Hi there, MarketWatchers. Don’t miss these top stories:
Personal Finance
‘I will continue happily shopping there forever’: Costco customers react to retailer’s new $ 16 minimum wage
Some 180,000 U.S.-based Costco employees will begin earning $ 16 an hour starting next week, the warehouse retailer’s CEO announced Thursday.
We put our spendthrift neighbors in touch with our financial adviser. They called her ‘lousy.’ So how come WE are the ones who retired early?
‘Warren Buffett and Harry Potter couldn’t get those two retired early.’
‘Greed is rearing its ugly head and killing brotherly love’: My husband and his brother are at war over an inheritance from a beloved neighbor. What can we do?
The brother says his ‘early inheritance’ should not be taken into consideration ‘because it cost him so much trouble and work.’
Low wages are just the start of the problems for millions of U.S. workers during COVID-19 — here’s why
Prior research on wage inequality ‘understates the true level of inequality, said Ioana Marinescu, a University of Pennsylvania economics professor, and co-author of a new report.
Disaster tax-relief measures in the latest pandemic aid bill could help people impacted by the South’s deep freeze
You or your business may qualify for disaster tax-relief provisions included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act.
Borrowers with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac mortgages can receive up to 18 months of forbearance, regulator says
The FHFA also amended its separate payment deferral option for homeowners so they can now miss up to 18 months of payments.
Pending home sales fall in January as inventory constrains buyers
Fewer Americans are applying for mortgages — a sign that some buyers may be dismayed by rising home prices and mortgage rates.
Mortgage rates jump to the highest level since August — is the refinance boom over?
Rates continue to be low by historical standards, but perhaps not low enough to make refinancing attractive for many homeowners.
My wife has homeschooled our son and our best friends’ son since September due to COVID-19. Is it too late to bring up money?
‘She’s putting in about 15 to 20 hours each week. The two families have shared the costs of the curriculum, school supplies and art supplies.’
‘It feels predatory’: 6 million people are not eligible for a COVID-19 pause on student-debt payments — even if they work in public service
One student-loan borrower is slated to pay off her debt when she’s 87, despite a career in public service.
Elsewhere on MarketWatch
State of the States: Are rainy days here again? In four charts, the pandemic’s pain
States and localities had only just recovered from the Great Recession when the coronacrisis erupted. One year on, how are the states doing?
The Trump tariffs aren’t going away quickly, Biden’s top trade nominee signals
The Biden White House is in no rush to roll back the stiff tariffs former President Trump imposed on China, Europe and other countries.
This is the best way to fix the chaos surrounding COVID-19 vaccine appointments
States must move to a one-stop preregistration system and then notify residents when it’s their turn to schedule appointments.
Goldman Sachs CEO: Working from home is an ‘aberration’
David Solomon cited collaboration as a reason for bankers to return to the office.
