Higher interest rates played out on stocks, cryptocurrency and commodities such as oil over the past few years. But now that the Federal Reserve has been lowering short-term rates, what can investors expect from here, and how long will the shifting rate environment impact markets?

After lowering interest rates by 25 basis points at its December...Read more

Joint bank accounts allow couples to manage budgets together, monitor spending and save for shared goals. But they aren’t right for every couple. And you don’t have to go with an all-or-nothing approach, either. You can have a joint account without merging all your finances.

Here’s what you should consider before deciding whether a joint...Read more

The world’s largest cruise company, Carnival Corp., has been found liable for injuries a Miami woman suffered while onboard during a fall, and been ordered to pay her nearly $350,000 in damages.

A judge in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida in Miami issued the ruling earlier this month. The decision is unusual, as ...Read more

Spirit Airlines, the ultra-low-cost carrier known for its bright yellow planes and basic fares, plans to furlough about one-third of its flight attendants as it struggles to cut costs.

The airline will furlough roughly 1,800 flight attendants effective Dec. 1, company spokesperson Thomas Fletcher said in a statement.

The announcement comes ...Read more

U.S. stocks were on track for another all-time closing high on Monday, as tech stocks drove the market higher reversing an early decline while central bank speakers offered clues on the path of interest rates.

The S&P 500 Index rose 0.4% at 2:53 p.m. in New York, putting the benchmark on track for its 28th record this year. Meanwhile, the tech...Read more

The Federal Reserve’s newest policymaker, appointed by President Donald Trump, laid out his argument for aggressively lowering interest rates on Monday, presenting a view that aligns with the president’s demands but which makes him an outlier at the central bank.

In his first policy speech since joining the Fed, Governor Stephen Miran ...Read more

U.S. stocks hit another all-time closing high on Monday as tech stocks drove the market higher, reversing an early decline, while central bank speakers offered clues on the path of interest rates.

The S&P 500 Index closed 0.4% higher, its 28th all-time close this year. Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 Index gained 0.6%.

A basket tracking ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — Alex N. Wong, a former senior adviser on national security to President Donald Trump, will lead defense, shipbuilding, and aerospace strategy for Hanwha, a South Korea-based multinational industrial group that last month announced it would invest $5 billion to expand its Philadelphia shipyard as part of a larger commitment by ...Read more

A leading consumer group is proposing a policyholder rights initiative that would require insurers to offer coverage to California homeowners who fireproof their homes — or lose the right to sell home or auto insurance in the state for five years.

The Insurance Policyholder Bill of Rights was filed with state Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta’s office ...Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif. — When Eric Itakura listed his Mountain View condo last year, he hoped to save some money on commissions.

The rules over how agents’ fees are set had recently been rewritten as part of a landmark settlement reached between the National Association of Realtors and a group of home sellers. For decades, sellers typically paid ...Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif. — For decades, home sellers typically covered both their own agent’s commission and the fee for the buyer’s broker, a structure that left little room for negotiation. But a recent legal settlement has shaken up that system, opening the door for buyers and sellers to haggle over who pays what — and how much.

In the Bay ...Read more

Satish, a graduate student from India studying in San Francisco, thought this fall would be about finishing his business degree and then lining up an H-1B visa, the work permit that’s become a mainstay for skilled immigrants in the U.S.

Instead, he’s worried about his ability to build a career in the U.S. as he tries to make sense of the ...Read more

Higher interest rates played out on stocks, cryptocurrency and commodities such as oil over the past few years. But now that the Federal Reserve has been lowering short-term rates, what can investors expect from here, and how long will the shifting rate environment impact markets?

After lowering interest rates by 25 basis points at its December...Read more

Roughly 2½ years after Washington’s pay transparency law took effect, lawmakers, state courts, employers and job seekers are still trying to make sense of it.

In an effort to address the disparity between men's and women's pay, the bill requires most employers to include salary ranges in job postings, rather than waiting to disclose the wage...Read more

SEATTLE — How much does that morning cup of joe cost? The price may give you a jolt.

The price of a coffee is no longer under, like, $5," said Emma Ueda, 27, who lives in Seattle. "It could be a $12 day, just going to a cafe."

As the hometown of Starbucks and countless coffee shops, Seattle lives up to its reputation as a city that holds ...Read more

For generations, fire lookout towers stood as landmarks across the American West.

Binoculars in hand, dedicated fire spotters scanned the landscape for smoke and radioed firefighters before flames grew out of control. But now, as California enters what is historically the most dangerous part of fire season — the end of summer before the first...Read more

CHICAGO — In an airy warehouse in Vernon Hills, Illinois, workers pack educational toys designed to bring children joy and expand their worlds. Plastic apples that can be taken apart to understand fractions, a toy cash register and a kit with a purple stethoscope are stacked on blue metal racks, waiting to be shipped to a budding elementary ...Read more

Q: I am having a problem with my gas cap that is creating an engine warning on my dash. I have been tightening the gas cap quite a few times. I will sometimes get it to clear the check engine light, but it will soon come back to haunt me. Recently I bought locking gas cap thinking it may tighten up the cap and make the warning message go away, ...Read more