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Everyday Cheapskate: Your Money Temperament and Why It Matters
Whether you're aware of it or not, you have a money temperament. Everyone does. It's the way you naturally think about money, behave with money or react to money. To loosely assess your money temperament, and to have a little fun with it, consider the following scenario and choose the response that's closest to what you would do.
Your rich ...Read more

Here's what happens if you don't file your taxes
The tax-filing deadline is typically April 15 each year. If you can’t make that deadline, it’s easy to get a six-month extension for filing your return, though your tax payment is still due by April 15.
But what happens if you don’t file taxes by either of those deadlines? The consequences are very different depending on whether you’re ...Read more

7 investing mistakes financial pros say you should avoid
Investing in 2025 is more accessible than ever — but it isn’t always easy. With nearly constant market volatility and financial advice flooding your social media feed, it’s easy to make mistakes that hurt your long-term returns.
Whether you have $5 or $500,000, avoiding these common traps can save you from costly mistakes and future ...Read more
Real estate Q&A: Can co-op board force us to install free-standing AC?
Q: I live in a 16-unit co-op with a water-cooled AC that runs throughout the building. My unit and one other are still on the system. The Board told us that when the pump goes out, we must add a free-standing AC. Does the Board have the authority to do this and not maintain the system? — Lance
A: While condominiums and cooperatives often look...Read more

Silicon Valley office market shows vacancy improvement after weak stretch
SAN JOSE, Calif — Vacancy levels improved and rental rates rose during the first three months of 2025, a welcome improvement in the battered South Bay office market after months of weaker conditions, a new report shows.
“The Silicon Valley office market showed resilience in the first quarter,” Colliers stated in its first-quarter report ...Read more

Tariffs chill Southern California's vast industrial property market
Demand for warehouses used to move goods through Los Angeles County ports is expected to fall if widespread tariffs take effect, potentially damaging the economic vitality of one of the world's largest industrial real estate markets.
Leasing of buildings used to collect and distribute imported goods has slowed at least temporarily as businesses...Read more

Silicon Valley office market shows vacancy improvement after weak stretch
SAN JOSE, Calif — Vacancy levels improved and rental rates rose during the first three months of 2025, a welcome improvement in the battered South Bay office market after months of weaker conditions, a new report shows.
“The Silicon Valley office market showed resilience in the first quarter,” Colliers stated in its first-quarter report ...Read more

Trump's 90-day tariff 'pause' leads to wild reversal in markets -- should investors stay on guard?
U.S. President Donald Trump threw markets for another loop on the roller coaster saga of tariffs, announcing that he was pausing the implementation of his “Liberation Day” global tariffs for 90 days on non-retaliating countries. Stocks soared on the day of the news, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq closing up 9.5% and 12.2%, respectively, as ...Read more

California's former insurance commissioner sees grim future, more wildfires
Former California insurance commissioner David Jones described the L.A. area firestorms in January as a “canary in the coal mine” warning for climate change that will bring more catastrophic fires all-year and push the property and casualty insurance industry to the brink of a financial crisis.
“Climate change is the canary in the coal ...Read more
Everyday Cheapskate: Feeling Rich and Living It Up
Dear Mary: My husband and I have been out of debt for approximately five years. It's great. The problem is we now seem to spend a lot of money needlessly just because we can. We have so much money over and above our living expenses that it is easy to be reckless.
We keep just enough in savings ($2,000 or so) for emergencies but never get beyond...Read more

Google, with potential breakup looming over its search monopoly, backs down from muzzling workers
Google, with key hearings starting this month in a blockbuster anti-monopoly court case that could lead to its breakup, agreed to lift a gag order banning its employees from talking about the lawsuit, a union representing workers said.
In August, Google’s global-affairs chief Kent Walker in a company-wide email ordered workers to “refrain ...Read more

Will Congress give Californians tax breaks for disaster-proofing their homes?
Upgrading a roof, air filtration or other items that will help protect your home against fires, storms and other disasters? Republicans and Democrats are proposing a tax break for the projects.
The Firewall Act, sponsored by Sens. Adam Schiff, D-California, and Tim Sheehy, R-Montana, is aimed at encouraging preventive measures against disasters...Read more
Everyday Cheapskate: Simple Strategies to Improve Your Credit Score
A credit score is a three-digit number between 300 and 850 generated by a mathematical algorithm (a mostly secret formula) based on information in your credit report, compared to information on tens of millions of other people. Like it or not, the resulting number is said to be a highly accurate prediction of how likely you are to pay your bills...Read more
Everyday Cheapskate: How Much and What Kind of Life Insurance Is Best?
Dear Mary: My question is about life insurance. My wife believes that I need life insurance because I am the sole breadwinner in the family and we have a baby daughter.
I am not sure it is important right now, as we just bought our first house. Our financial situation is very tight, and we will be having a lot of minor improvements on the house...Read more
What is market capitulation?
Market capitulation is a term used by investors and traders during times of market decline. It refers to an extreme point of panic selling, where investors are willing to sell their assets at any price, resulting in a rapid decline in prices. Dictionaries define capitulation as the act of surrendering, which is a good way of thinking about how ...Read more
5 top mistakes to avoid during a market sell-off
Stocks sold off in early April as investors grappled with how tariffs would impact inflation and the outlook for economic growth. Some investors even grew concerned about a possible recession. Some of the biggest tech companies saw their shares tumble 20% or more, with Tesla falling around 50% from its recent high. The Federal Reserve faces the ...Read more

You'll want to be friends with this couple after seeing their quirky, fun apartment
LOS ANGELES -- A sense of fun permeates the rooms of Cecilia and Abraham Beltran's colorful one-bedroom apartment in Long Beach.
The adventurous couple enjoys crisscrossing Los Angeles to explore its treasures, from the peaceful gardens of the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens where they are members, to the delicious dim sum ...Read more
Everyday Cheapskate: Protect Yourself From Tax ID Theft and Keep Scammers Out of Your Refund
Ah, tax season. That magical time of year when we all attempt to decipher the mystical language of IRS forms while hoping the government gives us back some of our own money. Before you start planning what to do with your refund, let's talk about tax identity theft.
Tax ID theft happens when a fraudster files a fake return in your name to steal ...Read more
'Perfect storm.' Hundreds of South Florida condos now on secret mortgage blacklist
A secretive quasi-governmental condo blacklist is growing exponentially, making it difficult for owners in scores of troubled buildings in Miami and South Florida to sell or get loans for repairs even as their associations face a fiscal and time crunch to meet stringent new state safety regulations.
The number of local condos on the list, which...Read more

Trump's tax plans: Here's what to expect for your taxes in 2025 and beyond
From extending the tax cuts he signed into law in 2017 to ending taxes on tips, overtime pay, Social Security benefits and more, President Donald Trump has never made a secret of his goal to make sweeping changes to the U.S. tax code.
During his first stint in office, Trump massively overhauled tax law by passing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, or ...Read more
Inside Consumer
Popular Stories
- Trump's 90-day tariff 'pause' leads to wild reversal in markets -- should investors stay on guard?
- Here's what happens if you don't file your taxes
- Real estate Q&A: Can co-op board force us to install free-standing AC?
- Silicon Valley office market shows vacancy improvement after weak stretch
- 7 investing mistakes financial pros say you should avoid