PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - Americans received an estimated 225 billion spam texts last year, which is a massive increase over 2021. “We feel the vibration, we hear the ding,” said Melanie McGovern of the Better Business Bureau. “We immediately go to our phones to see what it is. So, unfortunately, scammers know this as well.”
Stocks climbed last week, with the S&P 500 rising 0.8%. The index is now up 7.8% year to date, up 15.7% from its October 12 closing low of 3,577.03, and down 13.7% from its January 3, 2022 closing high of 4,796.56.
In a Sunday (April 16) CNN interview, Janet Yellen said that such a pull back could affect the Federal Reserve campaign to raise interest rates. “Banks are likely to become somewhat more cautious in this environment,” Yellen told the network’s Fareed Zakaria. “We already saw some tightening of lending standards in the banking system prior to that episode, and there may be some more to come.”
Credit cards are one of the most common financial products in our country, providing the bulk of short-term credit for families. Interest rates on credit cards have risen substantially, with average interest rates going over 20% . Given the trends for the 175 million Americans with credit cards, the CFPB estimates that outstanding credit card debt may continue to set records and could even hit $1 trillion.
(CNN)—You’ve managed to buy the car, but can you afford to keep paying for it? Along with soaring car prices, loan rates are the most expensive they’ve been in more than 15 years, with the average monthly payment on a new car at an all-time high, new data from auto website Edmunds shows.
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