America’s ranks of retirement fund millionaires are surging, with the number of 401(k) accounts managed by Fidelity Investments holding at least $1 million surging to a record 769,000 in the second quarter. The number of 401(k) millionaires jumped 19% between the first and second quarters, lifted by a bullish stock market and by record average…
Treasury yields edged higher on Tuesday, extending a global bond sell-off and threatening to raise borrowing costs for millions of Americans. The yield on the 10-year Treasury, which influences mortgage rates, rose to 4.78%, up from 4.75% late Monday and the highest level since January 2025. The yield on the 2-year Treasury, which closely tracks…
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has accused networks linked to Russia and Israel of spreading disinformation around the migration crisis in Ceuta, claiming the two countries were exploiting the issue in retaliation for Madrid’s position on the war in Ukraine and Israel’s actions in the Palestinian Territories. More than 72,000 migrants rushed across the border…
Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh reaffirmed the central bank’s commitment to lowering consumer prices, acknowledging that inflation remains too high in a highly anticipated speech in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. During remarks at the Fed’s annual conference, Warsh said that recent government data shows inflation has cooled, but “they do not tell me that underlying trends…
The Personal Consumption Expenditures index — the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation measure — held at a 3.7% annual pace in July, slightly higher than forecasted and reflecting persistent cost pressures for consumers. Economists polled by FactSet had predicted a 3.6% annual increase. Wednesday’s report instead showed that inflation remained unchanged from June. PCE tracks changes…
Retirement is biting Generation X. Its oldest members will turn 62 next year, the earliest age at which people can claim Social Security benefits, with many Americans having too little saved to stop working even as the program faces its own funding crisis. Chris Branaman, 53, jokes that his retirement will be spent as a…
American workers’ wages are once again failing to keep up with inflation — a painful financial déjà vu of the pandemic years. The repeat situation may feel even more acute given that many workers are still catching up from the 2021-2022 inflationary bout, when companies gave workers only moderate pay raises that fell short of four-decade-high price…
Sky-high rental costs across the U.S. are swallowing up a large share of Americans’ paychecks in cities, as a stubborn supply shortage keeps prices elevated. According to Zillow, the median rent for a two-bedroom home in New York City, the country’s priciest metro area, runs $4,750 a month — or $57,000 a year. That’s more…
The Iran war has underscored how disruptions to a key shipping route thousands of miles away can have a material impact on what American consumers pay at home for essentials like gasoline. The conflict, now nearing its six-month mark, has throttled traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global energy shipments, as…
The torrent of corporate spending on artificial intelligence in the U.S. is driving up consumer prices, working against efforts to cool inflation. AI requires enormous computing power, driving demand for the semiconductors that enable it. Rising chip costs are also prompting electronics manufacturers to raise prices on smartphones, computers, software and other tech accessories. Consumers are…
