As the coming months unfold, many people are looking for ways to improve their cash flow, exploring options ranging from checking their eligibility for a Health Savings Account (HSA) to buying and selling through the growing re-commerce market. While mortgage interest rates have fallen, creating new opportunities for home buying and refinancing, some buyers are still choosing to wait until real estate prices cool down.
Home financing
Mortgage interest rates fall to 2023 levels
Interest rates fell by 22 basis points after Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (two government-sponsored institutions) were instructed to purchase $200 billion worth of mortgage securities. The 30-year mortgage interest rate has fallen to numbers not seen since early 2023.
This type of buying of bonds and mortgage-backed securities by GSEs like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac usually leads to lower interest rates. The Fed has also made large purchases of mortgage-backed securities to help lower interest rates, such as the $580 billion purchase made during the early months of the Covid pandemic.
Analysts are currently busy forecasting where mortgage interest rates could go; Most estimate the decline at between 25 and 50 basis points, some less than that. However, this may not be enough to encourage more real estate transactions. Home prices are about 50% higher than they were before the pandemic, and inflation remains a challenge for consumers.
Source: cnbc.com
insurance
More Americans are eligible to save using HSA accounts
Starting this year, more Americans will be eligible to open and contribute to health savings accounts. This new eligibility is due to provisions in HR 1 (the Big Beautiful Bill Act).
HSAs are tax-advantaged savings accounts that enable people to set aside money for medical expenses. Contributions are tax-deductible, funds grow tax-free, and withdrawals for qualified health care costs are not taxable.
Before this year, HSAs were only available to people enrolled in high-deductible health plans, or HDHPs. These plans feature a deductible of at least $1,700 for individuals or $3,400 for families.
Currently, between 3 and 4 million Americans may be eligible for an HSA, including:
Owners of bronze and catastrophic health plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace. These plans generally have high deductibles, but their limited coverage for non-preventive care before meeting these deductibles prevents them from qualifying for an HSA.
Participants in direct primary care. These subscription-based programs enable patients to pay their doctor a fixed monthly fee for primary care services such as clinic visits and wellness exams. Previously, DPC arrangements were considered “other coverage” by the IRS, which prevented HSA holders from using their accounts to pay for it.
Users of telehealth services. HDHP holders can now permanently cover telehealth services before the deductible is met while maintaining their HSA eligibility. Before this year, accessing telehealth before meeting the minimum deductible could disqualify someone from contributing to an HSA.
Source: money.com
In the news
The development of the circular economy
Online reselling of used goods has expanded since eBay launched in 1995, creating a global resale market for everything from DVDs to designer handbags. Its growing share of the retail market has led economists to describe it as a circular economy.
More consumers are discovering income sources within their closets, toy boxes and storage units. Others demand sustainable solutions while others look for deals. Younger generations are particularly interested in recommerce, with 59% of Gen Z (ages 14-28) and 56% of Millennials (ages 29-45) planning to spend more on favorite goods this year. Fashion resales are particularly popular among these age groups as they currently upload around 400,000 items to e-commerce site Depop every day.
Here are more examples of the circular economy in action.
Patagonia outdoor gear customers can participate in the Worn Wear program by bringing usable clothing and gear to their stores. They will receive an in-store credit of 25% off the MSRP on qualifying items.
LEGO’s Brick Take Back beta — which offers an e-gift credit for old bricks — has made headlines as an example of turning chaos into value (while saving more bare feet from stray LEGOs).
IKEA’s buyback and resale initiative capitalizes on consumers’ desires to give used goods a second life and get a real return on previous purchases.
Luxury items are popular in the circular economy. Fans of high-end fashion and luxury pieces often select new purchases for more than their initial appeal, and have also looked into resale value as well.
Designer handbags are particularly popular, with some earning their initial owners a profit on the resale market. Luxury retailer Fashionphile reports that one of its best-selling bags, the Louis Vuitton Speedy, sells for anywhere from $615 to $12,875, depending on the age, style and condition of each piece. This is often much higher than the starting price of $1,940 for a base Speedy.
Source: Tamkeen.com
Credit and consumer finance
Check your financial statements for holiday fraud
Fraudsters don’t celebrate the holidays by spending time with their families; Instead, they’re trying to take advantage of the busy shopping month.
Last year was busier than ever, according to credit card issuer Visa, reporting that 85% more potentially fraudulent transactions would be blocked worldwide from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday (five days!) in 2025 compared to the same period last year.
Now that the December holiday season is over, it’s time to make sure you or a loved one isn’t a victim of credit card fraud.
Review all credit card purchases, including smaller purchases. Scammers often use low-dollar purchases at fast food and similar retailers to ensure the card is active. They may then sell the card number to another fraudster or attempt to make a large purchase.
Fake online storefronts posing as well-known retailers can fool even seasoned Internet surfers into scams. One way to find out is to see if the web address (URL) changes if you click on a product. Plus, liquidation pricing that sounds too good to be true…it usually is.
Shipping scams are sometimes linked to a fake storefront, where fake tracking numbers and delivery schedules are handed out to buyers. This creates a time lag between order placement and delivery, giving them more time to scam.
You’ll also want to look out for unwanted subscription fees, where you or a loved one may have purchased something online and signed up surreptitiously. Discounted trials of the Service may result in recurring monthly charges.
Source: Tamkeen.com
Did you know?
How scammers target teens on social media
If you have kids at home, they’re probably online almost every day — playing, chatting, or browsing social media. However, this may put them at risk. In 2023 alone, more than 18,000 scams targeting people under 20 were reported in the United States, resulting in losses of more than $40.7 million.
Cybercriminals often choose teens as targets for fake gifts, phishing links, and even emotional manipulation. Here are some to discuss with your children.
Toy gifts. Scammers have taken over popular games like Roblox and Fortnite, spreading offers like “Free V-Bucks” or “Free Robux.” This creates fake websites that ask to log in, giving scammers opportunities to take over their bank or gaming accounts, or steal their credentials.
Social media impersonators. Scammers will pretend to be friends, classmates or influencers, and trick children into sharing their personal data or clicking on malicious links. They can be very convincing because they use stolen photos and AI-generated images. Any messages that appear to be from friends should be verified by texting or calling them first.
“Bad actor” tricks. This is a devastating and cruel scam, and 20% of teens have been contacted by these scammers. Pretending to be peers, scammers manipulate teens into sharing private photos, then threaten to release them unless they pay up money or send more photos.
Friendship and romantic relationships. These are especially dangerous because they grow slowly. They build emotional connections with children and teens, often through games or social media. Once trust is established, they may ask for anything from money to personal information or even inappropriate photos.
In addition to discussing these scams during a family meeting, you may also want to consider installing parental controls and/or threat detection software on your children’s phones, laptops, and other digital devices.
Source: webroot.com
