FINANCE

A new online tool is letting people experience some of the difficult choices local families must make due to financial hardships.

If you are looking for a home pro to help with projects, there are several things to consider, and the cost is a big part.

Student loan debt in the U.S. totals more than $1.7 trillion. These types of loans can affect your financial future for years.

Americans spend an average of $5,174 a year, or roughly $431 a month, on groceries. And that number is now skyrocketing.

The effects from the rise in gas prices don’t stop at the gas pump.

In this monthly newsletter, we explore the economic opportunities in the San Antonio area and report personal finance stories that include money-managing tips, scam alerts, among other financial topics.

We all want to be more environmentally friendly, but it can be hard to know where to start, especially when it comes to our homes.

Are there any home projects on your 2022 to-do list?

Here are facts and figures of the OECD’s plan and what it hopes to achieve.

After two years of isolation, people are ready to pack their bags for a much-needed vay-cay.

Inflation could make vacations more expensive. So how will that affect one of San Antonio's biggest industries -- tourism?

Rising home prices are giving potential homeowners another reason to wait. Mortgage rates are expected to rise throughout the year.

Surprises can be fun, but not when they come in the form of a home emergency. Burst pipes, overflowing toilets and power outages can be stressful, overwhelming, and scary.

A 2020 northwestern mutual study found that 71% of Americans admit their financial planning needs improvement. Yet only 29% of them work with a financial advisor. While these experts can help you make the most of your investments, you have to be careful to pick the right one.

If you’re in the market for new electronics or home goods.. you’re in luck.

This season, the IRS will begin accepting returns on January 24. That's about two and a half weeks before last year's start date.

Switching over to heating is a true sign that winter is here. The other sign? Higher monthly electricity bills, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

It’s 2022 and with the start of the new year, so many people have new goals and resolutions. We always hear about fitness resolutions – and eating healthier – but what about financial resolutions and saving more money this year?

If you hear your “grandchild’s voice” from an unknown number… you should hang up! The grandkid imposter scam is hot right now.

Scammers around the world took home a record $14 billion in cryptocurrency in 2021, thanks in large part to the rise of DeFi.

Tipping can be a toss up when it comes to who and how much you should give.

In the fast-growing world of decentralized finance, some services promise huge returns. Regulators are getting worried.

A credit score can range from poor to excellent and a lower score could be keeping you from financial success

Roughly half of Americans aren’t sure how much money they have

ORLANDO, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – The pandemic may leave more than 40 million Americans without a job, risking their homes and their health. Would you and your family be able to survive without a paycheck coming in every other week? “We became homeless and now we don’t have food, and now COVID, it’s been really, really tough,” said Latisha King. You can find out your poverty risk assessment by logging on to www.playspent.org and taking the test. Sources: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/30/what-its-like-to-be-evicted-during-the-coivd-19-pandemic.html https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty-guidelines https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2020/income-poverty.html#:~:text=In%202019%2C%20there%20were%2034.0,million%20fewer%20people%20than%202018 https://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty-guidelines https://www.self.inc/blog/7-tips-for-breaking-the-cycle-of-povertyContributor(s) to this news report include: Sabrina Broadbent, Producer; Bob Walko, Videographer and Editor.

U.S Census data shows that lottery sales in 2016, the most recent year with complete data, totaled more than $80 billion. In 2016, Census data shows Texans spent about $4.8 billion on lottery tickets. Instead, economists say it is better to invest the money you spend on lottery tickets. If you like to play the lottery for fun, financial experts have some tips. Second, make sure you have a budget to play the lottery and that you aren’t spending money needed for necessities, like housing, food or bills.

American Airlines’ share price lost 45%, its biggest percentage decline since before the carrier’s 2013 merger with US Airways. Delta Airlines’ stock lost 31%, while United Airlines fell 51% over the last 12 months, its biggest drop since 2008. The S&P 500, meanwhile, rose by more than 16% in 2020. U.S. carriers’ increased their total debt by $67 billion in 2020 to more than $172 billion to weather the crisis, according to trade group Airlines for America. On the bright side, air travel demand has recovered a lot of ground compared with the volumes hit early in the pandemic.

2020 has brought many of us to a reckoning with our spending habits. But there are plenty of ways to reorganize our finances without cutting everything out of our lives. She says 2020 has made many of us fear the unknown, and how it could affect our bank accounts. 2020 caused many of our spending habits to change. But in order to make 2021 better, putting in a little work around the new year on your personal finances can make all the difference.

The reason is the price of Bitcoin, the most popular form of cryptocurrency, which has skyrocketed to record levels. The price of Bitcoin on Sunday was more than $33,000, a record high, before dropping to over $31,000 on Monday morning. But what exactly is it, and what does it mean for investors in the short term and long term? It’s a similar concept to having tokens in an arcade or casino chips, and exchanging real money for them or cashing them out for real money. Many feel Bitcoin is the currency of the future and want to buy it now.

Payment history and credit utilization, or the ratio of credit being used compared to total credit available, are the two biggest factors in determining your credit score. The next factors that affect your credit score are length of credit history, new credit inquiries, and diversifying your credit with a mix of credit cards and loans. Too much new credit at one time can affect your credit score negatively by adding hard inquiries to your credit report. To give you an idea on how your credit score can impact a 30-year fixed mortgage on a $200,000 home—if your credit score is above 760, you’ll pay $996 a month. You can check out your credit score for free at Credit Karma, Credit Sesame, and www.credit.com.

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – Nearly three out of four parents plan to spend more money on Halloween in 2020 to make up for a year filled with missed opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a Lending Tree Survey. In a new survey conducted by Lending Tree, one of the country’s largest lending marketplaces, most parents surveyed with children under 18 say they plan to spend more on Halloween because they have already missed out on other celebrations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social distancing has been factored into play dates, if they happen at all,” the company said in a statement. That, and more has made 2020 a downright difficult year for both parents and their little ones.”Additionally, 54% of parents surveyed said they spent more on Halloween than they could afford at some point in the past. In fact, some parents will even go into debt to help spread holiday cheer, according to survey data.

So, why is this such a good time to refinance, and why should people consider doing so? How long will rates stay this low? Fontanot said the low rates are here to stay for a while, possibly well into 2021. The Federal Reserve has plenty of incentive to keep rates low while the pandemic continues on. “There is a challenge they have, and raising interest rates can put a crunch on things.”What should people consider before refinancing?