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Real estate Q&A: If something happens to me, how can my daughter keep property we co-own?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Q: I am buying a vacation home with one of my children, and we will take turns using it and split the cost and expenses. We want to make sure that if something happens to me, she does not have to split the house with her siblings, whom I made other arrangements for in my will. What can we do? —Marjorie

A: When a property is co-owned with ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Must-Follow Steps When You're Out of a Job

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

These days, it's practically inevitable that you or someone close to you will face a period of unemployment. Consider these practical tips while dealing with the financial and emotional toll of leaving one job and searching for another.

DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY

Losing a job can cause shame, humiliation and embarrassment. You may feel depressed...Read more

Phillip Molnar/The San Diego Union-Tribune/TNS

San Diego bans 'price-fixing' software from RealPage to set rents

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

San Diego voted Tuesday to ban software that it says is being used to illegally raise residential rents.

The city council targeted software used by Texas company RealPage, which has been in federal crosshairs since August when the Biden administration filed an antitrust lawsuit against it. The Justice Department claimed the software’s ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Use Your Tax Refund to Make Your Life Better

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Discovering that you'll be getting a tax refund is certainly not the worst news you've had in your life. In fact, it's easy to see a tax refund as some kind of gift from the universe. You might even be feeling kinda proud of your forced savings account, to which you knowingly contribute every payday while living from paycheck to paycheck and ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Your Money Temperament and Why It Matters

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Whether you're aware of it or not, you have a money temperament. Everyone does. It's the way you naturally think about money, behave with money or react to money. To loosely assess your money temperament, and to have a little fun with it, consider the following scenario and choose the response that's closest to what you would do.

Your rich ...Read more

DREAMSTIME/TNS

Here's what happens if you don't file your taxes

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

The tax-filing deadline is typically April 15 each year. If you can’t make that deadline, it’s easy to get a six-month extension for filing your return, though your tax payment is still due by April 15.

But what happens if you don’t file taxes by either of those deadlines? The consequences are very different depending on whether you’re ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

7 investing mistakes financial pros say you should avoid

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Investing in 2025 is more accessible than ever — but it isn’t always easy. With nearly constant market volatility and financial advice flooding your social media feed, it’s easy to make mistakes that hurt your long-term returns.

Whether you have $5 or $500,000, avoiding these common traps can save you from costly mistakes and future ...Read more

Real estate Q&A: Can co-op board force us to install free-standing AC?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Q: I live in a 16-unit co-op with a water-cooled AC that runs throughout the building. My unit and one other are still on the system. The Board told us that when the pump goes out, we must add a free-standing AC. Does the Board have the authority to do this and not maintain the system? — Lance

A: While condominiums and cooperatives often look...Read more

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images North America/TNS

Silicon Valley office market shows vacancy improvement after weak stretch

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

SAN JOSE, Calif — Vacancy levels improved and rental rates rose during the first three months of 2025, a welcome improvement in the battered South Bay office market after months of weaker conditions, a new report shows.

“The Silicon Valley office market showed resilience in the first quarter,” Colliers stated in its first-quarter report ...Read more

Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Tariffs chill Southern California's vast industrial property market

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Demand for warehouses used to move goods through Los Angeles County ports is expected to fall if widespread tariffs take effect, potentially damaging the economic vitality of one of the world's largest industrial real estate markets.

Leasing of buildings used to collect and distribute imported goods has slowed at least temporarily as businesses...Read more

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images North America/TNS

Silicon Valley office market shows vacancy improvement after weak stretch

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

SAN JOSE, Calif — Vacancy levels improved and rental rates rose during the first three months of 2025, a welcome improvement in the battered South Bay office market after months of weaker conditions, a new report shows.

“The Silicon Valley office market showed resilience in the first quarter,” Colliers stated in its first-quarter report ...Read more

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images North America/TNS

Trump's 90-day tariff 'pause' leads to wild reversal in markets -- should investors stay on guard?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

U.S. President Donald Trump threw markets for another loop on the roller coaster saga of tariffs, announcing that he was pausing the implementation of his “Liberation Day” global tariffs for 90 days on non-retaliating countries. Stocks soared on the day of the news, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq closing up 9.5% and 12.2%, respectively, as ...Read more

Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images North America/TNS

California's former insurance commissioner sees grim future, more wildfires

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Former California insurance commissioner David Jones described the L.A. area firestorms in January as a “canary in the coal mine” warning for climate change that will bring more catastrophic fires all-year and push the property and casualty insurance industry to the brink of a financial crisis.

“Climate change is the canary in the coal ...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Feeling Rich and Living It Up

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Dear Mary: My husband and I have been out of debt for approximately five years. It's great. The problem is we now seem to spend a lot of money needlessly just because we can. We have so much money over and above our living expenses that it is easy to be reckless.

We keep just enough in savings ($2,000 or so) for emergencies but never get beyond...Read more

Randy Vazquez/Bay Area News Group/TNS

Google, with potential breakup looming over its search monopoly, backs down from muzzling workers

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Google, with key hearings starting this month in a blockbuster anti-monopoly court case that could lead to its breakup, agreed to lift a gag order banning its employees from talking about the lawsuit, a union representing workers said.

In August, Google’s global-affairs chief Kent Walker in a company-wide email ordered workers to “refrain ...Read more

Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Will Congress give Californians tax breaks for disaster-proofing their homes?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Upgrading a roof, air filtration or other items that will help protect your home against fires, storms and other disasters? Republicans and Democrats are proposing a tax break for the projects.

The Firewall Act, sponsored by Sens. Adam Schiff, D-California, and Tim Sheehy, R-Montana, is aimed at encouraging preventive measures against disasters...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: Simple Strategies to Improve Your Credit Score

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

A credit score is a three-digit number between 300 and 850 generated by a mathematical algorithm (a mostly secret formula) based on information in your credit report, compared to information on tens of millions of other people. Like it or not, the resulting number is said to be a highly accurate prediction of how likely you are to pay your bills...Read more

Everyday Cheapskate: How Much and What Kind of Life Insurance Is Best?

Consumer / Everyday Cheapskate /

Dear Mary: My question is about life insurance. My wife believes that I need life insurance because I am the sole breadwinner in the family and we have a baby daughter.

I am not sure it is important right now, as we just bought our first house. Our financial situation is very tight, and we will be having a lot of minor improvements on the house...Read more

What is market capitulation?

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Market capitulation is a term used by investors and traders during times of market decline. It refers to an extreme point of panic selling, where investors are willing to sell their assets at any price, resulting in a rapid decline in prices. Dictionaries define capitulation as the act of surrendering, which is a good way of thinking about how ...Read more

5 top mistakes to avoid during a market sell-off

Consumer / Home and Consumer News /

Stocks sold off in early April as investors grappled with how tariffs would impact inflation and the outlook for economic growth. Some investors even grew concerned about a possible recession. Some of the biggest tech companies saw their shares tumble 20% or more, with Tesla falling around 50% from its recent high. The Federal Reserve faces the ...Read more

 

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