Saturday, June 28, 2025

New Housing Market Records Set for Prices, Competition and Speed

Fri, 07 May 2021  |  housing real estate 

A record high 21% year-over-year growth rate in the median home-sale price hit $348,500, according to a new report from Redfin. One contributing factor to the large rate of growth is that more high-end homes are being sold now than a year ago. Asking prices reached an all-time high of $360,975.

Below are other key housing market takeaways for more than 400 U.S. metro areas during the 4-week period ending May 2 (unless otherwise noted).

Note that at this time last year, pandemic stay-at-home orders halted homebuying... Read More

Couples Retiring Today Need $300,000 to Cover Medical Expenses

Fri, 07 May 2021  |  retirement healthcare 

According to Fidelity Investments, a 65-year old, opposite-gender couple retiring this year can expect to spend $300,000 in health care and medical expenses throughout retirement. For single retirees, the 2021 estimate is $157,000 for women and $143,000 for men.

This year’s estimate marks a new milestone high, up 30% from 10 years ago when the amount was $230,000, but just 1.7% from 2020 ($295,000) as health care inflation has remained relatively flat over the last few years. Fidelity began measuring in 2002 to build greater awareness of estimated health care costs and the i... Read More

One in Three Seniors Plan to Work Past 70 or Never Retire

Thu, 06 May 2021  |  retirement 

Seniors are working later in life to make ends meet, and the events of 2020 have accelerated the trend. The changing landscape of retirement has caused a large percentage of older Americans to push back their retirement dates or pick up working again to make up for lost ground. To understand the impact that 2020 had on seniors' work life and finances American Advisors Group (AAG), the nation's leader in home equity solutions, conducted the Post-2020 Retirement Survey with over 1,500 participants ages 60-75.

"After the uncertainty created by the events of 2020, many seni... Read More

Only 20% of Couples Participate Equally in Financial Decisions

Thu, 06 May 2021  |  investing 

A new report from UBS finds that nearly half of the women (48%) surveyed said their spouse takes responsibility for long-term financial decisions such as investing, financial and estate planning. This year’s report surveyed 1,500 high-net-worth men and women in marriages or partnerships and showed that while women continue to make strides in the workplace, there is still a long way to go in achieving equality at home. Surprisingly, only one in five (20%) couples say they make financial decisions together, but overwhelmingly believe that unless women are equally involved in these decisions... Read More

Parents Continue to Face Financial and Work Challenges due to COVID-19

Thu, 06 May 2021  |  pandemic workplace 

As the United States continues to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, parents, especially mothers, continue to feel exasperated by financial and workplace challenges. Sixty-one percent of parents say they find it difficult to manage their finances due to priorities during the pandemic according to the MassMutual Consumer Spending & Saving Index. At the same time, a silver lining has emerged: almost two-thirds of parents (65%) say the pandemic has improved their relationship with their children.

“Many Americans are still experiencing the ripple effects of the pandemic on t... Read More

Retail Sales Jump 23%

Thu, 06 May 2021  |  retail spending 

Total U.S. retail sales sprung into another month of double-digit growth in April, according to the Mastercard SpendingPulse^TM, which measures in-store and online retail sales across all forms of payment. U.S. retail sales excluding automotive and gasoline increased 23.3% year-over-year in April, and 10.8% compared to April 2019. Online sales in April grew 19.9% and 95.6%, respectively, compared to the same periods.

Retail sales continue to benefit from stimulus payments, coupled with warmer weather and broader reopening across the country. While the recovery ha... Read More