Death rates among young people are notably on the rise for three types of cancer.
Science can claim many battlefield victories in the war on cancer. The rate of the disease has stabilized in recent years, and death rates are falling, on average, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). However, one disturbing trend has emerged: a rise in cancer diagnoses among younger people. Early-onset cancers, defined as those that appear before the age of 50…
Follow these easy tips to tasty deals and freebies.
Don’t be fooled — there is such a thing as a free lunch. I’ve found dozens of meals, desserts, snacks and other tasty treats that, for the most part, won’t cost you a cent at your favorite restaurants, bakeries, cafes and fast food joints. How do I get all this free food at restaurants? I subscribe to email newsletters and loyalty clubs, download apps, fill out surveys and participate in…
The GOP’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” is even more beautiful if you make $1 million or more a year.
The recently passed House Republican tax and spending package, dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” reveals a stark disparity in who stands to gain from its provisions. Analysis from multiple economic experts shows the legislation overwhelmingly benefits America’s wealthiest households while potentially harming those with the lowest incomes. The Congressional Budget Office’s nonpartisan…
Higher borrowing costs for consumers could have negative results.
Image source: Getty Images
Inflation has been hammering consumers since the latter part of 2021. And over the past year and a half, many people have been forced to charge up a storm on their credit cards and raid their savings accounts just to keep up with rising costs.
The Federal Reserve is really eager to see the problem of inflation go away. And to that end, it’s been aggressively hiking up interest rates this year in an effort to cause a pullback in consumer spending.
To be clear, the Fed doesn’t set consumer borrowing rates, like auto loan and mortgage rates. Rather, it oversees the federal funds rate, which is what banks charge each other for short-term borrowing.
But when the Fed raises its benchmark rate, consumer borrowing rates tend to follow suit. And so these days, consumers are looking at higher interest rates on everything from personal loans to credit card balances.
Now the goal in making borrowing more expensive is to drive a modest decline in spending so that the supply of goods and services can catch up to demand. Once that happens, it should help bring inflation down to a more moderate level.
But the Fed is taking a big risk. If consumer spending declines drastically, it could be enough to spur a full-blown recession.
Meanwhile, in November, the Consumer Price Index, which measures changes in the cost of consumer goods, showed a slowdown in inflation compared to earlier on in the year. In spite of that, the Fed announced a 0.50% interest rate hike on Dec. 14. And while that won’t lead to an instant recession, it could bring us closer.
So far, higher borrowing costs don’t seem to be slowing consumers down to too much of an extreme. But some experts think a big reason we haven’t seen a notable decline in spending is that Americans still have leftover stimulus funds to spend from 2020 and 2021. Once that money runs out, spending could drop to a large degree.
If that happens, it could be enough to cause a recession to hit in 2023. And at that point, the topic of stimulus aid might re-enter the mix.
Lawmakers have previously relied on stimulus aid to bust the economy of a slump. And so if things get really bad for the economy in 2023, Americans could see another round of stimulus checks land in their bank accounts.
Although a 2023 recession could lead to a round of stimulus funding, the last batch of stimulus aid given out was met with a lot of criticism. In fact, many experts believe that it was lawmakers’ generous stimulus policies in 2020 and 2021 that led to such rampant inflation in the first place.
If a recession strikes in 2023, stimulus checks could be back on the table. But they may be a lot more limited in size and scope than in previous years. And so all told, stimulus aid is not something the typical consumer should rely on in the near term — even if economic conditions decline.
If you’re using the wrong credit or debit card, it could be costing you serious money. Our expert loves this top pick, which features a 0% intro APR until 2024, an insane cash back rate of up to 5%, and all somehow for no annual fee.
In fact, this card is so good that our expert even uses it personally. Click here to read our full review for free and apply in just 2 minutes.
We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Trust me when I say I’m not celebrating.
Image source: Getty Images
For many people, late November is one of the most celebrated times of the year. It’s when the holiday season officially kicks into gear, when neighborhoods light up with shining decor, and when people are generally just in more of a giving spirit.
But in my neighborhood, late November wasn’t such a great time of the year for a lot of homeowners. That’s because we got our annual property assessment cards in the mail right around Thanksgiving time. And many of us saw numbers we weren’t happy with.
I live in a part of the country where home values are higher than average. As an example, a $600,000 home in my neighborhood isn’t particularly large or updated — it’s really your typical three- or maybe four-bedroom home. In another part of the country, $600,000 might buy you a mansion on an acre of land.
Because home prices are up on a national level and home values in my area are higher to begin with, a lot of people in my neighborhood saw their assessments increase by $100,000 or more this past November. And I was in that very boat.
Now you’d think that a higher home value would be something homeowners would celebrate. And some people may be happy about those higher numbers. Here’s why I’m not.
If I were looking to sell my home, then I’d definitely be thrilled with a higher assessment, because it could easily make the case for a higher asking price. But I’m not selling my home.
First of all, I’m content where I am. And also, selling my home could mean having to yank my kids out of their school district and off of their sports teams. That’s not something I’m eager to do.
Plus, home prices are up so much right now that even if I were motivated to move, and even if I were to sell my house at a nice profit, what I’d gain there, I’d end up spending on another overpriced home. Oh, and since mortgage rates are up, any new home would probably end up costing me a lot more — even with a large down payment.
Not only am I not planning to sell my home any time soon, but I’m also not planning to tap my home equity for a loan or line of credit. So all told, the fact that my house is now worth a lot more doesn’t benefit me in any way.
Property taxes are calculated by taking the assessed value of your home and multiplying it by your local tax rate. Now that my home is worth more money, my property tax bill could skyrocket unless my local tax rate goes down.
Now chances are, that rate will go down. A lot of homes in my area are up by $100,000 or more. And the tax rate in my town is high. But my township can’t easily get away with jacking everyone’s taxes up by $1,000 or more in the next year because it only needs a certain amount of money to meet its budgetary needs, so something is apt to give.
But all told, I’m pretty sure I’ll be looking at some sort of property tax hike next year — even if it’s not a huge one. And since I already pay a lot in taxes, that’s not ideal.
All told, a higher home value isn’t something I’m thrilled about. If I were looking to sell my home or borrow against its equity, I’d feel differently. But for now, all I really have is a higher number on a piece of paper — and the stress of a looming property tax hike hanging over my head.
We’ve vetted the most popular offers to land on the select picks that are worthy of a spot in your wallet. These best-in-class picks pack in rich perks, such as big sign-up bonuses, long 0% intro APR offers, and robust rewards. Get started today with The Ascent’s best credit cards.
We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers.
The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
© 2026 Madam Money®. All Rights Reserved. | Designed by SRJWebsites.com
