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The cooling off of wage growth was evident in an analysis of data by Jason Furman, a Harvard professor of economics and former top economic advisor to President Barack Obama. (Furman compiled the figures using data from Friday’s government report on job creation, but adjusted it so it wouldn’t be distorted by how many jobs were gained and lost in various high and low-paying industries.) “Wage growth is moderating a little bit but it’s also still very high,” said Nick Bunker, economic research director for North America at the Indeed Hiring Lab....

While an oversaturated market can sometimes slow a sale, there are numerous other factors that can either hurt or help your success as a seller in the housing market. With a few smart strategies up your sleeve, you will fill your calendar with house showings and make the sale in no time. Here’s how. Make Your Home Easy To Show One way to increase the likelihood of your home’s sale is to make the showing process simple—for you, your buyer’s agent, and prospective buyers....

It’s essential that a deed clearly states the grantee, grantor, and a description of the property involved. Any obscure language leaves both parties at risk for questioning and potential legal hurdles. Five Types of Deeds Naming Grantor and Grantee The five most common types of property deeds are warranty deeds, grant deeds, quitclaim deeds, interspousal transfer deeds, and grant deeds in lieu of foreclosure. 1. Warranty Deed With a warranty deed, the grantee receives a warranty from the seller to forever defend the title against claims of all people....

d3sign / Getty Images One popular ETF is the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO), which invests in the stocks of the 500 companies listed on the S&P 500 index. The ETF is a passively managed fund, meaning that there is no active trading in and out of stocks. Instead, the VOO mirrors the S&P 500 by owning all of its holdings at the same percentage weighting as the index. For instance, the financial sector made up 11....

The term initially tagged younger earners, and many HENRYs are young, but they can be any age. Their incomes and habits, rather than their year of birth, define them. They earn upwards of $100,000 to top incomes of $250,000. But they don’t believe they’re rich. HENRYs have little, if anything, in the way of savings. They spend freely, and they often find themselves living paycheck to paycheck despite their healthy incomes....

Seniors can get Medicare coverage in two ways: Original Medicare or a Medicare Advantage Plan. Original Medicare is administered by the federal government and includes Medicare Part A and Part B. If you want drug coverage, you’ll need to enroll in Part D. You pay a monthly premium for Part B (and Part D, if applicable), and you’ll be on the hook for 20% of the Medicare-approved amount of Part-B services you receive....

You may be familiar with money center banks because they are large, well-known banks. These five major banks are examples of money center banks: Bank of New York MellonDeutsche BankCitigroupJ. P. Morgan ChaseHSBC Bank USA (formerly Republic NY Corporation) Money center banks tend to pursue international banking business and maintain a significant amount of international assets. They are less determined by their asset or lending size than they are by how they do business and earn profits....

The purpose of loads is to compensate an investment advisor for providing investment advice. Therefore, the only time paying a load can make sense is if you are using an investment advisor. If you are a do-it-yourself investor, you should always try to avoid paying a load. Most funds that are A-share, B-share, or C-share class are sold through a broker. Some mutual fund companies created the D-share class of funds to accommodate the demand for no-load versions of the more popular funds....

Per-transaction fees make it possible for businesses to offer a broader range of payment options to their customers. As the customer, you don’t have to worry about paying per-transaction fees—this fee is almost always charged to the merchant. Definition and Example of Per-Transaction Fees A per-transaction fee is an expense a business pays wherever it processes an electronic transaction. These fees usually cost between 1.5% and 4% of the total payment amount, and possibly with an additional nominal flat fee, although they can vary depending on the service provider and type of transaction....

Check Your Agreement First If your loan agreement, or contract, says you must use the funds for a certain purpose, then you’d be taking a big risk if you decided to use them for something else. You’d likely be considered in breach of your contract if the lender found out. The lender could then take legal action and hold you liable for not only the original amount of the loan, but legal costs and other fees....

The IRS requires any trade or business to file Form 8300 if they’ve received any cash payments over $10,000. Financial institutions such as a bank must also report all transactions by, through, or to the institution by filing a Currency Transaction Report for cash transactions that exceed $10,000. These filings can help reduce crime, but this can also be intimidating when you have a legitimate source of funds. So, what happens when you personally deposit more than $10,000?...

Alternate names: By representation, by right of representation Per stirpes is commonly applied in cases of grandchildren. For example, let’s say you’re a parent of three children, and one of them predeceases you. The children of your deceased child—your grandchildren—would inherit a share of your estate in their parent’s place, through the parent’s “branch” of their right to the estate. How Per Stirpes Works Whatever bequest a parent—who is your child—would have been entitled to receive from your estate moves to their children if they predecease you....

Definition and Examples of a Barbell CD Strategy A barbell CD strategy is an investing technique that uses two extremes: long-term CDs with high yields and short-term CDs with low yields. The goal of this strategy is to maximize your yields while preserving flexibility. Alternate name: CD barbell For example, a common barbell CD strategy might be to divide your savings between short-term CDs with maturities of less than one year and long-term CDs with maturities of five years or more....

Investors may refer to blue-chip stocks or blue-chip companies interchangeably. These companies typically are financially sound, have produced consistent growth over several years, have dependable earnings, and have histories of dividend payouts. There is no formal list of blue-chip stocks, nor is there any entity that officially designates which stocks are blue chip. There are key common characteristics of companies that are considered to be blue chips, including: A strong track record of performance: Although blue-chip stocks are susceptible to the ups and downs of the overall market, these companies have positive price appreciation over a number of years....

This problem is often solved by a restructuring, which changes the terms of the debt. This agreement between the issuing country and its bondholders prevents an outright default. A bond default doesn’t always mean that you’re going to lose all of your principal. In the case of corporate bonds, you’ll likely receive a portion of your principal back. This may occur after the issuer liquidates its assets and distributes the proceeds....

Mortgage loan transactions are where individuals will most commonly see a closing statement. If you’ve applied for and been approved for a mortgage loan, you’ll receive a summary document containing key details of the agreement about a week before the closing date. This will be the most up-to-date picture of your loan’s term, interest rate, and any fees or penalties included in the mortgage loan product. You’ll review it and, ideally, ask and resolve any questions before closing....

The best-known of the U.S. consumer sentiment indexes is based on the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers, which have been conducted in some form or another since 1946. Each month, the Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index and others are released to the public. Analysts and economists use the data to develop a view of the economy over the near future. If consumers are optimistic about the future, then they are likely to buy more, which is good for the economy....

Alternate name: Secondary beneficiary When you name a beneficiary, you’re legally proclaiming whom you want to receive your assets upon your death, which could include an IRA, a 401(k), or an insurance policy. When planning your estate, you should consider naming a secondary beneficiary so that your assets will go where you want them to go and not end up in probate. How Contingent Beneficiaries Work When considering who will inherit your assets, you might name your spouse as the primary beneficiary of 100% of an account....

For example, the government may provide a COLA each year on Social Security benefits. The Social Security Administration’s (SSA’s) COLA adjustment for 2021 was 1.3%; for 2022, it is 5.9%. This means that Social Security beneficiaries will receive a 5.9% increase in benefits in 2022 compared to the 1.3% increase in 2021. The California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) is the pension system for retired public workers in the state....

The disclosure will also detail basic features, such as when payments are due each month. How Does a Credit Card Disclosure Work? A credit card disclosure is provided to anyone who has or is considering getting a credit card. The company offering the credit card is responsible for providing the disclosure. The company expects that customers will read and remember the contents. Credit card disclosures provide transparency about pricing and fees....