Author: Money Mechanics

Summer is officially here and homebuyers are jumping into the market, lured by listing prices that are falling at the fastest clip in at least nine years as sellers finally accept a new, slow-and-steady reality.June saw the national median asking price fall 2.5% from a year ago to $430,000, according to the latest Realtor.com® monthly housing market trends report released Wednesday. This marks the eighth consecutive month of decreases and the steepest annual decline in the platform’s data history, which dates back to 2017.For a buyer who purchased a $430,000 home in June with a 20% down payment and an…

Adam Breeden/ZDNETFollow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.Many of the biggest upgrades to TV audio come from treating your room, not buying expensive speakers or soundbars. The good news is you don’t need professional acoustic treatments or a big budget to make a noticeable difference.Simple changes using items you already own — or can pick up inexpensively — can help your TV sound better. Your TV may also have a few overlooked settings that can further improve audio quality.Also: Why TVs look bright and vibrant in stores, but dull in your living roomTo help you curate the best space…

(Oil Price) – Morgan Stanley has slashed its oil price forecasts for the next 18 month as it expects the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to accelerate a new supply glut. The return of oil supply from the Middle East, combined with high U.S. oil exports and still weak Chinese crude purchases, will bring the market full-circle to a new glut in the coming months, according to the bank’s analysts, who slashed their oil price projections for the second time in two weeks. Morgan Stanley now expects Dated Brent to average $75 per barrel in the third quarter this year,…

The question is no longer simply where we want to grow old, but whether the places we call home will continue to support us as we do.gettyClimate Is Changing the Meaning of PlaceAs of this weekend, the World Health Organization has linked more than 1,300 deaths across Europe to a heat wave that began June 21. France alone has reported roughly 1,000 deaths, most among people 65 and older. As the eastern United States prepares for its own stretch of dangerous heat, those numbers should not be viewed as a European story. They are a preview of what happens when…

The Washington Commanders will anchor a new $24.2 billion development along the banks of the Anacostia River in Washington, DC.City officials unveiled a master plan Tuesday for the redevelopment of the Robert F. Kennedy Campus in the city’s Hill East neighborhood. Under the new plan, the 180-acre former RFK Stadium and its surrounding parking lots would be redeveloped.Last year, the Commanders announced a deal to return to the district, investing $2.7 billion into a new 65,000-seat stadium. They will complete it by 2030.The master plan calls for 5,000 to 6,500 new housing units around the stadium. About 30% of them…

Jack up drilling rigs off coast by Elliot Day via Pixabay August Nymex natural gas (NGQ26) on Monday closed down -0.098 (-2.99%). Nat-gas prices fell to a 1-week low on Monday and settled sharply lower.  Ramped-up US nat-gas production is weighing on prices after output in the lower-48 US states rose to nearly 114 bcf/day on Sunday, the most in more than 2.5 months.  More News from Barchart Nat-gas prices recovered from their worst level on Monday amid forecasts for hot US weather, potentially boosting nat-gas demand from electricity providers to power air-conditioning.  The Commodity Weather Group on Monday said…

CRMLS, the largest real estate listing service in the country, just gave home sellers a more flexible way to bring their home to the market before it is broadly launched across the internet.  With a new Limited Exposure Coming Soon option, home sellers can ask their agent to market their home as a Coming Soon listing within the MLS, where other agents can see it, while limiting broader syndication across the internet. At the same time, a listing agent can display the Coming Soon home on their own website.  The listing still exists in the MLS. Other agents can still…

Vinton Cerf will step down from his role as Google’s chief internet evangelist next week, marking the conclusion of one of the most influential careers in technology history. While speaking via video feed at the Open Frontier conference hosted by the Laude Institute, Cerf was recognized by Dave Patterson, the UC Berkeley professor best known for co-developing RISC processor architecture. “Vint…has been at Google more than 20 years, and he is retiring a week from today, and so I think we ought to give him a round of applause for a relatively good career,” Patterson said, to cheers from the…

Article published at 9:45 a.m. CTJJ Kinahan is Senior Vice President, Head of Retail Expansion and Alternative Investment Products at Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (Cboe).Key Takeaways:Stock market continues to grind higher despite geopolitical and economic woesDow settled in record territory Nasdaq and S&P 500 charting best quarters in yearsToday marks the end of what is turning out to be a monster first half for the markets. All three major indices are chalking up “best-of” quarters despite the rocky geopolitical issues and choppy trading that has been prevalent across the board during the period.The markets have proven to be the ultimate…

Could Net Unrealized Appreciation Help Lower Taxes on Your Retirement Savings?gettyWhen planning for retirement, asset allocation, withdrawal strategies, and tax-efficient investing is typically top of mind. However, individuals who hold employer stock inside a qualified retirement plan may have access to a lesser-known tax strategy that may reduce their lifetime tax burden: Net Unrealized Appreciation (NUA).NUA is a special tax provision that applies to company stock held within employer-sponsored retirement plans such as 401(k)s. When used appropriately, it can convert a portion of what would otherwise be taxed as ordinary income into long-term capital gains, potentially resulting in more favorable…