News

[ad_1] Arson suspect arrested in wildfire burning in hills of western Los Angeles [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] At Friday’s closing price (MCX futures), the collection under gold schemes in FY21 would represent over 42 tonnes of the precious metal. This suggests a marked improvement from earlier years of these schemes as well as similar programmes in the past. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] Historically low mortgage rates had their moment in the sun in 2020. They rested far below 3% for months before America’s economic rebound pushed them back up in the winter of 2021. But data released on Thursday from Freddie Mac showed that mortgage rates idled below 3% again for an entire month, even with solid first-quarter GDP figures and encouraging consumer spending numbers. Mortgage rates may look fickle, but the Treasury market rules them. If the 10-year yield rises it’s most likely the result of inflation expectations picking up, and with them, mortgage rates. When the 10-year-yield drops, inflation expectations are falling. That’s the simple answer. The world, according to mortgage rate America While America continues to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis, other parts of the world are very much in the thick of it. A COVID-19 variant first identified in India has even threatened the U.K.’s plans to end lockdowns, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said. Because the market is still so uneasy globally, U.S. investors relaxed momentum on the bond market, leaving mortgage rates with a better outlook than expected. Most industry experts predicted that rates would have settled far above 3% by now. The rest of this content is for HW+ members. Join today with an HW+ Membership! Already a member? log in HW+ includes weekly long-form digital content, HousingWire Magazine, access to HousingStack, and free admission to all HousingWire virtual events. The post The curious case of the enduring sub-3% mortgage rate appeared first on HousingWire. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] The post Top Income Generating Assets for 2021 appeared first on Millennial Money. If you’re not investing in 2021, you need to rethink your priorities. Investing is one of the best ways to build wealth and obtain financial freedom.  But with so many different investment opportunities out there, it’s important to have a clear understanding of the landscape before getting started to narrow down your choices.  For example, while some investments are made to appreciate over time, others are meant to become an additional income source (e.g., buying a laundromat).  Keep reading to learn more about income-generating assets and how they can help you achieve financial independence. What’s an Income Generating Asset? As the name suggests, an income generating asset is a type of investment that can generate profits. There are many types of income generating assets on the market and where you allocate money depends largely on your preferences and needs. Top Income Generating Assets  Here’s a breakdown of the top income generating assets on the market.  Dividend stocks Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) Index funds and mutual funds Savings accounts Certificates of deposit (CDs) Annuities Bonds Real estate properties Franchises Storage Media assets Vehicles Websites Small businesses Stock photos Solar panels 1. Dividend stocks Dividend stocks are stocks that pay dividends to shareholders at periodic intervals. Dividend payments can be received in shares of the stock or cash.  Suppose a company offers a 5% dividend yield, and its stock holds steady at $20/share for the entire year. In this case, someone who owns 100 shares would have the option to either receive $1/share in cash or buy five additional shares through reinvestment over the course of a year. Dividend stocks are a great way to increase your investment over time. Of course, you shouldn’t pick stocks purely on their dividend yield. It’s also important to factor in their price-to-earnings ratio, price-to-book ratio, debt-to-equity ratio, and price/earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio. Learn More: Value of Dividend Growth Investing 2. Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) Investing in stocks involves buying them one at a time, a time-consuming, risky, and expensive process. A different, safer approach is to buy funds. For example, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) can give you access to a variety of different stocks in one portfolio. ETFs track various indexes, assets, and commodities. There are healthcare ETFs, telecommunications ETFs, construction ETFs, currency funds, and equity funds, to name a few. There are also ETFs that track indexes, like Vanguard’s $VTI ETF. An investor can buy and sell ETFs with stock brokers like Schwab and Fidelity. Their prices rise and fall throughout the day. Most ETFs are passively managed, meaning they do not have active fund managers moving assets in and out. They are usually automated, but there are some exceptions (e.g., $ARKK, which is actively managed). 3. Index funds and mutual funds Two other types of funds to explore are index funds and mutual funds, both of which involve collections of securities. How index funds work Index funds are passively managed and track specific benchmarks. The main difference between ETFs and index funds is that they are bought and sold based on their price at the end of the trading day. Index funds are usually low-cost and capable of producing strong returns over time. Learn More: Index Funds vs. ETFs How mutual funds work  On the other hand, a mutual fund is usually actively managed, meaning it has fund managers who move assets in and out of the portfolio on a regular basis.  While index funds and ETFs try to track indexes, mutual funds attempt to beat them. Yet, this strategy doesn’t always work. On top of that, mutual funds tend to cost more in fees because the fund manager takes a cut.  When buying a mutual fund, make sure to check out the expense ratio, which tells you how much of the fund goes towards growth. Learn More: Mutual Funds vs. ETFs 4. Savings accounts The idea of putting money into FDIC-insured savings accounts for growth is almost counterintuitive simply because interest rates are so low across the board.  At the time of writing, the highest interest rates are hovering around 0.40% APY to 0.50% APY, which isn’t stellar. At the same time, the lowest interest rates on the market are below 0.05% APY, which is downright shameful.  Yet, savings accounts with higher interest rates—known as high-yield savings accounts (HYSAs)—can still produce small returns. For example, if you park $25,000 in an HYSA offering 0.40% APY, you’ll net roughly $100 in interest at the end of the year. That’s assuming you don’t make any further contributions and that the interest rate stays put at 0.40%.  Another consideration is that U.S. savings accounts come with a transaction limit. Under Regulation D, banking customers can only make six withdrawals or transfers during a monthly billing cycle. This can be frustrating if you frequently need to access your money. But at the same time, it can potentially reduce spending, leaving more money in your bank account instead of spending it all. 5. Certificates of deposit (CDs) One of the frustrating parts about savings accounts is that they have variable interest rates that tend to plummet when the Federal Reserve slashes their rates. In the not-so-distant past, HYSAs were as high as 2.2% APY. This is no longer the case.  CDs, on the other hand, allow banking customers to lock in higher interest rates for set periods. For example, you can potentially lock in a six-month CD with an APY of 0.50%.  The upside to using CDs is that you can get a higher interest rate and avoid touching the money for a set period of time. The downside is that you’ll have to lock your money until the term ends. You can always take the money out and break the contract, but you’ll face stiff penalties and may lose all the interest you gained if you touch money prematurely.  CDs are great for customers who are fearful of declining interest rates and who don’t plan

[ad_1] Beyond Grit – S3:E7 | Building The #GrzNxtGen Culture  Memphis Grizzlies 3 Ways San Antonio Spurs can pull off improbable play-in win  Air Alamo NBA Play-In Tournament Update | May 16, 2021  NBA The Grind Don’t Stop | #NxtUpMemphis  Memphis Grizzlies NBA’s play-in field, top six playoff seeds set  Yardbarker View Full coverage on Google News [ad_2]

[ad_1] I’m so excited to announce that ! If you live nearby or want to plan a girls’ trip, I’d LOVE to have you join me at the event. I’ll be speaking twice at the event. Plus, there will some breaks where I’ll have time to interact with attendees. (Getting to meet you all is one of my favorite things, so if you are there, please come introduce yourself!) This  will be October 15-16, 2021. It’s Friday evening from 7-9:30 p.m. and Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. It’s hosted by Bible teacher Jennifer Rothschild and Tammy Trent will also be speaking + Shaun Groves will be leading worship. This would be the perfect girls’ weekend! It will be an encouraging week of Biblical wisdom designed to freshen up your faith and ground you more deeply in God’s love! Get ready to experience a socially-distant, yet spiritually-connected time of refreshment with other women! P.S. If you register, be sure to shoot me an email to let me know you did (moneysavingmom @ gmail.com)! I’d love to be on the lookout for you at the event — and I’m thinking about possibly doing some kind of meet-up, too!) Also, in case you missed it, I’m also speaking in Chino, CA in October, too! [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] Polygon active users grow by 75,000 as DeFi boom continues [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] Non-bank lenders’ balance sheets grew 13% year-on-year (y-o-y) in Q2 and 11.6% in Q3, the bulletin said, without sharing comparable growth rates for the previous year. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] With the economic expansion well underway, one big question remains: When will mortgage rates move toward 4% and higher? Mortgage rates increased toward 3.25% in mid-February from the recent all-time lows of 2.625% at the start of the year, but then retracted to around 3.0% currently. The bond market in 2021 has been above 1.60% for a brief time, with a recent high of about 1.75%. These yields align with my AB (America is back) economic recovery model, which predicted that the 10-year yield should create a range from 1.33% to 1.60% in 2021. I was very bullish on the economic recovery last year and bearish on the bond market; my peak forecast of the 10-year yield for 2021 was 1.94%. The question is, why are the bond market and mortgage rates still acting like the economy is in a low-growth phase with not much inflation? The rest of this content is for HW+ members. Join today with an HW+ Membership! Already a member? log in HW+ includes weekly long-form digital content, HousingWire Magazine, access to HousingStack, and free admission to all HousingWire virtual events. The post What if mortgage rates don’t rise this year? appeared first on HousingWire. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] Last year, the average household spent about $2,150 on energy bills.  While that’s a lot of money, just a few small steps can save you 5-10% annually on your energy bills. Ten percent of $2,150 is not a life-changer, but it is a life-enhancer and it’s very easy money.  We have a number of  ideas below to help you save at least that amount on your next electricity bill, and the more tips you can implement, the more you can save. With the summer wrapping up, here’s a list of 15 excellent energy saving ideas that you should be able to implement in the matter of a few minutes.  If you’ve got a good one that we’ve failed to mention, make sure you leave us a comment! 1. In colder months, keep the heat at 68 degrees or cooler with the fan switch set to “auto.” Save even more by lowering your thermostat to 65 degrees (or cooler) at bedtime or when you’re away from home. 2. Build your own solar panel. It’s actually easier and cheaper than you may think. For a step-by-step guide, click here. 3. Install a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature automatically. It also helps to maintain a comfortable temperature when you wake up or return home. 4. Clean or replace your air conditioner’s filter every month to trim your cooling costs and help your unit run more efficiently. 5. Turn off your ceiling fan when you leave the room. A fan that runs constantly can cost up to $7 a month depending on size and age. 6. Avoid pre-rinsing dishes before putting in the dishwasher. It can save up to $70 a year. 7. Limit the time you run your pool pump to no more than four to six hours a day. 8. Adjust the water level on your washing machine to match the load size, especially when using hot water. Always use a cold rinse. 9. Clean the lint filter in your dryer before every load to dry clothes faster. 10. In warmer months, cool your home at 78 degrees or warmer with the thermostat fan switch on “auto.” For additional savings, raise your thermostat to 82 degrees or warmer when you’re away from home. 11. Put a dry towel in the dryer with wet clothes to absorb dampness and hasten dry time. 12. If your fireplace isn’t airtight, think twice about using it as it can draw a lot of warm air out of the house. 13. Check to ensure that furniture isn’t blocking ducts or fans 14. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact, fluorescent ones. 15. Vacuum refrigerator coils every three months. Please note: The above suggestions do not include the “spend money to save money” solutions, like replacing windows or trading in old appliances for newer, Energy Star rated ones. These are unequivocally excellent ways to reduce both energy consumption and cost, but the upfront outlay puts them in a different category. Air conditioners and washers and dryers are not solely responsible for your electricity costs.  Other appliances like microwaves, toasters, TV’s, blenders and hundreds of other everyday household appliances also consume significant amounts of electricity and leaving them plugged in when you’re not using them is not a smart idea.  GreenLivingTips.com (and others) refer to items that are plugged in when not in use as stand-by electricity, or phantom power.  Phantom power is responsible for an incredible amount of electricity consumption nationally.  Practically every electronic device that you plug into a socket continues to consume electricity after you’ve switched the device off.  If an appliance or device has an adapter, the easiest way to tell if it’s still drawing power when the device is switched off is if the adapter is warm. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy uses the term “leaking electricity” and cites TVs, VCRs, answering machines, cordless phones, portable power tools and office equipment as the worst offenders. They contend that leaking electricity accounts for nearly 5 percent of total residential electrical use and on average, $100+ annually is wasted on phantom power.  The list of most-common electronics that can drain electricity even when not in use are: Now granted, some of the things in the table above would be pretty tough to unplug and replug in every time you use them, but try you’re hardest to take care of the easy ones.  No one is expecting you to unplug the copier at work when you’re finished using it, but leaving the cell phone charger plugged in is an easy fix.  Using smart strips, which are new and improved surge-protectors, will allow you to avoid leaking electricity, as the smart strip is designed to switch off your devices automatically when they are not in use. So depending on what kind of climate you live in, you may be able to implement all the above changes, or just a few.  But no matter how much you spend on energy bills every year, you always have the opportunity to spend less with a little hard work and clever thinking and if you’re the type of person that doesn’t just want to save money on electricity, check out our money saving tips page, where you’ll find hundreds of other great money saving ideas. Bonus Tip: To check out 1 “trick” to cut your electric bill by 75%, click here.Utility bills are always on the rise and saving money is always a priority. Below you’ll find 13 ways you can save some dough on electricity. The post 13 Cool Ways to Save on Electricity appeared first on The Dough Roller. [ad_2] Source link