The week ahead

Tom Hudson: Bank report is of major interest

There’s a lot of excitement around the rebound in the housing market and profits for the industry with good reason. Prices have been recovering from the depths of the crash, helping lift spirits and industry profits. This comes after housing has been blamed for both the Great Recession and the tepid recovery. After all, no post-war economic rebound has succeeded without residential real estate pulling its weight. And it seems to be picking up much-delayed momentum.

The color of money

Michelle Singletary: Gay couples should learn ruling’s benefits, pitfalls

The Supreme Court decision striking down the federal Defense of Marriage Act opens a lot of financial doors for same-sex couples. But if you cross that threshold, it’s important that you understand your new rights.
Your Money Now

Student loan debt teaches personal finance to graduates

The average college student graduates with $23,000 in debt. Here’s what you need to know.
Money Dilemmas

Meg Green: Second marriage and husband is now asking for support

The dilemma: I married my second husband (I was a widow) eight years ago, when our children were grown and out of the house and we could have fun traveling, etc. He asked me to live with him and be his love. He’s been retired for many years with a good pension and investments. We live in his house. I’ve never worked.
The week ahead

Tom Hudson: Can rising wages lift all boats?

There is no shortage of ways to parse the monthly data on the American job market. Of course, the unemployment rate and payroll figures dominate the discussion. And while putting more Americans back to work is important, so is the size of those paychecks.
The color of money

Michelle Singletary: A wedding isn’t a license to take on massive debt

Every year about this time I get questions from people wondering about the high cost of weddings. Here are some that came up during a recent online discussion.
The Home Economist

Supermarket psychology

If you think that store display of everything you need for your holiday party was put together just to make your live easier, think again.
The week ahead

Tom Hudson: Home sales are the best sign of recovery

Any confidence by consumers probably can be attributed to the rebound in two markets: the stock market and the housing market. Because barely half of American households have any money invested in the stock market but two-thirds own their homes, the direction of the housing market likely has a bigger impact on our collective and individual economic convictions.
PERSONAL FINANCE

Suze Orman: Gay couples in Florida face unfair tax penalties

Finance advisor Suze Orman says same-sex couples in Florida risk losing half their estates in inheritance taxes.
The week ahead

Tom Hudson: Will Fed signal a pullback?

Is moderate enough? For months the Federal Reserve has been describing the U.S. economy as growing at a moderate pace. While the growth has been positive, it hasn’t been enough to move the central bank away from pushing money into the system with hopes of getting the economy to pick up speed.
The color of money

Michelle Singletary: Can you chart a dad’s value?

When it comes to our parents, we tend to assign value by how much we spend. Don’t believe me. Let’s compare Mother’s Day to Father’s Day.
The week ahead

Tom Hudson: All eyes on bond market

What will happen with the bond market at the 2 percent threshold?
The color of money

Michelle Singletary: Money is the real star of timely new dramas

We can deny it if we want, but we love to be entertained watching shows about people derailing their lives.
Investing

Falling gold prices indicate a rise in optimism

Gold prices have been falling this spring, from a record high of $1,887.70 in the summer of 2011, as the U.S. stock market has climbed to record highs. Now that investors worldwide feel more optimistic about stocks and bonds, the price of gold could fall even further this summer — unless a crisis in the Middle East or elsewhere shakes their confidence.
YOUR MONEY NOW

Think buying real estate’s a no brainer? Think again

With real estate values still off their peak and interest rates so low, buying seems like a no-brainer … but there are other considerations.
The color of money

Michelle Singletary: Calculating the real cost of that speeding ticket

For many drivers, the fear of rising auto insurance rates keeps them from driving too fast or leaving their license at home.
The week ahead

Tom Hudson: Can Jaime Dimon hold onto both jobs?

A fortress balance sheet may not be enough to protect JPMorgan’s CEO from the building chorus of criticism. Jaime Dimon has guided JPMorgan since 2005, navigating through the financial crisis, serving as the de facto spokesman for big banks and becoming the poster boy of the arrogance in high finance. He has survived a multi-billion dollar trading scandal and now faces regulators’ questions over actions of its energy traders and credit card collection procedures. No fewer than eight government agencies have launched investigations into JPMorgan.
Investing

Andrew Menachem: Debunking the myths about volatility

When the stock market goes up, most investors feel good. They’re happy with their investment decisions and start counting all the money they’ve made on paper. Of course the opposite occurs when the market goes down. Investors get scared and wonder why they ever bought stocks in the first place.
The color of money

Michelle Singletary: The rich have issues, too

With so many families still trying to recover from the Great Recession, the wealthy aren’t feeling much love from the American public.
The week ahead

Tom Hudson: JCPenney is facing a hard sell

It’s probably been a long time since you shopped at JCPenney. That’s the case for most of us. But for the sake of its employees and shareholders, it needs to figure out how to bring buyers back. And soon.