The Latest Breaking News from Alexis Leondis

Alexis Leondis: Mortgage lenders are selling homebuyers a lie

“Marry the house, date the rate.” That’s the advice realtors and mortgage lenders are giving worried homebuyers as mortgage rates reapproach the two-decade high of 7% reached in November. In other words, don’t be afraid to commit to the house you love, because you can just refinance when rates come…

Tribune News Service · Mar 6, 2023

Alexis Leondis: Stop panicking about boomerang kids

When adult children move back in with their parents, it causes a lot of cultural anxiety. We call them moochers or spongers. We say they’ve failed to launch.

Tribune News Service · Feb 22, 2023

Alexis Leondis: How to pay for a renovation if you can’t afford to move

About two-thirds of homeowners with mortgages are sitting pretty with a rate below 4% — and feeling stuck. With rates almost double where they were last year, housing inventory stubbornly low, and prices still high, they can’t afford to move.

Tribune News Service · Feb 6, 2023

Alexis Leondis: Buy that house. Your retired self will thank you

Traditional financial advice typically tells savers to put retirement first — even before homeownership. That’s because over the long-term, the stock market tends to outpace real estate and there are tax advantages to putting money in a retirement account.

Tribune News Service · Nov 13, 2022

The bond that broke the internet

US Treasury bonds are known as a super safe, super boring place to put your money. But the Series I Savings Bond got so popular last week, the surge in demand crashed the Treasury's website

WEKU · Oct 31, 2022

Alexis Leondis: Savers, it’s time to choose an online bank

You should reconsider the bank you use, at least for some of your savings. Chances are, if you're a customer at one of the major retail banks, you’re leaving real money on the table.

Tribune News Service · Sep 19, 2022

Alexis Leondis: Resist the siren song of 40-year mortgage loans

Because of rising interest rates and higher home values, the monthly mortgage payment on a typical U.S. home is 62% higher than a year ago. So, it's only natural to be looking for a way to cut costs. But if you're borrowing money to buy a home and think the…

Tribune News Service · Aug 22, 2022

Alexis Leondis: Why are only some tax breaks adjusted for inflation?

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, one of the ways inflation reared its ugly head was through what’s known as bracket creep. Since the income cutoffs for different tax rates weren’t periodically adjusted for inflation, millions of Americans paid higher rates while their real incomes stayed the same.

Tribune News Service · Aug 17, 2022