jiang, JD, Jiang, Laurence Alexander, Alexander Organizations: CNBC, DuPont, OpenAI, Bank of America, Citi, Baidu, Macquarie, Jefferies, DuPont de Nemours Locations: China, 3Q24, Robinhood, Underperform, Thursday's, JD.com

☆ Bank of America double upgrades Robinhood, citing rise in retail trading
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-17 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The stock market is in the early stages of a period of rising retail investor activity, and that could bode well for Robinhood Markets , according to Bank of America. The bank double upgraded the online brokerage and financial service provider to buy from underperform on Friday, raising its price target to $24 from $14, implying about 34% upside in the shares. "Retail engagement peaked in 2021 and then declined significantly through the > 500bps of Fed rate hikes and the 2022 bear market, troughing in 2023," Bank of America analyst Craig Siegenthaler said in a note. "However, following the emergence of a new bull market last year, we have monitored a rebound in multiple metrics at Robinhood Markets … and we expect this to continue through 2026." Siegenthaler said a rise in retail engagement can drive 44% organic growth, margin loan utilization and more than 60% year-over-year trading activity that can drive payment for order flow.

Persons: bode, Craig Siegenthaler, Siegenthaler, Michael Bloom Organizations: Bank of America, GameStop, AMC, " Bank of America Locations: underperform, Underperform

☆ Auto incentives are back — but high interest rates weaken deals for buyers
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Ana Teresa Solá | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Simonskafar | E+ | Getty ImagesIncentives are coming back to the auto market, but high interest rates are weakening those deals for car shoppers. In today's market, consumers are more likely to see it as "free money," she said, especially as auto loan rates stay high. watch nowWhen you roll that into your new car loan, it increases your payment. Search for available incentives: Car shoppers will have to a do lot more shopping and research to find available incentives, Caldwell said. Know your credit score: While shoppers might come across 0% financing offers, those deals are often reserved for buyers with excellent credit.

Persons: Jessica Caldwell, Trump, Brian Moody, Kelley, Edmunds, Caldwell, That's, that's, Moody Organizations: Getty, Finance, Biden Locations: Edmunds

☆ Refinancing student debt is risky amid Biden forgiveness push. Borrowers 'forever lose access' to safety nets, advocates say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Annie Nova | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

(For example, federal student loan borrowers can pause their payments if they become unemployed, return to school or get cancer.) But advocates have fresh warnings now as the Biden administration reforms the federal student loan system. Millions more federal student loan borrowers could receive debt forgiveness in the coming months if Biden's revised relief package survives legal challenges this time. PSLF allows certain not-for-profit and government employees to have their federal student loans cleared after 10 years of on-time payments. (The rates on federal student loans for the 2024-2025 academic year will range from roughly 6.5% to 9%.)

Persons: Biden, Joe Biden, Biden's, who've, PSLF, I've, they'd refinanced, —, Yu, Mark Kantrowitz, Kantrowitz Organizations: U.S . Department of Education, Education Department, Public, Art Institute, Art, Education Management Corp, Valuable Education Locations: Mayotte, Iowa , Massachusetts, Pennsylvania

Social Security trust fund reserves are projected to be depleted by 2035. The 2023 Social Security and Medicare Trustees annual report projects that the program's trust fund reserves will be depleted by 2035. "It's not that Social Security will disappear completely, but rather, the surplus bucket we rely on is at risk." The average Social Security check for a retired worker is only $1,907 per month, according to the Social Security Administration. Without sufficient action, reduced Social Security benefits might not be able to keep pace with rising costs.

Persons: Emily Millsap, you've, Roth, HSAs Organizations: Social Security, Avantax Wealth Management, Social, Social Security Administration, Workers

☆ Meet a couple with 5 kids who are barely making it despite working 4 jobs: 'It shocks me that $100k feels like poverty'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Noah Sheidlower | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

April Schultz, 40, and her husband Kevin, 45, bring in $130,000 a year in gross income combined between their four jobs and side gigs. Still, Schultz said it shocks her that such an income "feels like poverty." "We shouldn't have to have four jobs in one family," Schultz said. She said that while there are job opportunities in her area, most don't pay enough for the area's cost of living. They both anticipate downsizing once their kids have moved out and relocating to a more rural and cheaper place.

Persons: Schultz, Kevin, — Schultz, ALICE —, Stephanie Hoopes, United For ALICE, She's, Louis, she's, there's, We've, they're, they've, hasn't, It's, we've Organizations: Service, Costco, United For, Department of Defense, Scott Air Force Base, Amazon, Netflix, USDA, Aldi, Sam's Locations: California , Arizona, Minnesota, Idaho, Mascoutah , Illinois, St, Illinois, Missouri

☆ Interest-rate cuts could be coming this fall, adding another wrinkle to an election set to focus on the economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

In today's big story, inflation is cooling just in time for a US presidential election that will likely focus heavily on the economy . This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. The big storyThe economy and the electionAnna Moneymaker/Getty, Anna Moneymaker/Getty, Tyler Le/BISometimes, the biggest surprise is when there isn't one at all. AdvertisementOn Wednesday, Biden and Trump agreed to face off in two debates, the first coming in June . Now he has 18 direct reports, according to an internal org chart seen by Business Insider.

Persons: —, Anna Moneymaker, Tyler Le, haven't, Insider's Madison Hoff, they're, Jennifer Sor, Ed Yardeni, Jerome Powell hasn't, Powell, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Trump, Biden, Trump's, Alyssa Powell, Keith Gill's, Jim Simons, Shaw, Goldman Sachs, David Kostin, Sameer Samat, Sundar Pichai, Dan DeFrancesco, Jordan Parker Erb, Hallam Bullock, George Glover Organizations: Service, Business, Biden, White, Democratic, Renaissance Technologies, Sigma, Bloomberg, Android, Google, Microsoft, Apple, Walmart Locations: New York, London

☆ 4 powerful mindset shifts that actually save you money, according to a financial therapist
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Julia Pugachevsky | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

While everyone's financial situation is different, there are mindset shifts that can help anyone save more, whether they're a cushy DINK or an ALICE living paycheck to paycheck. She said some people can try to "white-knuckle" their financial goals, believing that once they reach them, they won't have to worry about money again. AdvertisementClayman shared a few simple mindset shifts that have helped her clients when faced with different financial issues. Process your disappointmentsIf you feel overwhelmed by the idea of budgeting, Clayman said you should get to the root of why you're overwhelmed. You need a deeper reason to stick to your goals if saving money will require both working a lot and turning down some fun experiences.

Persons: —, DINK, ALICE, Amanda Clayman, isn't, Clayman, it's Organizations: Service, Business

☆ Budget-minded homebuyers should look in these 23 cities where down payments are plummeting, even in an unaffordable housing market
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( James Faris | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Affordability remains a headacheHome affordability has taken a huge hit since the pandemic as mortgage rates, property prices, and — by extension — down payments have surged. Mortgage rates have since more than doubled at over 7%, and houses cost over $70,000 more at $332,000. The 30-year fixed mortgage rate is now roughly triple the 2.7% rate it was at in early 2021. The savings rate in the late 2010s was around 6.5% of disposable income, and it spiked early in the pandemic due to a surge of government stimulus. 23 cities where down payments are down meaningfullyAlthough affordability is limited as mortgage rates, home prices, and down payments have risen, there are still dozens of cities where the cost of buying a house is headed lower.

Persons: —, Hannah Jones, Realtor.com, Freddie Mac, they'd, Jones Organizations: Service, Business Locations: Realtor.com

Associate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas arrives for the swearing-in ceremony of Neil Gorsuch as an Associate Supreme Court Justice in the Rose Garden of the White House, Washington, D.C., April 10, 2017. Two leading Democratic senators are pressing Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas to say whether he repaid a wealthy friend any of the principal for a $267,230 loan he used to buy a luxury motorhome. The letter to Thomas's lawyer, dated Tuesday, raises questions about potential tax violations by the conservative justice, who is the longest-serving member of the Supreme Court. Democrats point to reports that his wife, Ginni Thomas, took part in efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The Supreme Court heard arguments in Trump's immunity appeal on April 25, with Thomas on the bench.

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Ron Wyden, Sheldon Whitehouse, Thomas, Anthony Welters, Prevost Le, Wyden, Elliot Berke, Whitehouse, Justice Thomas, Welters, Berke, ProPublica, Harlan Crow, Harlan, Donald Trump, Ginni Thomas Organizations: Justice, White House, D.C, New York Times, Finance Committee Locations: Rose, Washington, Welters

☆ Average consumer carries $6,218 in credit card debt, as more borrowers are falling behind on their payments
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Americans now owe $1.12 trillion on their credit cards, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported Tuesday. Keeping up with credit card debt is getting more difficult. "Rent, when you have it, auto loans, utilities, these are all things consumers prioritize ahead of credit cards." As a result, credit card delinquency rates are higher across the board, the New York Fed and TransUnion found. Over the last year, roughly 8.9% of credit card balances transitioned into delinquency, the New York Fed reported.

Persons: Charlie Wise, TransUnion's, Young, Wise, TransUnion, Kassandra Martinchek Organizations: Federal Reserve Bank of New, New York Fed, Finance, Fed, Urban Institute Locations: TransUnion, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, , New

This means mortgage rates could start to go down more substantially as we approach the fall. See more mortgage rates on Zillow Real Estate on ZillowMortgage CalculatorUse our free mortgage calculator to see how today's mortgage rates would impact your monthly payments. 15-Year Fixed Mortgage Rates Nearly Flat (+0.02%)The average 15-year mortgage rate is 6.05%, just 2 basis points higher than last week. Mortgage rates started ticking up from historic lows in the second half of 2021 and increased over three percentage points in 2022. Mortgage rates also rose dramatically in 2023, though they started trending back down toward the end of the year.

Persons: That's, you'll, It's, refinance Organizations: Federal, Federal Reserve, Zillow, FHA Locations: Chevron

☆ Education Department Extends Deadline to Consolidate Loans for Forgiveness
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Stacy Cowley | More About Stacy Cowley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

More than two weeks after a deadline passed for federal loan borrowers seeking debt relief, the Education Department has extended the offer, giving millions of borrowers a fresh shot at aid. The department said on Wednesday that borrowers would now have until June 30 to consolidate commercially held education debt under the Federal Family Education Loan Program — loans originally from private lenders — or Perkins loans into new direct loans, which are held by the Education Department. “The department is working swiftly to ensure borrowers get credit for every month they’ve rightfully earned toward forgiveness,” said James Kvaal, the under secretary of education. The move is part of the Biden administration’s effort to aggressively cancel education debts through longstanding relief programs and by easing bureaucratic barriers. One of the trickiest challenges has been reaching borrowers with loans through the Federal Family Education Loan Program, a lingering vestige of a previous federal student loan system.

Persons: ”, James Kvaal, Biden Organizations: Education Department, Federal Family Education, Federal Family Education Loan Program

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