Новости за 31.08.2023

Over half of Americans have worked with a financial planner at some point in their lives, and 28% of those who haven't plan to do so sometime in the future, according to a survey by the CFP Board. But just because a lot of people are doing it, does that mean it makes sense for you as well? The answer is: It depends.

In the second quarter of 2023, credit card debt among Americans topped $1 trillion. Further, ​​​​​​card balances "were more than 16% higher in the second three months of this year compared with a year earlier," according to The New York Times, suggesting this is a mounting problem in the U.S.

If you've built up home equity, it's possible to tap it for cash. There are two popular ways to do so — home equity loans and home equity lines of credit (HELOCs) — and in recent years, these borrowing options have blown up in popularity. "In the second quarter of 2023, the number of new home equity loans and HELOCs jumped by 53% and 21%, respectively, compared with the same period in 2021," according to The Wall Street Journal, citing a report by the credit bureau TransUnion.

Is it time for your household to rein in its spending? The Washington Post reported that American consumers are increasingly falling behind on car loan and credit card payments, a "troubling signal of consumer stress" that is "most acute for lower-income earners" who mostly spent down the stimulus money they socked away during the pandemic. Throw in inflation and high interest rates and it's clear that "consumers are under pressure," said one analyst.

In the wake of the first Republican presidential primary debate of the 2024 election season, it's Vivek Ramaswamy, a political neophyte and self-proclaimed "anti-woke" crusader, who has emerged as the breakout GOP star to watch, winning the "online attention contest," according to The Washington Post, while enjoying rare praise from current nomination front-runner Donald Trump, who lauded Ramaswamy's "big WIN" that evening. Among a growing cohort of Republican insiders and observers, however,... Читать дальше...

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said Wednesday that federal health officials had delivered "a scheduling recommendation for marijuana" to the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Senate Democrats confirmed that HHS's advice was to ease up. President Biden had asked HHS to review marijuana's legal classification last October, at the same time he pardoned thousands of Americans convicted of "simple possession" of the drug.

The daily hard sudoku – part of The Week’s new puzzles section

The daily medium sudoku – part of The Week’s new puzzles section

The daily codeword – part of The Week’s new puzzles section

The daily crossword – part of The Week’s new puzzles section

Be honest — what good is an autumnal equinox without some new tuneage? Below, we've rounded up 10 of the most buzzed-about upcoming albums to get you excited for the cooler temps and hotter coffees ahead.

Spotted lanternflies have once again been spotted in swarms across the northeast. Experts advise you to kill them if you see them because the insects are invasive species that harm the ecosystem.