The Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) turns 25 years old this month, with most of its pension funds delivering solid returns that have enabled all but the most conservative members to outpace both inflation and bank deposits, according to data from the pension regulator. The year-to-date net investment return of the MPF stood at 15 per…
The situation around Venezuela has Americans asking to know more. Across party lines, big majorities say the administration needs to explain what the U.S. intends regarding any action, and that it has not done so clearly yet. Meanwhile, what Americans hear from the White House about inflation is, they say, not what they’re actually feeling…
United States job growth accelerated in September despite a cooling job market as the unemployment rate rose. Nonfarm payrolls grew by 119,000 jobs after a downwardly revised 4,000 drop in August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report released on Thursday. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The unemployment rate rose…
Although inflation across the U.S. is far cooler than in the post-pandemic years, millions of Americans say they still feel the pinch of rising prices, struggle to pay the bills and express concern about their financial prospects. Price increases are nowhere near the level reached in June of 2022, when the Consumer Price Index hit…
As child care costs soar, many Americans today find themselves paying more for a caregiver than they do for their monthly rent, according to a new analysis. Child care costs for parents with two kids exceed rental costs in 85 of the country’s largest metro areas, personal finance site LendingTree found. In Omaha, Neb., Milwaukee, Wis.,…
A growing share of lower-income Americans are struggling to get by financially as their wages fail to keep up with inflation, according to a recent analysis. Roughly 29% of lower-income households are living paycheck to paycheck, up slightly from 2024 and from 27.1% in 2023, data from the Bank of America Institute shows. The financial…
It’s not time to worry about the end of the bull market just yet, according to one top US bank. Morgan Stanley’s new outlook puts the S&P 500 at 7,800 by the end of next year. That implies the benchmark index rising 16% from current levels, with investors shrugging off concerns about an AI bubble…
The Federal Reserve has already started cutting its rates in 2025, and it’s likely that will continue, to the average American’s benefit — at least for now. Typically, falling interest rates lead to greater borrowing power, which is good for businesses. This often leads to good news for stock market investors, as stocks tend to…
The markets are ending the week on a low note as the global selloff continued in Asia and Europe this morning, prompted by rising uncertainty stemming from the U.S. economy. Doubts about a much-anticipated December interest rate cut from the Fed are mounting, with the likely outcome obscured by patchy data after Washington’s government shutdown….
The share of Americans reporting trouble affording food is rising this year amid persistently high grocery costs, according to a recent report from Purdue University. Roughly 14% of U.S. households reported food insecurity on average between January and October, up from 12.5% in 2024, according to the latest data from Purdue’s Center for Food Demand…