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☆ The Federal Reserve may not hike interest rates next week, but consumers are unlikely to feel any relief
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Jessica Dickler | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

After the previous rate hikes, the average credit card rate is now more than 20% — an all-time high. Even without a rate hike, APRs may continue to rise, according to according to Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree. As the federal funds rate rose, the prime rate did, as well, and these rates followed suit. Federal student loans are now at 5.5%Federal student loan rates are also fixed, so most borrowers aren't immediately affected by the Fed's moves. But undergraduate students who take out new direct federal student loans are now paying 5.50% — up from 4.99% in the 2022-23 academic year and 3.73% in 2021-22.

Persons: Chris Wattie, Matt Schulz, Sam Khater, Freddie Mac's Organizations: Reuters, Treasury, Auto

About half say they currently have credit card debt, 4 in 10 are dealing with auto loans, and about one in four have medical debt. Relatively few Americans say they’re very or extremely confident that they could pay an unexpected medical expense (26%) or have enough money for retirement (18%). Only about one-third are extremely or very confident their current financial situation will allow them to keep up with expenses, though an additional 42% say they’re somewhat confident. About 3 in 10 Americans say they've foregone a major purchase because of higher interest rates in the last year. People with higher levels of education or higher household incomes are more likely than Americans overall to evaluate their finances as solid.

Persons: Steve Shapiro, he’d, ”, I’m, Tracy Gonzales, Gonzales, she's, “ I’ve, Shapiro, Will Clouse, “, Geri Putnam, ” Putnam, it’s, she'd, Biden Organizations: Associated Press, NORC, for Public Affairs Research, Republicans, U.S, Social Security Locations: Pittsburgh, San Antonio , Texas, U.S, Westlake , Ohio, Thomson , Georgia, Ohio

☆ A credit card Christmas: Taking on shopping debt carries more risk this holiday season
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Melissa Repko | In Melissa-Repko | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

This holiday season, shoppers who ring up purchases on credit cards will pay more interest if they carry balances from month to month after the Federal Reserve's string of rate hikes. Already, investors and retailers have paid closer attention to credit card payments — and some have cited them as a concern. The company, which has its own branded credit cards, has seen lower revenues from those cards because of costs associated with bad debt and related write-offs. Mitchell said student debt, auto loans and mortgages have all become bigger burdens in a high interest rate environment. For retailer-issued cards, the average interest rate is nearly 30%, a record high, according to data from Bankrate.

Persons: Alexi Rosenfeld, Aditya Bhave, Bhave, Taylor Swift, Wall, Adrian Mitchell, Mitchell, Doug McMillon, Tim Quinlan, Wells, Quinlan Organizations: Getty, Shoppers, Bank of America, Consumers, Walmart, U.S . Federal Reserve Locations: New York City, Wells Fargo

☆ The US is headed for recession, but a key difference from past downturns could make it milder, Apollo chief economist says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-25 | by ( Aruni Soni | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The US economy is headed for a recession, but it's likely to be milder than prior slumps, Apollo's chief economist said. That's because any potential slowdown this time around would be "engineered" by the Fed, Torsten Sløk told CNBC. When recession arrives, the Fed can undo the measures it took that initially slowed the economy, he added. Another recession is coming, but this time around the culprit is also the savior, making it a lot less harmful, according to Apollo Management's chief economist, Torsten Sløk. "Here today, this is all engineered by the Fed, the slowdown," Sløk said.

Persons: Torsten Sløk, —, Apollo, Sløk Organizations: CNBC, Service, Fed Locations: It's

You may think the term "net worth" only applies to celebrities and CEOs, but it's something we all have — and we all should know it. Here's a breakdown of both median and average American net worth by age, according to the Federal Reserve's Survey of Consumer Finances published in October 2023. Knowing your net worth can help you assess whether your next financial move is a good one. Empower (formerly Personal Capital) and Mint are two platforms that make tracking your net worth easy. Empower has its own net worth calculator and Mint has a net worth-specific dashboard that calls out your progress each month.

Organizations: Federal Reserve's Survey, Consumer, Federal Reserve Survey, Consumer Finances, Google, Android, CNBC, CNBC Select's, Facebook, Twitter 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

☆ CNBC Daily Open: Investors can’t shake off the feeling of uncertainty
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Shreyashi Sanyal | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

In this article FGMMETAAMZNNFLXTSLAGOOGL Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNTTraffic_analyzer | Istock | Getty ImagesThis report is from today's CNBC Daily Open, our new, international markets newsletter. CNBC Daily Open brings investors up to speed on everything they need to know, no matter where they are. Gold was up 2.5% last week, recording its second consecutive weekly rise after adding 5.22% in the prior week. Investors are now bracing for a heavy week of earnings as Big Tech companies including Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Microsoft will take centerstage. Musk's sweeping changes across the company, including firing most of its employees and reinstating previously banned accounts, scared advertisers away.

Persons: Gold, Ryan Detrick, Tesla, Elon Musk, Musk Organizations: Istock, CNBC, East, Treasury, Big Tech, Meta, Microsoft, Carson Group, Netflix, Elon, Twitter Locations: U.S

☆ More people are missing car payments in another ominous sign for the economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Polly Thompson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A record number of subprime borrowers are behind on auto loan payments by more than 60 days. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementAdvertisementA record number of subprime borrowers are behind on their auto loan payments by 60 days or more, according to figures from Fitch Ratings reported by Bloomberg. More than a third of Americans are considered subprime borrowers, according to an Experian study, meaning they have lower credit scores and are deemed less likely to meet their repayments on loans. AdvertisementAdvertisementFor subprime borrowers, rates for new cars average 11.5% and 18.5% for used autos, according to Experian.

Persons: —, Margaret Rowe, Zers Organizations: Fitch, Bloomberg, Service, CNN, Fed, Economic, Cox Automotive Locations: Edmunds

"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

☆ The CIO of a hedge fund says he's betting home prices are going to drop at least 15-20% as consumers start to weaken and 'smart money' gets out of the market
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( William Edwards | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Daniel Bustamante, the hedge-fund CIO who won big in his short bet against shares of Carvana last year, is now betting millions of dollars that the housing market will slow significantly. Bustamante's call for home prices is an outlier in terms of where most Wall Street economists see the housing market headed. ATTOMAnother sign that things may go sour in the housing market is that institutional investors, or "smart money", has increasingly stopped buying residential properties, he said. RedfinAgain, Bustamante sees significant downside to home prices ahead. Recession warnings on Wall Street have become quieter in recent months as jobs and consumer spending data have held up.

Persons: Daniel Bustamante, DR, they'll, Bustamante, Bustamante anecdotally, ATTOM Organizations: Bustamante & Co, KB, Federal, National Locations: Carvana, Maricopa County , Arizona

☆ Wells Fargo remains a stock to own, as the bank reports stellar quarterly results
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Bottom line Wells Fargo's quarterly revenue outpaced expectations on the back of better-than-expected results for both net interest income (NII) and non-interest income. Middle-market banking revenue increased 23% year-over-year, as higher interest rates and loan balances were only partially offset by lower deposits. Asset-based lending and leasing revenue was up 3% annually, a result of loan growth and increased revenue from renewable energy investments. Total banking revenues increased 20% year-over-year, a result of higher rates and lending revenues, along with "higher investment banking revenue on increased activity across all products." Commercial real estate revenue increased 14% year-over-year, due to higher rates and revenue growth in the firm's low-income housing business.

Persons: Wells, Wells Fargo, we've, Charlie Scharf, Wall, Scharf, NII, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim, Justin Sullivan Organizations: Wells, Basel III, Management, Consumer, Auto, CNBC, Wells Fargo Bank Locations: Wells Fargo, Basel, U.S, San Bruno , California

However, the characteristics that members of this group generally displayed fall in line with common financial goals for many Americans who dream of retiring one day. They don't have consumer debtWealthy retirees in this study were the least likely to have credit card debt and auto loan debt, two common types of consumer debt. According to EBRI's research, only one in five wealthy retirees had auto loan and credit card debt. Compared to the average retiree, that's significantly less — in the average retiree category, about half had credit card debt, and about half had a car loan. The resulting number is a good estimate of how much you'll need to retire comfortably.

Persons: —, Robinhood, you'll Organizations: Security Research Center, Robinhood, Northwestern Mutual

Excluding volatile food and energy costs, “core” prices likely also rose 0.3% in September, the same as in August. The Fed tracks the core figure in particular as a good indicator of the likely future path of inflation. That would mean that the Fed would probably keep its short-term rate higher for longer than investors had expected last summer. The result has been an increased supply of Treasuries, which means a higher yield is needed to attract enough buyers. Economists note that some wild-card factors might have caused inflation to come in higher or lower than expected in September.

Persons: They're, Christopher Waller Organizations: WASHINGTON, Federal, Fed, Fed's, of Governors, AAA Locations: United States

☆ India's Bank of Baroda falls after RBI ban on adding new app customers
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A woman walks past a signboard of Bank of Baroda outside their branch office in New Delhi, India, June 20, 2023. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsBENGALURU, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Shares of Bank of Baroda (BOB.NS) fell nearly 4% on Wednesday, a day after the Reserve Bank of India stopped the state-run lender from adding customers to its mobile app citing "certain material supervisory concerns." Bank of Baroda will be allowed to onboard customers to its bob World app only after rectifying certain deficiencies, the RBI said on Tuesday, without giving any details about the issues. Bob World app has 8.1 million daily transactions, while 43% of time deposits are obtained through the app, the bank had said in its quarterly presentation in August. Shares of Bank of Baroda have underperformed the PSU bank index for the year so far, rising 12% compared to nearly 20% in the index.

Persons: Anushree, Suresh Ganapathy, Macquarie, Bob, Varun Organizations: Bank of Baroda, REUTERS, Rights, Reserve Bank of India, Macquarie, Sethuraman NR, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, BOB.NS, Bengaluru

☆ The Biden administration wants to completely ban the hidden fees that make your plane and concert tickets unexpectedly expensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | Juliana Kaplan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The FTC proposed a rule on Wednesday that would ban all hidden and misleading fees. Businesses who use hidden fees might have to give consumers refunds, per the rule. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe Biden administration has been trying to crack down on the hidden fees that pop up when you try to book a plane or a concert ticket or even just order food — and now wants to outright ban them. Those junk fees "plague" Americans across all sorts of transactions. The CFPB's Wednesday guidance clarified that provision to ensure every American knows they do not need to pay junk fees to get basic information from their bank.

Persons: —, Biden, Lina Khan, Khan, that's, Vicki Morwitz, Morwitz, Rohit Chopra, Lael Brainard Organizations: FTC, Service, Federal Trade Commission, Columbia Business School, Consumer Financial, —, Economic Locations: America, United States

☆ Businesses are returning $140 million in surprise overdraft fees to consumers, according to a CFPB report
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Chelsey Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON — The nation's federal consumer protection watchdog announced Wednesday that companies will refund $140 million to customers as a result of its work to uncover illegal so-called junk fees. "The [Consumer Financial Protection Bureau] continues to uncover junk fee scams that violate the law and undermine consumer trust," CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said in a statement. The bureau on Wednesday released a report of supervisory highlights in tandem with the Biden administration's newly announced policies targeting junk fees across industries. Financial institutions that hit customers with surprise overdraft and NSF fees account for $120 million of the $140 million that companies will reportedly refund to consumers following the March edition of the report, the CFPB found. Nearly two-thirds of banks with more than $10 billion in assets have also eliminated NSF fees, saving customers nearly $2 billion a year, according to a separate report released Wednesday.

Persons: WASHINGTON, Rohit Chopra, overdraft Organizations: Consumer Financial, Biden

☆ Auto loans are super expensive. Here’s how to shrink your monthly bill
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Peter Valdes-Dapena | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

In fact, auto loan interest rates are the highest they’ve been since 2007, when the world was heading into a massive financial crisis. More than 70% of buyers of new large SUVs now have monthly payments over $1,000. Keep it shortPeople often try to reduce their monthly payments by taking out longer loans. Spreading the payments over more years can keep the monthly amount lower, but it means you’re paying more in interest. Leasing is another way to keep monthly payments down.

Persons: It’s, ”, Kevin Roberts, you’re, Roberts, that’s, Ivan Drury, Edmunds, Matt Jones, Courtney Alev, Joseph Yoon, TrueCar’s Jones, Jones, “, CarGurus ’ Roberts, Tyson Jominy Organizations: New, New York CNN, Credit Karma, Leasing, “ Leasing, Edmunds, Toyota, Power, Associates Locations: New York, Edmunds, TrueCar.com, Cross, Boston, New York City

☆ Why your mortgage rate is probably different from the ‘average’
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Anna Bahney | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Washington, DC CNN —The average US mortgage rate hit 7.49% this week, the highest level in 23 years. The lower risk you present, the lower your mortgage rate will be. Another way people who are quoted a certain mortgage rate can lower it is by buying down the rate with discount points. A borrower with a $400,000 loan can buy down a 7.5% mortgage rate to 7.25% for $4,000. By reducing the mortgage rate upfront, the monthly costs will be smaller for the life of the loan.

Persons: homebuyers, “, Freddie Mac, homebuyer, who’ve Organizations: DC CNN, Consumer Financial, Bureau, National Association of Realtors, Equal, Consumer, Companies Locations: Washington

☆ Wall Street's dream scenario is dead
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Matthew Fox | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Wall Street's vision of a Goldilocks scenario for the stock market and economy is unraveling. AdvertisementAdvertisementWall Street's dream of a Goldilocks scenario for the stock market and economy is probably dead. Interest rates soared. As painful as inflation and higher interest rates were, the economy remained resilient as consumers held onto their jobs and kept swiping their credit cards. It has to acknowledge that interest rates are now sufficiently restrictive, and decide that it's next monetary policy move isn't an interest rate hike, but rather a pause, and then a cut.

Persons: —, it's, Jerome Powell, Powell's, Powell, Buckle, Greg Daco, Something's, Kevin O'Leary, we've, Wharton, Jeremy Siegel, Mary Daly, Raphael Bostic Organizations: Service, Treasury, Valley Bank, Bloomberg, CNBC Locations: America

The September jobs report that the Labor Department will issue Friday will show just how much of that durability remains. A growing body of evidence, though, suggests that the job market is cooling — something Fed officials would like to see. Businesses often raise their prices to cover their higher labor costs. Fewer Americans are quitting their jobs after a surge in resignations in the aftermath of the pandemic. Most people quit to take other jobs with higher pay, so the decline in quitting indicates that workers now see fewer available opportunities elsewhere.

Persons: Jerome Powell, Mary Daly, ” Daly, Goldman Sachs Organizations: WASHINGTON, Federal Reserve, Labor Department, Institute for Supply Management, Federal Reserve Bank of San, Economic, of New Locations: United States, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, of New York

☆ Why borrowing costs for nearly everything are surging, and what it means for you
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-05 | by ( Hugh Son | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

At the center of the storm is the 10-year Treasury yield , one of the most influential numbers in finance. The relentless rise in borrowing costs has blown past forecasters' predictions and has Wall Street casting about for explanations. Companies that can only issue debt in the high-yield market, which includes many retail employers, will confront sharply higher borrowing costs. Higher rates squeeze the housing industry and push commercial real estate closer to default. "So if banks haven't fixed their issues since then, the problem is only worse, because rates are only higher."

Persons: Jerome Powell, SAUL LOEB, Bob Michele, Ben Emons, Treasurys, Benjamin Dunn, Lindsay Rosner, Peter Boockvar, Rosner Organizations: Federal Reserve, Washington , D.C, Getty, ., Treasury, Fed, JPMorgan, NewEdge, Bloomberg, Alpha Theory Advisors, Goldman, Companies, Bleakley Financial, Valley Bank, First Locations: Washington ,, U.S, Goldman Sachs, First Republic

The collective impact of higher rates across the economy could also weaken the government's own finances. With borrowing rates high and inflation still relatively elevated, consumers, who drive about 70% of economic growth, are expected to spend more cautiously. “Those tighter, higher rates will have an impact on the economy.”Financial analysts point to several reasons for the rapid increase in lending rates. Overseas buyers have reduced their purchases, thereby forcing rates higher to attract buyers. “All of that is driving these fears of higher rates, and no one knows when it’s going to stop,” said Gennadiy Goldberg, head of US rates strategy at TD Securities.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Goldman Sachs, Goldman, Freddie Mac, Loretta Mester, ” Mester, it’s, ”, Gennadiy Goldberg, Benson Durham, Piper Sandler, Durham, Jerome Powell, ‘, we’re, ’ ”, Nancy Vanden Houten, David Page Organizations: WASHINGTON, United Auto Workers, Representatives, Republican, Treasury, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, ”, Fed, Treasury Department, TD Securities, Oxford Economics, AXA Locations: U.S, ’ ” Durham, London

☆ In hedge funds' backyard, private credit is the toast of the town
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Bradley Saacks | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Instead, people like Ken Kencel — CEO of Churchill Asset Management, a private credit division of asset management giant Nuveen — held court. In the next decade, he predicted that private credit shops and direct lenders could fill in the holes in the asset-based lending space, as well as home and auto loans. Private credit — or alternative credit or direct lending — is a subsect of finance that has grown rapidly thanks to higher interest rates and distressed banks. Higher interest rates are forcing institutions — the pensions and endowments that make up hedge funds' biggest investors — to rethink their portfolios. But while the Bridgewater founder had the rapt attention of the room, it was at a direct lending panel a couple of hours later when an ambitious audience member pitched himself to the private credit executives onstage.

Persons: Ray Dalio, Cliff Asness, Ken Kencel, —, I've, Banks, Gregory Robbins, Jan Van Eck Organizations: Greenwich Economic, Churchill Asset Management, Golub Capital, Bridgewater Locations: Greenwich, China

☆ My husband and I paid off our mortgage more than 15 years early by following a simple money rule we learned from our parents
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-04 | by ( Marisa Palmieri Shugrue | Stephanie Hallett | Read More | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

This July, my husband and I sent in our final mortgage payment. Why we decided it made sense to pay off our mortgage earlyAn early mortgage payoff had been a major financial goal of ours since 2016. After doing some research and calculations, we realized a combination of investing and paying off our mortgage early would give us the more flexible lifestyle we had in mind. We have not had a car payment in five years. It led us to paying off our mortgage early, which has allowed us both to choose more fulfilling work and spend more time with our daughters.

Persons: it's, We've, didn't Organizations: Ohio National Guard Locations: Cleveland

I have one bank that I use for investing and one that I use for credit cards and high-yield savings. Originally, I used Wells Fargo as my primary bank. This book taught me how to make my credit cards work for me and what to look for in credit cards. Now I have my credit cards, savings account, and auto loan all in one place. But if they ever pull a Wells Fargo, I have my process to find a new bank.

Persons: —, Wells, Wells Fargo, Charles Schwab, Ramit Sethi, Cash, I've, they're Organizations: Service, Vanguard, Self Locations: Wells Fargo, Wells

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