Yahoo Finance

  • The three pillars that determine housing supply

    J.P. Morgan Asset Management's U.S. Housing Strategist, James Egan sat down with Yahoo Finance senior reporter Alexandra Canal and Yahoo Finance producer Sydnee Fried on Stocks In Translation to explore how supply is determined in the housing market. Egan outlined the three key components that influence supply, noting, “There are three components to supply. We talk about the listing of existing homes for sales, the people that currently own homes, are they trying to sell their homes? There's the building of new homes. And then the third prong, we call it the shadow inventory. That's kind of distress foreclosure. We haven't seen a lot of that,” adds Egan. The podcast then goes on to explain how existing homeowners get "locked-in" to their home mortgage rates. Listen to the full episode here, or wherever you get your podcasts. For expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch more Stocks in Translation. This post was written by Neil Mulcahy.

  • Monthly housing payments decline alongside mortgage rates

    The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage has fallen to 6.09%, according to the latest data from Freddie Mac. Meanwhile, a new Redfin report shows that median monthly housing payments have posted their largest decline in four years. Yahoo Finance Senior Housing Reporter Dani Romero joins Wealth! to break down the news and what it means for homebuyers. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Wealth! This post was written by Melanie Riehl

  • Estate tax return: When do I need to file Form 706?

    When do I need to file Form 706, estate tax return? Robert 'Bob' Powell answers this question as part of Decoding Retirement's special segment, Ask Bob. Mitlin Financial founder and wealth advisor Lawrence Sprung joined Robert 'Bob' Powell on Decoding Retirement to discuss the latest inflation numbers, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the current housing market, "finfluencers" and AI's impact on personal finance, and much more. Question: When do I need to file Form 706, United States Estate (and Generation-Skipping Transfer) Tax Return? Answer: You need to file an Estate Tax Return (Form 706) if the total value of everything the deceased person owned, plus their taxable gifts and any gift tax exemptions they used, is higher than the filing limit for the year they passed away. The filing limit for 2024 is $13,610,000. And 4,000 people had to file that form in 2023. So, only the estimated number of total and taxable estate tax returns are?7,600 and 3,900 for 2022, and 7,100 and 4,000 for 2023. And given that there were 3 million deaths in the US in 2023, your odds of having to file such a return are quite small, 750 to 1. If you've got questions about money or retirement, email us at [email protected]. Retirement planning doesn’t mean locking up your money for a rainy day and forgetting about it. Planning your future means reacting to events today. Decoding Retirement gives you the tools to navigate the years ahead, and take action now! Yahoo Finance's Decoding Retirement is hosted by Robert Powell, and produced by Zach Faulds and Alexander Frangeskides. Find more episodes of Decoding Retirement at https://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/decoding-retirement. Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at [email protected]. Editor's note: This post was written by Zach Faulds.

  • Diversify your tech plays in the 'AI 2.0 bucket': Strategist

    Raymond James Investment Management chief market strategist Matt Orton joins Brad Smith and Seana Smith on Morning Brief’s Strategy Session to discuss how to play artificial intelligence (AI) stocks beyond the Big Tech names. As mega-cap tech stocks gain and September's interest rate cut sends the market higher (^DJI, ^IXIC, ^GSPC), Orton says he still likes the Big Tech sector. “There's plenty of reasons that clients still want to own the mega-cap technology names. Especially the high-quality ones that are generating $50 [billion], $60 [billion], $70 billion of free cash flow per year. But what I've been encouraging clients really for the past three months or so is that we have an opportunity to build better balance in our portfolios.” “Now that we're finally starting to get rate cuts, I think we're starting to see more of a clear path to get to that soft landing. That should support a lot more cyclical parts of the market, too, that maybe haven't done as well as technology," he says about the Federal Reserve's rate cut move. Orton explains that there are stocks and sectors he sees benefiting from the AI boom without being directly tied to developing the tech the way Big Tech companies are, what he calls the “AI 2.0 bucket." “Take the industrial space, for example. You look at electric equipment companies. We know we need more power in this country. We also know we need to cool data centers down as you continue to get more of them. So companies that are producing cooling solutions and liquid cooling, those names look very attractive.” Orton says he tells clients to “play offense with defense” as while there are concerns around geopolitical conflict, defense companies are benefiting from governments' increased spending. “You're finally seeing that translate into increased earnings and free cash flow across a number of defense companies.” “There's an opportunity in that part of the market and in totally non-related to artificial intelligence,” that “aren't just tech or semiconductors,” Orton tells Yahoo Finance. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Morning Brief. This post was written by Naomi Buchanan.

  • Long-term care insurance: Reimbursement vs. indemnity option

    What is the difference between a reimbursement and an indemnity long-term care insurance policy option? Robert 'Bob' Powell answers this question as part of Decoding Retirement's special segment, Ask Bob. Mitlin Financial founder and wealth advisor Lawrence Sprung joined Robert 'Bob' Powell on Decoding Retirement to discuss the latest inflation numbers, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the current housing market, "finfluencers" and AI's impact on personal finance, and much more. Question: I’m looking to buy a long-term care insurance policy. One policy has a reimbursement option and the other has an indemnity option. What is the difference between the two? Answer: The reimbursement option pays back the policyholder for approved long-term care expenses they have paid during the month. The care provider can either bill the insurance company directly, or the policyholder can pay upfront and then submit receipts to get reimbursed. With the indemnity option, the insurance company sends the policyholder a fixed monthly payment, no matter how much the care actually costs. To qualify, the policyholder must receive approved long-term care services. The policyholder then uses the money to pay for the care themselves. Which is better? Scott Olsen, co-owner of LTCShop.com, offered up the following: "Most of my clients buy reimbursement policies. Reimbursement policies are usually less expensive than indemnity policies. The only time an indemnity policy is better is if someone wants to use a non-qualified caregiver to provide their care... Like a family member or an unlicensed home health aide." If you've got questions about money or retirement, email us at [email protected]. Retirement planning doesn’t mean locking up your money for a rainy day and forgetting about it. Planning your future means reacting to events today. Decoding Retirement gives you the tools to navigate the years ahead, and take action now! Yahoo Finance's Decoding Retirement is hosted by Robert Powell, and produced by Zach Faulds and Alexander Frangeskides. Find more episodes of Decoding Retirement at https://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/decoding-retirement. Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at [email protected]. Editor's note: This post was written by Zach Faulds.

  • AI powers this ETF. Here's how it works

    Intelligent Alpha founder and CEO Doug Clinton joins Josh Lipton on Asking for a Trend to break down the investment firm’s new artificial intelligence-powered exchange-traded fund (ETF), Intelligent Livermore (LIVR), and how AI could transform trading. “We have created an investment committee built on AI [with] three different large language AI models: GPT, Claude, and Gemini. They analyze data and a philosophy that we give those committee members, and then they create a portfolio of stocks that reflect whatever portfolio or exposure we want the AI to create for us,” Clinton explains to the Asking for a Trend team. Intelligent Alpha launched its AI-powered ETF Wednesday on the Nasdaq. Clinton says the ETF “basically analyzes some of the world's greatest investors and traders" and then "constructs a portfolio that reflects those views." Clinton tells Yahoo Finance that the ETF is currently exposed to major investing themes like AI through names like Meta Platforms (META), as well as global markets like Asia and Latin America. The AI-powered fund also has some defensive exposure with sectors like healthcare and consumer staples. “There are also what I think are more contrarian names like Pinduoduo (PDD)... [which] was down 30% a month ago and there's kind of an alternative bet there. They think that stock might bounce back,” Clinton says. While the AI tech responds to prompts to determine which equities to add to the ETF, Clinton clarifies that “a human analyst will review the portfolio to make sure there's no hallucinations that just don't make any sense.” For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Asking for a Trend. This post was written by Naomi Buchanan.

  • The Fed and mortgage rates: What homebuyers should know

    The Federal Reserve kicked off its interest rate easing cycle with a 50-basis-point cut on Wednesday. But what does that mean for your mortgage? Yahoo Finance Senior Housing Reporter Claire Boston joins Wealth! to discuss what the rate cut means for homebuyers who have been sitting on the sidelines amid elevated mortgage rates, which haven been consistently cooling over the past several months. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Wealth! This post was written by Melanie Riehl

  • Reinforce your budget while saving for retirement, emergencies

    Having trouble keeping to your budget or even overspending? As part of Yahoo Finance's Investing 101: 5 Rules to Build Wealth special, Money Glow Up host Tiffany Aliche joins Brad Smith to outline how young people entering the workforce can save for their future while juggling debt, student loans, and other necessities like rent. Aliche highlights strategies for creating a budget while finding space to put away income into retirement accounts or emergency savings. "So if you have a job, try not to have all your money land in one checking account. Ask HR payroll to split your money before you get your money because you've done the math. And maybe you see there's an extra hundred bucks a month that you can put aside for emergencies," Aliche explains. "The best way to really circumvent emergencies that might cost more than what you have saved is you might have to swipe that credit card. It's not ideal, but you might. So if that's the case, you want to make sure you're already in good standing. You should know your credit before you need your credit." In the premiere of Money Glow Up, Aliche sat down with financial therapist and coach Aja Evans to address the anxiety Americans feel about their finances and debt. Catch more of Tiffany Aliche as the host of Yahoo Finance's Money Glow Up. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Wealth! This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

  • Trump has changed his criticism of the Fed. Here's how.

    Politicians on both sides of the aisle are criticizing the Federal Reserve for the timing of its larger-than-expected interest rate cut. Former President Donald Trump is just one of the figures who has weighed in on the cut, saying that its size indicated that the Fed must be seeing some broader weakness in the economy.  Yahoo Finance Washington Correspondent Ben Werschkul joins Catalysts to discuss some of the commentary from US political leaders and whether the Fed runs the risk of appearing political as its interest rate easing cycle occurs during a heated election season. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Catalysts. This post was written by Melanie Riehl

  • Can AI and 'finfluencers' be trusted with personal finance?

    There is a growing trend on social media, including Instagram, TikTok and other platforms, where influencers are increasingly providing personal finance advice. The general public is also trusting AI more and more to answer their personal finance questions. Mitlin Financial founder and wealth advisor Lawrence Sprung joined Robert 'Bob' Powell on Decoding Retirement to discuss misinformation in the digital age and whether or not it has become a problem for the general public. 'Finfluencer' (decoded) A "finfluencer" is a combination of the words "finance" and "influencer." It describes individuals who leverage social media platforms—like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube—to share advice and information about personal finance, investing, budgeting, and other financial topics. "When you're scrolling and looking at some of these folks that are giving the advice, you have to be very careful about who you're taking the advice from," Sprung explained. "We've seen in recent years, people giving out and espousing this advice, as you say, and people following it, and two weeks later, their TikTok handle is gone, evaporated because the information they gave was wrong or hurtful to those followers." Artificial intelligence "I've been recently asking Perplexity AI, ChatGPT, Gemini (GOOG, GOOGL) personal finance questions, and then asking the subject matter expert to critique those answers," Powell said. "And invariably it gets some stuff right, some stuff wrong, and then there's some serious material omissions. I would never trust AI at the moment with any personal finance question." "I've done the same, I've run questions by them to get topics for blog articles and things like that, and I've noticed really several inaccuracies there," Sprung explained. "So I think you have to be very careful there as well." Retirement planning doesn’t mean locking up your money for a rainy day and forgetting about it. Planning your future means reacting to events today. Decoding Retirement gives you the tools to navigate the years ahead, and take action now! Yahoo Finance's Decoding Retirement is hosted by Robert Powell, and produced by Zach Faulds and Alexander Frangeskides. Find more episodes of Decoding Retirement at https://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/decoding-retirement. Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at [email protected]. Editor's note: This post was written by Zach Faulds.

  • Is money stressing you out? How financial therapy may help

    Having an unhealthy relationship with money could inhibit long-term personal wealth. You might feel as if being in debt means you can't have any fun, and that money should only go toward paying off bills. That is not only limiting, but unrealistic. Everything in life becomes about avoiding temptation, instead of looking at healthy and practical ways to spend and save. But there is hope... "The Budgetnista" Tiffany Aliche sits down with financial therapist, Aja Evans, for a discussion where money meets mental health. Financial therapy combines advice and emotional support, helping people manage financial stress which negatively impacts their family, work, and all other aspects of their lives. Evans explains that "the thing about financial therapy is that it really doesn't matter how much money you make. Okay. Some people could be millionaires and they're doing great, but still have these feelings of financial trauma of, 'Oh my God, am I gonna make my bills? Is this gonna be okay? Can I provide for myself or my family?' And that stress really kind of shifts our perception of what is safe and what's not." But don't worry, they don't leave you hanging! Tiffany Aliche creates a space to share real and inspiring money stories, learn financial fundamentals, and build your future. Step into the classroom with Money Glow Up every Thursday at 12pm ET with Tiffany Aliche—aka The Budgetnista—to jump-start your financial journey. Money Glow Up is created and produced by Rachael Lewis-Krisky.

  • Why existing home sales fell more than expected in August

    Existing home sales fell 2.5% in August, coming in well below the decline of 1.3% economists were expecting. Yahoo Finance Senior Housing Reporter Dani Romero joins Catalysts to dig into the weaker-than-expected print and breaks down what it signals about the state of the housing market. Romero calls the print a "disappointment," as economists expected higher sales as mortgage rates have fallen. She lays out several reasons behind the weak data, noting first and foremost that high housing prices are still keeping buyers on the sidelines. She also notes that buyers are also looking for lower mortgage rates, which they could get as the Fed finally initiated its highly anticipated interest rate cut. She also highlights how some buyers may be confused about the new NAR (National Association of Realtors) regulations impacting buyer-broker agreements. In addition, she explains that some buyers may be waiting until after the election to purchase a home. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Catalysts. This post was written by Melanie Riehl

  • Biden to deliver speech on the progress of the US economy

    Following the Federal Reserve's momentous 50-basis-point interest rate cut, President Biden will be addressing the decision and the US economy's progress in a speech at the Economic Club of Washington, D.C., on Thursday. Yahoo Finance Senior Columnist Rick Newman joins the Morning Brief team to break down what Americans can expect from Biden's speech and discuss some of the biggest economic issues taking center stage this election. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Morning Brief. This post was written by Melanie Riehl

  • What the Fed's rate cut means for stocks, commodities

    After the Federal Reserve cut rates by 50 basis points, Seana Smith and Brad Smith take a look at movement in the futures and commodities market on Morning Brief. As futures rally, markets and data editor Jared Blikre breaks down how stocks have reacted to previous rate changes during a recession, a growth scare, and normalization. Senior markets reporter Ines Ferré explains that commodities, excluding gold (GC=F) and silver (SI=F), are trending down, signaling commodity deflation. As a historical rarity at the start of an easing cycle, this could signal the Fed is behind the curve in cutting rates. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Morning Brief. This post was written by Naomi Buchanan.

  • Apple iPhone 16 to be released Friday. A hands-on look

    Apple's (AAPL) iPhone 16 is slated to officially launch on Friday, September 20. In the studio to deep dive into the latest features of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Plus is Yahoo Finance tech editor Dan Howley, who notes the phones' new cameras and aptitude for Apple Intelligence software to come down the line. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Asking for a Trend. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

  • How interest rate cuts will impact vehicle sales, auto loans

    According to a report from Edmunds, 62% of American car buyers will be holding off on purchasing a new vehicle due to elevated interest rates. Will the Federal Reserve's 50-basis-point rate cut kickstart any reaction from auto customers? Yahoo Finance senior autos reporter Pras Subramanian highlights the data indicating how consumers and automakers are feeling about the future rate cuts to come. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Market Domination Overtime. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

  • Breaking down the Fed dot plot after rate cut

    As part of its September interest rate decision, the Federal Reserve released its latest Summary of Economic Projections. Madison Mills joins Seana Smith to discuss the Fed’s new dot plot and what it tells investors about the Fed’s economic projections. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Market Domination. This post was written by Naomi Buchanan.

  • Maximize your interest earnings as Fed begins cutting rates

    The Federal Reserve is on course to take Americans out of a higher-for-longer interest rate environment and begin cutting rates at the conclusion of Wednesday's FOMC meeting. But how will this impact your interest earnings on personal savings accounts? Yahoo Finance Personal Finance Editor Molly Moorhead lays out top saving and investment strategies as interest rates remain elevated for the time being. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Wealth! This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

  • US housing starts climb in August, fastest pace since April

    August saw US housing starts rise by 9.6% and pushed the annual pace to 1.36 million homes, according to the US Census Bureau's latest data. Yahoo Finance senior housing reporter Dani Romero breaks down the numbers, including the latest housing permits print, as mortgage rates ease and the Federal Reserve prepares to begin cutting interest rates. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Wealth! This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

  • Why inflation-protected securities are key for retirement

    An inflation-protected security (IPS) is a type of bond that guarantees a real rate of return to its investors. The US federal government is the main issuer of inflation-protected securities, including Treasury inflation-protected securities (TIPS). What is the role of inflation-protected securities in retirement planning, and do they belong in a retiree's portfolio? Mitlin Financial founder and wealth advisor Lawrence Sprung joined Robert 'Bob' Powell on Decoding Retirement to discuss the latest on inflation and the importance of TIPS for investors. "I really think it's important that everybody have a plan, whether you're retired or a retiree or moving towards retirement," Sprung explained. "Now it's going to be important as we start entering potentially a lower interest rate environment to start putting that game plan (together) ... whether it be CDs and TIPS and things of that nature, they have to start looking and seeing what's going to work best for them from this point forward." Real rate of return (decoded) The real rate of return is the actual return on an investment after adjusting for inflation. It shows how much your purchasing power has increased or decreased over time. Nominal rate of return (decoded) The nominal rate of return is the simple percentage increase in your investment over a period of time, without considering factors like inflation or taxes. It's the "face value" of your investment's growth. REITs (decoded) Real estate investment trusts (REITs) offer individuals the opportunity to invest in large-scale, income-generating real estate. A REIT is a company that owns and often manages a variety of real estate assets, such as office buildings, shopping centers, apartments, hotels, resorts, self-storage facilities, warehouses, and even mortgages or loans. "And I'll share something that's happened with families that we worked with. They look at some investments out there, you know, and I'm not picking on REITs. They're good investments for the right people," Sprung said. "We've had people say to us, 'Hey, I see this REIT and it's paying eight, nine, ten percent, and why are we not allocating funds there?' Now when you look at that 10 percent yield, it looks great, but then when you look at the total return of the investment, if it's gone negative, that 10 percent may not be what your real return is." Retirement planning doesn’t mean locking up your money for a rainy day and forgetting about it. Planning your future means reacting to events today. Decoding Retirement gives you the tools to navigate the years ahead, and take action now! Yahoo Finance's Decoding Retirement is hosted by Robert Powell, and produced by Zach Faulds and Alexander Frangeskides. Find more episodes of Decoding Retirement at https://finance.yahoo.com/videos/series/decoding-retirement. Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at [email protected]. Editor's note: This post was written by Zach Faulds.