LOS ANGELES — After renovations forced Monique Gomez to move out of her Westside apartment, the tenant of four years was surprised to learn she would have to find another company to sell her renters coverage.

Her insurer, State Farm General, stopped writing new property policies last year, and she was told that even though she was an existing...Read more

CHICAGO — Historic preservationists thought their demands had been answered this summer when the federal government appeared to green-light the rehab of the two century-old office towers it’s owned on State Street for nearly two decades. But security restrictions governing how the buildings are used going forward have raised questions about ...Read more

A newly released study underscores the competitiveness — and perhaps the frustration — faced by renters across South Florida this year: It concludes the region is the hottest rental market in the country.

The study, conducted by RentCafe, is billed as a year-end report, recapping a year in which we saw somewhat plateauing rental prices, ...Read more

For many people, retirement is a major goal and represents a life milestone. Unfortunately, 35% of American workers feel significantly behind when it comes to their retirement savings, according to Bankrate’s 2024 Retirement Savings Survey.

The good news is it’s never too late to open a retirement account — or to boost your savings if ...Read more

This fall, Risabh Kumar spent hours scanning home listings and touring open houses. He and his wife hoped there would be fewer homebuyers searching this time of year, especially with interest rates climbing back up again, but that hasn’t been the case.

“We’re trying to find a sweet spot and felt that, because interest rates are high, we ...Read more

Home sales across the country should rebound in 2025 after two sluggish years. But buyers shouldn’t count on 30-year mortgage rates dipping much below 6%. And homeowners in many parts of the country will be lucky to capture price gains above 2% next year, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Realtor.com, however, has named ...Read more

LOS ANGELES — The Facebook post seemed straightforward enough, offering up a newly built ADU rental in Burbank. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, 1,000 square feet. A private yard. Finishes “you wouldn’t find in any other ADU.”

The price? $4,500 per month.

“Dam, ya’ll need to chill out!! $4,500 for an ADU??”

“Let the rich become ...Read more

When it comes to investing, many people look back and wish they would have done something differently, like not pulling their money out of the stock market when things got dicey or saving more for retirement. But sometimes taking a look at the mistakes of others can help you make more informed financial decisions.

We asked certified financial ...Read more

The IRS Direct File program, which lets taxpayers file their federal income tax return directly with the IRS for free, is doubling its reach to 24 states for the 2025 tax season, up from 12 states in 2024, the program’s pilot year.

The Direct File program will also accept more types of tax situations for the 2025 tax season. While taxpayers ...Read more

As the end of the year approaches, now’s the time to start preparing for filing your 2024 tax return in 2025.

When it comes to tax strategies, generally Dec. 31 is the deadline to make changes that might lower your tax bill. One major exception is the deadline for contributing to a Roth or traditional IRA: You have until April 15, 2025, to ...Read more

Amy Slaton Halterman of TLC's "1000-Lb. Sisters" has pleaded guilty to two counts of drug possession following her September arrest at a Tennessee zoo.

The reality TV star on Thursday submitted a plea deal at the Crockett County courthouse conceding guilt for "simple possession" of Schedule I and Schedule VI drugs, according to court records ...Read more

Private credit firms want more than corporate lending. The largest are laying the groundwork to finance everything from auto loans and residential mortgages to chip manufacturing and data centers in an effort to swell the size of the market by the trillions.

It’s part of a race to grab a bigger share of a universe of potential investments ...Read more

Existing-home sales in the U.S. topped a rate of 4 million in November for the first time in six months as house hunters begrudgingly accept mortgage rates above 6%.

Contract closings increased 4.8% to an annualized rate of 4.15 million in November, the most since March, according to data released Thursday by the National Association of ...Read more

Q: Our neighborhood has a few recreationalists who like to fly drones. One likes to fly near people’s houses at night — sometimes at altitude levels even with the home’s windows. We all know that drones are equipped with cameras. It can’t be right to allow such invasions of privacy. What are our rights, and what can be done? — Alan

A:...Read more

LOS ANGELES — Rising steeply above a ravine in the Hollywood Hills, Nina and Andreas Grueter’s concrete home conjures a villain’s lair in a James Bond thriller — John Lautner’s Brutalist Elrod House in “Diamonds Are Forever” comes to mind — with the nearby Hollywood sign adding to its cinematic allure.

For some, a narrow ...Read more

Morgan Stanley’s E*Trade is planning a suite of free funds, with a catch — only customers of the brokerage platform would be able to buy them.

The firm submitted plans on Monday for five mutual funds spanning stocks and bonds, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. While all five funds would be zero-cost, buying ...Read more

The subject line of a press release this month from Weld County, Colorado, was stark and foreboding: “County’s assessed value sees 20% decrease.”

The cratering of taxable property value in the large county that hugs metro Denver’s northeast corner — from nearly $25 billion in 2023 to just under $20 billion this year — would probably...Read more

Many Americans spend a sizable amount of their income to keep a roof over their heads, food on the table and a means of transportation. Other items commonly found in household budgets include education, child care, health care, retirement savings and entertainment.

Inflation has cooled significantly from its 40-year-high in 2022, yet prices ...Read more

Warren Buffett is among the greatest investors of all time. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, has returned around 20% annually since Buffett took over in the 1960s, trouncing the S&P 500’s annual return over that time period.

In 2024, Buffett has sold shares in some longtime holdings, such as Apple and Bank of America. The sales helped push ...Read more