Author: starbpo

In the past week, we saw more signs of a tired consumer: people were spending less at amusement parks and delaying booking vacations further in the future. There were also signs that investors were getting angry about the U.S. job market and the Federal Reserve’s response, though some played down that fit of selling stocks. This week, we’ll start to hear from some of the biggest shopping centers in the country: Home Depot Inc., a chain of home repair stores, and Walmart Inc., a big-box and online discount store. Their reports are due out on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively. Walmart’s…

You can be sure that the IRS will take a portion of your tax-advantaged retirement savings accounts. The only question is when. A unpleasant truth? Maybe. The chance to plan ahead for your retirement accounts? Of course. Experts on retirement savings say there may be better and worse times for people to pay taxes on their IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, and other tax-deferred accounts, if they haven’t already. People say that finding a good time is both an art and a science that depends on the numbers and rules. But it also includes harder questions like what a person will need…

There were big groups, long lines of applause, sounds of happiness, and some unwanted Republican counterprogramming. These ideas came up a lot during Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s first big campaign swing. This past week, the new Democratic ticket went on a “get to know us” tour of five key states. They started with a loud gathering in Philadelphia on Tuesday, just a few hours after Harris named Walz as her running mate. After that, they marched through Michigan, Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, and Arizona. Tropical Storm Debby canceled stops that were supposed to…

It turns out that Barack Obama and Kamala Harris, the vice president, can agree on at least one thing. In a statement released on Saturday, Harris said she agreed with Trump’s idea to get rid of taxes on tips. Harris promised everyone at a campaign rally in Las Vegas on Saturday night, “When I am president, we will continue to fight for working families.” She said this by saying that they would raise the minimum wage and get rid of taxes on tips for service and restaurant workers. That idea hits home for service workers in Nevada in a big…

Kirsten Gillibrand chose Tim Walz to be her running mate. What does that choice say about her tax plans if she gets elected? Image: A MarketWatch picture illustration from Getty Images Tim Walz, who is governor of Minnesota, has signed off on tax cuts for low-income families while raising family and business tax bills for wealthy people. Sense a pattern? Voters who want to know where the Democrats on a new presidential ticket stand on taxes may feel like they’ve been here before. Former President Donald Trump has talked about cutting taxes for people of all income levels. On the…

Wall Street is getting more and more worried about the U.S. economy. The stress is also being felt by American families. If this week’s economic and earnings reports show that this is true, it could stop the stock market from recovering from its worst day in two years. On Friday, U.S. stocks ended a rough week in which the unwinding of a carry trade driven by the Japanese yen and fears of a weakening U.S. economy shook the world’s financial markets. At the end of the week, all major benchmarks were just short of reversing all of their weekly losses.…

Vince McMahon, iconic leader of WWE, stepped down from his role as executive chairman of the board of directors at TKO Group Holdings, WWE’s parent company, following a federal lawsuit filed by Janel Grant, a former employee. The lawsuit accuses McMahon and another former executive of serious sexual misconduct, including coercing Grant into a sexual relationship for employment purposes. McMahon, 78, denies wrongdoing and vows to defend against the “baseless accusations.” McMahon had previously resigned as WWE’s CEO in 2022 amidst similar allegations. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Connecticut, details claims of McMahon forcing Grant into a…

It’s been a tumultuous four years for Wall Street, with the Nasdaq Composite experiencing significant swings between bear and bull markets. In 2022, the Nasdaq Composite faced a 33% drop in value, marking it as the worst-performing major index. Despite a 43% gain the following year, the Nasdaq Composite has yet to reach a new all-time high, currently residing 4% below its November 2021 record close. For savvy investors, this 26-month lull in the market presents a unique opportunity to acquire growth stocks, innovative companies, and industry leaders at a perceived discount. PayPal Holdings: The first spectacular growth stock to…

From all-time highs, home prices are beginning to drop, and it’s not just in the Sun Belt. One economist says that doesn’t mean a real estate crash is coming. The drop in global stock markets earlier this week made people more worried about a recession and led to more rumors that a home crash was coming soon. CoreLogic, a real estate analytics business, says that due to high mortgage rates that have made it harder for people to buy homes, home prices have been going down. CoreLogic’s chief economist Selma Hepp told MarketWatch that home prices will continue to rise,…

After falling over the past few weeks, Citi analyst Christopher Danely sees opportunity in chip stocks. He thinks that Micron Technology Inc. shares in particular have a chance to get back on track. Even with Thursday’s 6% rise, Micron’s stock MU 6.07% is down almost 30% in a month. Danely wrote before the market opened, “We think it’s time to double down on Micron given the recent selloff as we believe the DRAM market will remain tight given the oligopoly.” DRAM stands for dynamic random-access memory. He thinks the DRAM market will gain from lower capacity, which could help prices.…