A wholesome Midwestern city that was once the mortgage capital of America has become the country's top real-estate market because of its premium location, job market and booming culture. This city lies just 90 miles from Chicago and Milwaukee and is expecting a direct train line to Chicago in just a few years. The area has attracted home buyers in recent years because of the affordable houses, growing healthcare, aerospace and logistics industries - as well as the lively community.
The crackdown on US Realtors begins: Judge approves $418 MILLION damages for home sellers overcharged by brokers - will YOU receive a payout?
A $418 million settlement that will limit the fees charged by Realtors has been approved by a federal judge. Brokers must also pay cash out to sellers who were overcharged in the past. US district judge Stephen R. Bough signed off an agreement involving the National Association of Realtors (NAR) which has been accused of artificially raising commissions by enabling brokers to collude on sales. The NAR was sued in a landmark case by home sellers in Missouri which subsequently paved the way for multiple copy class lawsuits.
California loses TWO MORE home insurers in growing crisis - as half of residents have seen coverage dropped or premiums jump
Thousands more Californians will lose their home insurance this year as two more insurers flee the state. Tokio Marine America Insurance Company and Trans Pacific Insurance Company filed notices to the California Department of Insurance saying they would stop offering homeowners coverage and umbrella policies.
Your Money
- Walmart removes self-checkouts and swaps back to 'traditional' lanes - but it's not because they care about customer service
- 'Oracle of Wall Street' says rise in young, sexless men living with their parents will cause house prices to plunge 30%
- America's electric vehicle push happened 'too soon and too fast,' warn ex-auto executives
- Can you really get cheaper flights using your browser's 'incognito' mode or clearing your cookies?
- Wealthy savers could be hit by minor tweak to the way their money is insured at banks- are YOU affected?
- Stamp prices to rise by record amount - as cost of sending a letter or card increases for SECOND time in a year
- Are YOU keeping money secrets from your partner? Finance guru Suze Orman warns 'financial infidelity' is crippling women's savings
- America's best (and worst) states for job hunters REVEALED - and why you may be better off seeking work in Nevada than Mississippi
- How many credit cards should you have? The answer isn't zero Almost three in ten Americans believe credit cards are 'dangerous,' one study suggests.
- When SHOULD you give money to your children? Entrepreneur and 'Die with Zero' author Bill Perkins urges parents to hand over their fortune while still alive
- Target is plotting a $10 to $15 a month PAID membership program - will it be more like Costco's or Amazon's Prime?
- New Government plan will save Americans $1,000 on their mortgage closing costs - are YOU eligible?
- Costco testing major change to stores that could alter the way you shop Costco is cracking down on customers who share memberships
- How to save $1 MILLION into your 401(K): Experts explain what each age group should be stashing away to generate a seven-figure balance
- The rise of the 50-something millionaire! Average middle-aged household now has a seven-figure net worth - here's how other age groups compare
- Renovating your property? The home improvement projects that will give you the highest return on your investment revealed
- The streaming wars dividing America! Where do YOU stand in the debate? Have soaring prices made you cancel all your memberships?
- Three quarters of Americans report leaving gratuity which is at least 10% higher when presented with hated check-out screens
- How saving an extra $25 a week into your 401(K) could add over $200K to your retirement fund - depending on when you start
- Experts reveal the top area codes scammers use by state: Why Californians should never answer a 213 number but Floridians should ignore 716 calls
- How families are skirting estate taxes: Wealthy Americans have doubled the amount they're gifting each year as the end of Trump-era tax breaks looms
- The most expensive states to be a millionaire revealed: where the ultra-wealthy should avoid to escape high taxes
- Are YOU guilty of 'split brain spending'? Expert explains why we're obsessed with saving money on basics like travel but WILL splurge on booze and clothes
RETIREMENT & TAXES
How much do you need in your 401(k) for a comfortable retirement? The new 'magic number' is well over $1million
The 'magic number' that Americans need to retire comfortably has surged to an all-time high - while the amount they have saved is dwindling, a new report reveals. US adults believe they need $1.46 million for a comfortable retirement, according to a survey by Northwestern Mutual. This is a 15 percent increase on the $1.27 million reported last year - far outpacing the rate of inflation. But as the amount Americans suspect they will need in their later years has grown, the amount they actually have saved in their nest egg has not kept up. The average American has just $88,400 in their retirement pot today, the study found, a monumental $1.37 million less than the target.
PROPERTY & MORTGAGES
Do you live in a property COLD spot? Inside the 12 US metros where homes are 'perennially slow' to sell
The spring real estate market is in full swing and homes are going up for sale - but they're staying there for longer in a handful of US cities. In a smattering of metro cold spots - dotted throughout Texas , Florida , Louisiana , New York and West Virginia - homes are staying on the market for an average of more than 60 days, according to new data from Realtor.com. For comparison, homes spent a median of 50 days on the market in March. 'Some of these markets are perennially slow-moving,' said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com. 'They tend to be smaller markets that are not on the radar of most buyers.'
Inside the 'housing cartel' accused of pushing up the cost of YOUR rent: Legal battle breaks out over niche tech firm that helps landlords fix prices
A Texan software company is alleged to have been at the center of a 'rental cartel' that enabled landlords across the US to artificially drive up prices. Software sold by RealPage is used by many of the largest property management firms in the US and suggests prices landlords should charge based on availability and demand in their area. But plaintiffs in several states have brought lawsuits against the firm, claiming landlords share private and commercially sensitive data with the platform which is then weaponized against renters to keep costs as high as possible. In some markets, the majority of property managers in an area are said to use the software for pricing guidance and instruction.
BANKING, SAVINGS & CREDIT CARDS
The rise of the giant fund: How companies like BlackRock and State Street are taking over Wall Street - with some managing assets worth more than the German economy
Giant asset managers are becoming the titans of Wall Street, increasing their control over the US financial system. Huge investment firms now control twice as many assets as once-dominant US banks - managing sums which rival the economies of large countries across the world, it has been reported. Assets held by Boston-based fund manager State Street in 2023 totaled $4.13 trillion, according to The Wall Street Journal. This was more than the gross domestic product (GDP) of Germany, which was $4.08 trillion in 2022. Investment management company Blackstone, which is based in New York City, held $1.04 trillion in assets last year - higher than the $1.01 trillion GDP of the Netherlands in 2022.
BUDGETING: HOW TO SPEND IT & HOW TO SAVE IT
EXCLUSIVEInside the MOHELA meltdown: Student loans provider responsible for servicing 8 MILLION accounts under fire
DailyMail.com asked its readers to get in touch if they had been left frustrated by Mohela - and received scores of responses from graduates concerned about their loans. Some were left baffled by the monthly repayment amount they were given, others had seen their loan forgiveness delayed, while others had outstanding debts they believed they should not have to pay off. And many of them complained about a practically non-existent customer service which left them waiting hours on the phone with no answers.
CARS & ELECTRIC VEHICLES
The great EV debate: Americans reveal what they REALLY think of their electric cars as more and more reject White House drive to go green… So, whose side are YOU on?
For years they have been sold to motorists as a glimpse into the future. But is the EV revolution over before it ever really began? The headlines certainly aren't promising. Tesla shocked analysts last month when it announced sales had dropped for the first time since the height of the pandemic in 2020. So far this year Apple has also killed its decade-long project to create its own EV while Ford is slashing production of its electric pickup. Meanwhile General Motors wants to bring back its plug-in hybrid. Yet amidst all the gloomy sales reports, there is a growing army of die-hard EV enthusiasts who insist they will never return to their old gas-guzzling ways.
TRAVEL
So, can you really get cheaper flights using your browser's 'incognito' mode or clearing your cookies?
Many Americans are concinved that cookies are used by airlines to track internet activity. Flyers think that once an airline spots they are looking for a specific ticket they start increasing prices. But the idea that using private or 'incognito' mode while browsing the internet to buy flights will prevent airlines from gathering data and charging extra is nothing more than a myth, experts say. The misconception is that cookies are used by airlines to track the internet activity of potential buyers. Once they identify that somebody is looking for a specific ticket they can then start increasing prices. By using a private browser window, the idea is that cookies cannot be used to track the person's searches, leaving the comparison site or airline unable to determine which flight they are hoping to buy.