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☆ It's getting harder than ever to become a self-made billionaire. But inheritances are still going strong.
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Jennifer Sor | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Billionaires minted through inheritance outpaced self-made billionaires last year for the first time in a decade. Related storiesIn recent years, rates of economic opportunity have begun to fall again. Rates of economic opportunity have declined steadily since 1940, Opportunity Insights data shows. He says that's why there are fewer self-made billionaires today than there were in the past. "I think there's much work to be done to try to restore rates of economic opportunity to those observed several decades ago," he said.

Persons: —, Max Kunkel, Matthew Staiger, Staiger, Forbes, heiresses, Kunkel Organizations: Service, UBS, Harvard, Insights, Business, Economic

☆ Americans see cheaper mortgage rates ahead as expectations flip for the first time ever in Fannie Mae's latest survey
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-09 | by ( Filip De Mott | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

On balance, more Americans now see mortgage rates falling than rising in the year ahead. That's the first time it was happened in the history of Fannie Mae's survey. The latest National Housing Survey showed 31% of consumers expect mortgage rates to drop. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementMore Americans than ever are expecting lower mortgage rates ahead, according to the latest Fannie Mae National Housing Survey.

Persons: Fannie, —, Fannie Mae, Mark Palim, Fannie Mae's Organizations: Housing Survey, Service, Fannie, Housing, Business Locations: Fannie Mae's

☆ Mortgage rate decline pulls buyers back into the housing market
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-08 | by ( Diana Olick | In Dianaolick | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

watch nowA sharp drop in mortgage interest rates in December may have kickstarted this year's spring housing market early. Optimism about mortgage rates increased sharply in December, according to a monthly consumer survey by Fannie Mae. "This significant shift in consumer expectations comes on the heels of the recent bond market rally," said Palim. "Notably, homeowners and higher-income groups reported greater rate optimism than renters." The average rate on the 30-year fixed has been on a wild ride since the start of the Covid pandemic.

Persons: Fannie Mae, Mark Palim, Ryan Paredes, Ariadna Paredes, Ryan Ratliff, Joe Raedle, Paul Legere Organizations: Max Advance Realty, Getty, . Washington , D.C Locations: Cutler Bay , Florida, . Washington ,

Consumers grew somewhat more optimistic about the future of the economy in November as expectations about inflation improved, but their sense of the current state of affairs worsened a bit. Still, two-thirds of consumers surveyed still expect a recession to be “somewhat” or “very likely” within the next 12 months. However, that is well above current inflation of 3.2% and forecasts from the Federal Reserve and mainstream economists. In the peak hour from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. EST, consumers spent $15.7 million a minute, according to online analytics firm Adobe. One thing that might make some consumers happy is that home prices continued to increase in September.

Persons: ”, Dana Peterson, ” Peterson, Jeffrey Roach, Craig J, Lazzara, Lisa Sturtevant Organizations: Conference, Federal Reserve, LPL, “, Adobe, MLS Locations: Detroit, San Diego

☆ US weekly jobless claims fall; business spending on equipment softening
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Lucia Mutikani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Though the weekly jobless claims report from the Labor Department on Wednesday also showed unemployment rolls declining for the first-time since mid-September, they remained near the highs for this year. The claims data covered the period during which the government surveyed businesses for the nonfarm payrolls component of November's employment report. Continuing claims fell 22,000 to 1.840 million during the week ending Nov. 11, the claims report showed. Non-defense capital goods orders excluding aircraft, a closely watched proxy for business spending plans, dipped 0.1% last month, the Commerce Department's Census Bureau said. Business spending on equipment spending contracted in the third quarter.

Persons: Andrew Kelly, Nancy Vanden Houten, Unadjusted, Lucia Mutikani, Paul Simao Organizations: REUTERS, Labor Department, Oxford Economics, Reuters, Fed, Bank of America Institute, Commerce Department, Commerce, Data, Thomson Locations: Manhattan , New York City, U.S, WASHINGTON, New York, California, Kentucky , Oregon , Kentucky, Illinois, Texas, Commerce Department's

☆ U.K. Economy Stagnates as High Interest Rates Take Toll
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( Eshe Nelson | More About Eshe Nelson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

The services sector contracted last quarter as the highest interest rates since 2008 have weighed on the housing industry. Britain’s weak economy mirrors the stagnation in Europe, where eurozone economies contracted 0.1 percent in the third quarter. Across the region, high interest rates intended to drive down inflation are weakening economic activity, with demand for loans dropping and consumer spending slowing. This contrasts with the United States, where the economy is growing strongly and defying expectations for a slowdown prompted by high interest rates. This weak outlook is driven by high interest rates, which are expected to have an increasingly heavy toll on the economy.

Persons: ”, Stephen Millard, Jeremy Hunt, Hunt Organizations: Bank of England, National Institute of Economic, Social Research Locations: Europe, United States, Germany

Home prices rose 0.4% in August and at an annual rate of 2.6%, as low inventories buoyed prices even while mortgages hit the 7% level. The CoreLogic Case-Shiller index for the month found 12 of the 20 cities in the index saw higher prices in August from the year-ago period. home prices continued to rise in August 2023,” said Craig J. Lazzara, managing director at S&P DJI. “The year’s increase in mortgage rates has surely suppressed housing demand, but after years of very low rates, it seems to have suppressed supply even more. Political Cartoons on the Economy View All 604 Images“The affordability challenge is being exacerbated by persistently higher mortgage rates,” said Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist for Bright MLS.

Persons: ”, Craig J, Lazzara, ” Selma Hepp, Lisa Sturtevant, Hannah Jones, That’s, Rhys Williams, It’s, Venkat Balakrishnan, –, Dana Peterson, “, ” Peterson Organizations: Bright MLS, Federal Reserve, ”, Census Bureau, “, Realtor.com, Management, Fed, Conference Board, Hamas, Financial Group Locations: Chicago, New York, Detroit, Las Vegas, “, Israel

Do policymakers look back to last week’s report that the nation’s economy grew at a 4.9% rate in September, beating expectations? Or this week’s report on job growth for October due out on Friday after the Fed meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday? On Wednesday, the jobs data onslaught begins with private payroll firm ADP reporting its monthly employment survey for October. Political Cartoons on the Economy View All 602 ImagesWednesday also has the Fed announcing its decision on interest rates. These include adjustments to the Fed’s new regime of higher interest rates for a longer period and the government’s fiscal situation that requires a greater level of debt issuance.

Persons: Jerome Powell, ” Sam Bullard, Wells, ” Bullard, ” Chris Diaz, ”, Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson, Johnson Organizations: Conference Board, Fed, Treasury, Federal, Brown Advisory, Labor Department, McDonalds, Apple, Dow Industrial, Louisiana Republican Locations: Louisiana

Sales rose in the Northeast but fell elsewhere, although sales were down year to year throughout the country. Sales are now running at an annual rate of 3.96 million, down 15.4% from 4.68 million a year ago. On Tuesday, the Census Bureau reported that retail sales rose by 0.7%, more than twice what had been expected, as consumers flocked to eating and dining establishments and shopped more online. Among middle-income households, 25% plan to spend more, while 16% of low-income households will increase holiday spending. “Despite a lot of the negativity you see everywhere, consumers seem pretty resilient,” Rose says.

Persons: ”, Lawrence Yun, LEI, Justyna, Monica, TransUnion, Mark Rose, ” Rose Organizations: National Association of Realtors, Federal, Conference, The Conference Board, “, The, Board, Federal Reserve Bank, Atlanta’s, Census Bureau, Labor Department

But the income gains were largest among the highest-earning families, and fastest among white families, with income at the median actually registering small declines for both Hispanic and Black families, the Fed found in its latest Survey of Consumer Finances, conducted every three years. Median net worth rose sharply for all ethnic and income groups, the survey showed, though the lowest-earning 20% of households fared the worst, with a 2% decline on average over the period versus double-digit increases for all other income groups. The survey showed other stark contrasts. Still, Black households had the lowest median net worth at about $45,000, 27% below the next lowest, Hispanics, at about $62,000. By contrast, median household net worth for white families was $285,000 and for Asians - measured on their own for the first time in this year's survey - was $536,000.

Persons: Ann Saphir, Dan Burns, Chizu Nomiyama, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Federal, Consumer Finances, Thomson

☆ U.S. income inequality rose in 3 years through 2022, Fed data shows
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A man sleeps on chairs, in between subway platforms, at the 34th street and Broadway station in New York City, U.S., September 26, 2023. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 18 (Reuters) - American families on average saw large gains in income and wealth from 2019 to 2022, a period marked by the severe disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic and massive government spending in response, and measures of financial fragility fell, a Federal Reserve survey published Wednesday showed. But the income gains were largest among the highest earning families, and fastest among white families, with income at the median actually registering small declines for both Hispanic and Black families, the Fed found in its latest Survey of Consumer Finances, conducted every three years. Median net worth rose sharply for all ethnic and income groups, the survey showed, though the lowest-earning 20% of households fared the worst, with a 2% decline on average over the period versus double-digit increases for all other income groups. Reporting by Ann Saphir and Dan Burns; Editing by Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Shannon Stapleton, Ann Saphir, Dan Burns, Chizu Organizations: Broadway, REUTERS, Federal, Consumer Finances, Thomson Locations: New York City, U.S

Savings from subsidy cuts would be channelled to cash aid for the needy, which will now increase to 10 billion ringgit ($2.12 billion) from 8 billion ringgit, he added. A high-value goods tax of 5% to 10% would also be introduced, he said, without specifying the value of goods that would be subject to the tax. Amidst a global slowdown, Malaysia plans to spend 393.8 billion ringgit ($83.52 billion) in 2024, lower than this year's spending estimate of 397.1 billion ringgit. Malaysia is projected to spend 52.8 billion ringgit on subsidies and social assistance in 2024, down from the 64.2 billion ringgit expected this year. Revenue for next year is expected to jump to 307.6 billion ringgit from 303.2 billion ringgit.

Persons: Anwar Ibrahim, Anwar, Danial Azhar, Rozanna Latiff, Martin Petty, Susan Fenton Organizations: Revenue, Petronas, Thomson Locations: KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, State

☆ Dollar General reappoints former CEO Vasos for second stint, cuts FY23 view
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A view of a fresh food aisle at a Dollar General store in Norridge, Chicago, U.S., August 24, 2021. With Vasos' appointment, Dollar General hopes "to restore stability and confidence" in the company, whose stock has lost more than half its value so far this year. But for now, the company trimmed its annual sales and profit estimates for a third time, just over a month after it forecast a steep drop in annual profit and missed market expectations for second-quarter results. Vasos "is acutely aware of the challenges facing our business and the industry more broadly" Dollar General said, adding his appointment was effective immediately. It tightened the range of its annual net sales growth outlook to 1.5% to 2.5%, from a prior range of 1.3% to 3.3% growth.

Persons: Richa Naidu, Todd Vasos, Jeffery Owen, Vasos, Savyata Mishra, Maju Samuel, Shinjini Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Norridge , Chicago, U.S, Bengaluru

For the bottom 40% by income that means a smaller slice of the pie even as their net worth has risen at the swiftest pace in years. said Elise Gould, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, a Washington-based think tank focused on labor issues. The newest data suggest that trends of higher wealth and income concentration survived pretty much intact. Yet Dynan noted that the rise in wealth over that period was 30% for families in the 80th to 99th income percentiles and more than 40% for the top 1%. Reuters GraphicsOLD TRENDS HOLD FASTThe Fed's quarterly data on wealth distribution estimates asset holdings and liabilities across racial, educational, age and income groups, and their shares of national totals.

Persons: Elise Gould, They've, Biden, Karen Dynan, Dynan, Howard Schneider, Dan Burns, Paul Simao Organizations: Federal Reserve, U.S . Census Bureau, Economic Policy Institute, United Auto Workers, Harvard University, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington

However, there are some key differences between the mechanics of credit cards and Helocs. Still, Helocs have far lower rates than credit cards, even for borrowers with strong credit scores. If interest rates climbed to 7% a year later, your payment would rise to $58 a month until the end of the draw period—unless interest rates move again or you draw more from the line. (Secured credit cards are an option for people with limited credit history; they require a cash down payment.) Consolidating credit card debt is another common use, since rates on credit cards can be as much as double what they are on home-equity loans.

Persons: Tanza Loudenback, Aly J, Helocs, you’ve, Robert Heck, won’t, Knight, Freddie Mac, You’re, Scott Fligel, ”, Eric Alexander, Heck, “, ” Heck, Alexander Organizations: Yale, Federal, Federal Reserve, Northwestern Mutual, Income Locations: homeownership, Morty, Charlotte, N.C, Dallas

☆ Baby boomers are often said to be the luckiest generation financially — but millennials will be better off than their parents in retirement, survey finds
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Grace Dean | Read More | Read Less | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Millennials' retirement prospectives are rosier than boomers, according to research from Vanguard. Gen Xers and older millennials are set to replace a bigger proportion of their pre-retirement income. "For most income cohorts, millennials and Generation X enjoy a brighter retirement outlook than boomers," it said in a new report. "Our retirement outlook for Generation X and millennials is modestly better." For Gen Xers, this is 52% of their pre-retirement income, while for early millennials its 58%.

Persons: Millennials, Gen Xers, —, Xers, George W, Bush Organizations: Vanguard, Service

☆ Why countries are choosing to build new cities in places at high risk of worsening floods
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Laura Paddison | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Researchers analyzed global flood hazard datasets and annual settlement footprint data covering the three decades between 1985 and 2015 to understand the populations most affected by flood risk. They found over this period, as the world’s settlements grew by 85%, urbanization happened much more rapidly in high-hazard flood zones than in areas with low flood risk. In 2015, more than 11% of built-up areas globally faced high or very high flood risk, meaning areas at risk of flooding depths of at least 50 cm (17 inches) during 1-in-100-year flooding events, according to the report. Upper-middle income countries had the largest proportion of new human settlements in the highest flood risk zones, the report found. “This is concerning as development patterns are enhancing risk without climate change – climate change will further exacerbate these risks in the future.”

Persons: ”, Paolo Avner, Netherlands –, Molave, Manan Vatsyayana, Robert Nicholls Organizations: CNN, World Bank, Municipal, University of East Locations: East Asia, North America, Saharan Africa, China, Japan, Netherlands, Vietnam, Hoi, AFP, Southwest Florida, University of East Anglia

☆ US poor face economic hit as shutdown, childcare cliff, student loans converge
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

A separate benefits program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), will continue as normal for the month of October but could be affected afterward, officials say. U.S. officals say Small Business Administration loans may be delayed and up to 10,000 children could lose access to Head Start, the federal program for preschool children from low-income families. The AFL-CIO estimates that more than 3 million children will lose access to quality childcare and thousands of providers will be forced to close, lay off childcare workers or reduce slots for children. STUDENT LOAN DEBT REPAYMENTSA three-year moratorium on student loan repayments ends on Oct. 1 after the U.S. Supreme Court in June blocked the Biden administration's plan to cancel $430 billion in student loan debt for 43 million borrowers. Student loan repayment resumption "will be more challenging for the lowest-income groups," Bank of America said in a recent research report, because they saved less during the moratorium than higher-income groups.

Persons: Sarah Silbiger, Joe Biden, Biden, Patty Murray, Rosa DeLauro, Liz Pagel, Andrea Shalal, Heather Timmons, Timothy Gardner Organizations: U.S, Russell Senate, REUTERS, Rights, Republican, American Federation of Government Employees, SNAP, Women, Assistance, Democratic, AFL, Century Foundation, Supreme, Student, Protection, Bank of America, Thomson Locations: Russell, Washington , U.S, TransUnion

☆ Yields on inflation-protected bonds spiked after the Fed’s tough outlook. What’s next for investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The yield on the 5-year TIPS was 2.48% on Wednesday afternoon, while the rate on the 10-year TIPS was 2.29%. The par value of the bonds adjusts with inflation, based on the consumer price index for all urban consumers. Duration is a measure of a bond's price sensitivity to changes in interest rates, and as bond prices swooned in 2022, TIPS also suffered. "They're not always the perfect inflation hedge in the short term, and they are very sensitive to changes in market interest rates." Be aware that while there are no state or local taxes on interest, federal taxes apply.

Persons: Brett Wander, Morningstar, US5YTIPS, Bill Ahmuty, Amy Arnott, They're, Arnott Organizations: Federal Reserve, Schwab Asset Management, Fed, State Street Global Advisors, Morningstar Research Services Locations: TreasuryDirect

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI, Sept 25 (Reuters) - India is considering spending 600 billion rupees ($7.2 billion) to provide subsidised loans for small urban housing over the next five years, two government sources told Reuters. The scheme will offer an annual interest subsidy of between 3-6.5% on up to 0.9 million rupees of the loan amount. Housing loans below five million rupees availed for a tenure of 20 years will be eligible for the proposed scheme, the sources said. "The interest subvention will be credited upfront to the housing loan account of beneficiaries. Mails sent by Reuters seeking a response from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development and the Ministry of Finance remained unanswered.

Persons: Banks, Narendra Modi, Modi, Sarita Chaganti Singh, Anil D'Silva Organizations: NEW, Reuters, Indian, Ministry of Housing, Urban Development, Ministry of Finance, Siddhi, Thomson Locations: NEW DELHI, MUMBAI, India, finalisation, New Delhi, Siddhi Nayak, Mumbai

The U.S. central bank left interest rates unchanged on Wednesday, in line with market expectations. Broadly speaking, higher rates for longer could be an unwelcome turn of events for stocks and bonds. The S&P 500 lost 0.94% on Wednesday, while the yield on two-year Treasuries, which reflect interest rate expectations, hit 17-year highs. Futures tied to the Fed’s policy rate late Wednesday showed traders were betting the central bank would ease monetary policy by a total of nearly 60 basis points next year, bringing interest rates to about 4.8%. Signs of wobbling growth could bolster the case for the central bank to cut rates far sooner than it had projected.

Persons: Sarah Silbiger, Josh Jamner, Gennadiy Goldberg, Jerome Powell, …, David Norris, John Madziyire, ”, Norris, Davide Barbuscia, David Randall, Herbert Lash, Lewis Krauskopf, Ira Iosebashvili, Stephen Coates Organizations: Eccles Federal Reserve, Washington , D.C, REUTERS, Federal, U.S, Treasury, U.S ., Clearbridge Investments, TD Securities USA, TwentyFour Asset Management, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, U.S

☆ High interest rates make it possible to earn 'real money' on cash now, expert says
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-10 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Just 1 in 5 savers have competitive interest rates of 3% or better on their cash, a Bankrate survey from earlier this year found. Here are several mistakes with cash that financial advisors say investors should try to avoid. For savers who are keeping large balances in accounts providing low interest rates, Harrington said he tries to explain to them that they are losing spending power over time. If you have a financial advisor, you should be talking to them about all of your cash savings, according to Lane at Flourish. While financial advisors tend to believe they manage all of their clients' money, no financial advisor truly does, Lane said.

Persons: Xavier Lorenzo, —, Gary Zimmerman, Max Lane, Lane, Tim Harrington, Harrington, they'll, Cash Organizations: MaxMyInterest, Longview Financial Advisors Locations: Longview, San Rafael , California

☆ Kroger settles opioid case, posts net loss on related charge
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Kroger logo is displayed in this illustration taken September 5, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration Acquire Licensing RightsSept 8 (Reuters) - Kroger (KR.N) reported a quarterly net loss on Friday as the U.S. retailer took a $1.4 billion charge related to a nationwide opioid settlement, sending its shares down as much as 3% in premarket trading. Shares of the supermarket chain, which is merging with smaller rival Albertsons (ACI.N) in a $25-billion deal, were down 1.8% in premarket trade, after its quarterly same-store sales missed market expectations. The Cincinnati, Ohio-based company posted a 1% rise in same-store sales for the second quarter. Reporting by Juveria Tabassum and Savyata Mishra; Editing by Pooja DesaiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Juveria Tabassum, Savyata Mishra, Pooja Desai Organizations: Kroger, REUTERS, Albertsons, Walmart, Thomson Locations: U.S, Cincinnati , Ohio

☆ More remote workers are willing to move in order to find affordable housing
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-03 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Continuing remote and hybrid work, at levels remarkably unchanged from two years ago, is enabling people to move toward housing affordability, the study found. At the beginning of the year, 22% of remote and hybrid workers said they would be willing to relocate to a different region or increase their commute. The research showed that among remote workers, all age and income groups have grown more willing to relocate or live farther away from their workplace since 2021. This is good news for remote workers during a time of crushingly low levels of home affordability. The researchers say the change to the housing market brought about by remote workers holds broader implications for the link between housing and the labor market.

Persons: Fannie Mae, Fannie, ’, “, ” Organizations: DC CNN, Housing, Housing Survey, Workers Locations: Washington, ’

☆ Dollar General shares tank after another disappointing quarter
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dollar General shopping carts are seen outside a store in Mount Rainier, Maryland, U.S., June 1, 2021. Shares of the company have fallen about 36% this year, making it one of the worst performers in the S&P 500 in 2023. In an effort to improve its business and lure in value-seeking customers, Dollar General has been investing to keep prices low for its everyday staples, which are typically less profitable. Meanwhile, sales in the home products and apparel segments, which carry higher margins, fell more than 7% each in the second quarter ended August 4. For the quarter, same-store sales fell 0.1%, compared with analysts' average estimate of a 1.08% rise, according to Refinitiv IBES data.

Persons: Erin Scott, Savyata Mishra, Pooja Desai Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Mount Rainier , Maryland, U.S, Tennessee, Bengaluru

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