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37 Book Organization Ideas: The Ultimate Expert Guide

Learn practical and creative book organization ideas from the experts to transform your bookshelf into a beautiful and functional display.

10 Clever Movies That Are Guaranteed To Blow Your Mind

Everyone enjoys a good film that makes you think throughout watching it. But the real prize is getting a movie that melts your brain well after the film ends and possibly even for years to come. After polling the internet, people voted these films the most likely to blow your mind. 1. Jacob’s Ladder (1990) … Read more

Retirement Was Always Supposed to Start at Age 70: Here’s Why That Changed

The notion of retirement beginning at age 70 dates back more than a century. Find out why it eventually changed to age 65.

Delta scraps new Dallas route before it even launches

Delta Air Lines was perhaps too bullish on Texas. Just six weeks after Delta’s big announcement about expanding its presence in Dallas, the airline quietly filed plans over the weekend to scrap one of its newest routes less than three months before it was supposed to start. Specifically, the carrier won’t launch the new twice-daily …

Mortgage activity is up for the third straight week

Mortgage applications came in higher again last week, as more consumers took advantage of another pullback in mortgage rates, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association. The MBA’s Market Composite Index, a measure of weekly loan volume based on surveys of association members, increased 3% on a seasonally adjusted basis for the seven-day period ending March … [Read more…]

Fed Hikes Rates; Rates Drop Sharply. Here’s How That Works

There was some debate as to whether or not the Federal Reserve would hike the Fed Funds Rate today, although the consensus was for a 0.25% increase.  That’s exactly what the Fed delivered.  Additionally, markets were (and still are) betting that the Fed cuts rates by roughly 0.75% by the end of the year, but the Fed’s just-released forecasts show zero rate cuts by the end of the year and slightly HIGHER rates by the end of 2024. Despite all this, Treasury yields (a benchmark for mortgage rates) and mortgage rates themselves fell significantly after the Fed news came out. Why in the world could that happen?   First off, the Fed Funds Rate is not a mortgage rate, nor does it directly affect mortgage rates by the time the Fed actually hikes or cuts.  More importantly, Fed Chair Powell spoke about upcoming tightening of lending conditions due to the recent banking drama.  That may seem like a simple enough comment, but it carries a lot of weight in terms of shaping economic momentum. Lending and credit are critical to growth and inflation.  If lending subsides (fewer loan programs or more restrictive requirements to qualify), it puts additional downward pressure on inflation.  And inflation is the key reason rates have remained high. Long story short, in spite of the Fed rate hike and the relatively unchanged outlook for 2024, the market saw some indication of a policy pivot in Powell’s comments–some shifting of the big picture cycle of economic growth and inflation.  Either that, or Powell’s warning on banks caused investors to fear additional banking issues in the days/weeks ahead.

Compare current VA mortgage rates – USA TODAY Blueprint – USA TODAY

Compare current VA mortgage rates – USA TODAY Blueprint  USA TODAY

What Is the Social Security Special Minimum Benefit?

The highest special minimum benefit in 2023 is $1,033.50 per month. But the amount is lower for those with fewer years of paid work, or those who retire early.