![Jill on Money [ Archive]](http://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/59efbd48d7bdce7ee2a7d0c4/1510342916024-TI455WZNZ88VUH2XYCA6/JOM+Blue+and+White.png?format=1500w)
Last week, the Federal Reserve decided not to raise interest rates. The more dovish Fed outlook pushed down interest rates, which led mortgage rates to 14-month lows. The current 30-year fixed rate loan stands at just under 4.3 percent, just in time for the spring home buying season.
Tidying Up Queen Marie Kondo has taken the world by storm, helping people de-clutter their lives with a methodical approach. She says that we should “Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy. Thank them for their service, then let them go.”
The college admissions bribery scandal has raised an important question: Is college worth it? According to the Social Security Administration “Men with bachelor's degrees earn approximately $900,000 more in median lifetime earnings than high school graduates. Women with bachelor's degrees earn $630,000 more.” But that “wage premium” varies depending on which college you attend.
The February jobs report was a mixed bag. Let’s get the bad news out of the way: the economy added only 20,000 positions, the smallest gain since September 2017. The number was much lower than last year’s average monthly amount of 223,000 and far below expectations for 190,000.
Spring home buying season has arrived and with wages up, mortgage rates down and inventory slowly increasing, many first time buyers are ready to enter the market. Before you get sucked into the vortex of never-ending open houses (say goodbye to your weekends!), you need to guard against the emotional pull that real estate creates, especially for those who have never gone through the process before.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 closed out February with gains of 11 percent, the best two-month start since 1987 and 1991, respectively. The NASDAQ Composite and Russell 2000 were up 14 and 17 percent, all of which is to say that those investors who were crying the blues at the end of last year, are now feeling a bit of spring in their steps.
Warren Buffett released the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholder letter to investor anticipation and fanfare. Yes, we wanted his perennial wit and wisdom, but there is always something that every investor can learn from the Oracle of Omaha.
In the early part of tax season, the IRS reported that the average tax refund amount was lower than last year. While that news grabbed headlines, many of you wrote me asking for a deeper dive into tax preparation. Here is your tax boot camp for the first tax year of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA).
