gopixa / Getty Images/iStockphoto As with any asset, your home’s value ultimately comes down to how much someone else is willing to pay for it — and you won’t know that until the home is up for sale. But there are ways to get a decent idea of its worth before it goes on the market. Before assessing your home’s value, it’s helpful to understand the forces at play. Numerous factors go into determining a home’s worth, ranging from its location and features to its age and condition. Beyond that,...

Yuri Gripas / Pool via CNP / Shutterstock.com With the oldest Gen Xers turning 60 this year, they no longer have the luxury of viewing retirement as something in the distant future. Many will qualify for Social Security retirement benefits during the next four years — which means they have a keen interest in how President Donald Trump’s policies might impact their retirements. Here’s a look at three ways Trump’s presidency could affect how Gen X plans for retirement. Taxes on Social Security...

Wall Street’s banner year in 2024 lifted a bunch of stocks to record highs — including Amazon (AMZN), which hit a new high of $233 on Dec. 16, 2024. Shares of the online retail giant have since fallen back to around $219 but are still up nearly 45% over the past year. Most stock and investment experts expect Amazon to keep surging in 2025, though at maybe a slower pace than last year. A recent analysis from Zacks found that of the 50 brokers who make up its average broker recommendation, 46...

Zuma / SplashNews.com / Zuma / SplashNews.com President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to impose stiff tariffs on imported goods have already caused some retailers to consider shifting their pricing strategies. One of those retailers, discount chain Dollar Tree, recently said it might need to raise prices from their current level of $1.25 to deal with higher expected costs caused by the proposed tariffs, CNN reported. Trump’s proposals include levying a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and...

©iStock.com The U.S. housing market has been so hot for so long that it’s easy to forget it can’t stay that way forever. At some point, home prices will have to stabilize or head lower — at least according to the normal economic rules. In fact, some cities have already shown signs of weakness. Among those that have seen a decline in median home prices over the past year include three Texas cities — Austin, Dallas and San Antonio – as well as New Orleans, Tampa and Jacksonville, Florida,...