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☆ HGTV’s Mississippi ‘Home Town’ Has Come a Long Way
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Beth Decarbo | Photographs Akasha Rabut For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Napiers’ businesses get the most attention, but everyone benefits, says Caroline Burks, executive director of Laurel Main Street. “Yes, most people who come here are coming to the Mercantile, Scotsman, Scent Library,” she says. “But all ships rise at high tide. Tourists are eating at our restaurants, visiting our shops. The show has been great about highlighting what’s going on downtown and what else is here."

Persons: Caroline Burks, ” Organizations: Laurel, Mercantile

As the hot-pink stretch Hummer winds through the streets of Laurel, Miss., the tour guide inside points out notable homes. “Ben built a swing out of whiskey barrels” for this house, he says. “Ben jumped into the swimming pool” at this house. And “this house is where they found the recipe for Miss Dot’s poundcake.”

Persons: “ Ben, Dot’s, ” Locations: Laurel , Miss

Persons: “ Ben, Dot’s, ” Locations: Laurel , Miss

☆ Tech Tools That Could Help You Land Your Dream Job
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-09 | by ( Beth Decarbo | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Journal Reports: TechnologyM.B.A. Students vs. ChatGPT: Who Comes Up With More Innovative Ideas? By Christian Terwiesch , and Karl UlrichWe put humans and AI to the test. The results weren’t even close.

Persons: Christian Terwiesch, Karl Ulrich We Organizations: Technology

The same is true with pretty much any skilled tradesperson these days. Don’t take it personally: There are all sorts of explanations, and only some may be your fault.

☆ What Is a Jumbo Mortgage, and How Do You Get the Best Rates?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Beth Decarbo | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +9 min

What is a jumbo mortgage? Do jumbo loans come with jumbo mortgage rates? Many times, jumbo rates are lower than those for conforming loans, in part because the stringent requirements to qualify for a jumbo loan lessen the risk that borrowers will default. Tips to save on a jumbo loanWith some savvy strategies, house hunters in need of a jumbo mortgage can reduce their costs. Chase, for example, offers the highest jumbo limits (up to $9.5 million), which is one of the reasons it is Buy Side’s pick for best jumbo mortgage lender.

Persons: Beth DeCarbo, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac won’t, Greg McBride, ”, Jacob Channel, Andy Wagner, Wagner, Bankrate’s McBride, Michael P, aren’t, Lani, —, Guy Cecala, ” Cecala Organizations: New, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Government, Jumbo, Nations Lending, ARM, American Mortgage Resource Inc, Inside Mortgage Finance, Bank of America, Chase, Mortgage Finance Locations: Minneapolis, Sacramento, CA, Denver, Boston, San Diego, New York City, Jackson, Chicago, Massachusetts, Wells, Fargo

☆ When My Husband Had Surgery, Our Social Network Made All the Difference (for Both of Us)
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( Beth Decarbo | Photographs Mike Belleme For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In January, my husband, Chuck, underwent roughly four hours of open-heart surgery to fix a leaky valve and clogged artery. After five days in intensive care, he was sent home from the hospital—along with verbal instructions and a 28-page document on postsurgical care. My duties—overseeing wound care, physical and breathing exercises, medication—seemed straightforward enough. But deep down, I feared that through some mistake or oversight, I would kill my husband. Conversely, because of my inexperience, ineptitude or impatience, I worried that my husband would kill me, metaphorically speaking.

In March 2020, the virus held many mysteries. Some early assumptions didn’t hold up, while other key findings wouldn’t come until much later. If we could do it all over again…

☆ How to Negotiate With Creditors to Reduce Your Debt
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( Beth Decarbo | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

It would be hard to overestimate the impact of a crushing burden of debt. It can be a hole that gets deeper even after you spend years trying to fill it in. For many people, though, the insurmountable debt may not be as insurmountable as it seems. Most creditors—from the mortgage company to the hospital to the IRS—are willing to discuss reductions in the debt load, or at least in the terms of repayment. Defaulting on debt can destroy a person’s credit score, or worse, lead to legal action and the seizure of property.

☆ What TV Shows Did We Watch in 2022? So Far, A Lot of Crime
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Beth Decarbo | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Jason Bateman as Marty Byrde, the money-laundering financial adviser in ‘Ozark,’ one of the top streaming shows of the year. Even when Americans chill out in front of the TV, crime is on their minds. In the first half of 2022, six of the top 10 shows offered by the major streaming services dealt with crime and criminals, both real and fictional, according to an analysis of the first half of the year by Nielsen Co. Topping the list was “Stranger Things,” a sci-fi mystery that investigates a boy’s disappearance. Coming in second was “Ozark,” in which a fictitious financial adviser moves to Missouri’s Ozarks to launder money.

First, we have to understand why our minds make it so hard to have a nuanced view. Then, we have to get beyond that.

It has dawned on me recently that as much as I like to give people advice, the wisdom I offer may not be worth very much.

It may not seem like much of a problem to come into a lot of money. But it requires a plan to make sure it lasts—and makes you happy.

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