Latest news with #FinanceBuzz
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
WA car theft stats reveal a clear favorite among thieves
This story was originally published on A study from FinanceBuzz found which car models are the most susceptible to being stolen in each state. The most stolen car model in the U.S. last year was the Hyundai Elantra, which had 31,712 reported thefts, according to FinanceBuzz. A trend on TikTok in 2022 challenged thieves to steal a variety of Kia and Hyundai models made between 2010 and 2021. The trend, derived from the hashtag 'Kia Boyz,' involved thieves using a USB cord to hot-wire vehicles. 'With more than 31,000 stolen in the U.S. in 2024, the Hyundai Elantra was the most stolen model in the U.S. last year, and the No. 1 car stolen in 21 states,' FinanceBuzz stated. More than 850,000 cars were stolen in 2024, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, which translates to one car being stolen every 37 seconds in the U.S. The most stolen car model in Washington for 2024 was the Hyundai Elantra, with 1,379 vehicles reported. Oregon reportedly had 435 Honda Civics stolen, making it their most common vehicle stolen in 2024, while Idaho had a measly 37 Ford F-150s stolen, making it their most common stolen car model. The states with the highest number of stolen cars per model in 2024 were Texas, California, and Maryland. Texas had 6,453 Chevrolet Silverados stolen; similarly, California's No.1 vehicle model stolen was the Chevrolet Silverado, with 6,248 stolen vehicles. Maryland had 1,966 Hyundai Elantras stolen in 2024. Hyundai landed in the top three nationally again with 26,720 thefts of their Sonata model in 2024. The Chevrolet Silverado 150 was the third-most stolen car model in the U.S., with 21,666. Follow Jason Sutich on X. Send news tips here
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
FinanceBuzz Announces 2025 High-Yield Savings Account Award Winners
DELRAY BEACH, Fla., June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today FinanceBuzz, a personal finance website focused on helping consumers build financial confidence, announced its list of 2025's best high-yield savings accounts (HYSA), part of its first annual Best of 2025 Banking Awards. The FinanceBuzz 2025 High-Yield Savings Account Awards highlight the brand's top savings account recommendations for a variety of consumers, including new savers, kids and teens, and anyone looking to do more with their money in 2025. "Building savings is a crucial milestone in the financial journey, and where growth truly begins for many people," Becca Borawski Jenkins, VP of Content at FinanceBuzz, said. "Our awards help simplify savings choices for every type of saver by focusing on what really matters to each of their unique needs." To compile the list of winners in eight award categories, FinanceBuzz editors and personal finance experts reviewed more than 90 savings accounts from all major online and traditional banks against an in-depth scoring methodology designed to objectively measure value to customers. Please visit the FinanceBuzz Best of 2025 Banking Awards page to see the full list of award winners and the scoring methodology. 2025 Award Winners: Category Winner Best Overall High-Yield Savings Account Capital One 360 Performance Savings Best Online High-Yield Savings Account Marcus by Goldman Sachs Best for Low or No Fees Barclays Tiered Savings Best for Large Deposits Wealthfront Cash Account Best for New Savers Current Best for Kids and Teens Capital One Kids Savings Account Best for Automated Savings Ally Bank Savings Account Best for Customer Service American Express High Yield Savings Account About FinanceBuzz: FinanceBuzz offers the expert resources and support necessary to navigate the complexities of personal finance. FinanceBuzz empowers consumers to build financial confidence at every life stage via its personal finance website covering a wide range of topics including credit cards, insurance, banking, investing, retirement, and more. FinanceBuzz, a Launch Potato brand, was founded in 2016, and the company is headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida. For more information, visit Media Contact:396089@ 704-8237 View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE FinanceBuzz Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
This Central Florida community has the worst community in the country, a study finds
If you live in Poinciana, you know – driving around the area is rough, especially along Poinciana boulevard. The bumper-to-bumper traffic pretty much at any point of the day adds up time and stress for drivers. 'I've gotten stuck in traffic for about three hours once,' said Emmy Torres, who was a long-time resident of Poinciana until she moved to Championsgate in late 2024. 'Traffic was a major problem for me.' Torres now doesn't have to deal with the congestion every day, but because her family still lives there, she has to drive to Poinciana – and it takes her about 40 minutes to go from her home to her father's home, just a few miles away. 'This is because we took the connector; if we hadn't, we would be there for about 1 h 15 min,' Torres said as she arrived at her father's house. Traffic along Poinciana Boulevard and its intersections, such as Pleasant Hill Road, at any time of the day is tricky - some drivers say they get stuck here for hours every week. A new study conducted by Finance Buzz found out Poinciana residents have the worst commute in the country, taking on average 51 minutes each way to do things like go to work or school – a total of more than 8h every single week. There is a silver lining - the widening of Poinciana Boulevard is already underway and should be finished by the end of next year, according to Osceola County. Back in April, the Florida Department of Transportation also announced they should start working on their project, called Poinciana Connector - later this year. FDot plans to add one congestion relief lane in each direction toward I-4. The project is expected to be complete by the second half of 2026. Worst commutes in the country, by Finance Buzz: Poinciana, Florida – Residents spend an average of 51 minutes commuting, the longest in the nation. This is likely due to workers traveling to Orlando, located about an hour away. Brentwood, California – Commuters here average 46.4 minutes one-way, making it the longest in California. East Orange, New Jersey – With an average one-way commute of 41.7 minutes, it's the longest in New Jersey. Temescal Valley, California – Residents spend an average of 47.7 minutes commuting, with 55.2% of commuters traveling 45 minutes or more each way. Antioch, California – Commuters in Antioch average 46.4 minutes one-way, with 49.7% of them spending 45 minutes or more commuting each wayBoulevard Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Editorial: Gas is cheaper this Memorial Day. So why does your wallet still feel lighter?
You pull into the gas station, surprised to see a $3.49 pump price staring back at you. That's cheaper than last summer. So why doesn't it feel like a win? Maybe because inside the grocery store, the steak for your Memorial Day cookout costs $16, and it wasn't even a pricey cut. And the soda aisle? A 12-pack costs $9. So the tank might be full, but the wallet still feels empty. Memorial Day is synonymous with cookouts and time spent outside — or in the garage, if you're a Chicago suburbanite. This weekend is our bridge to summer. For a long time, the big decision for Memorial Day was whether to stay home or hit the road to take advantage of the extra day off. The open road still calls Americans; AAA anticipates 39.4 million drivers will have traveled by car across the U.S. this holiday weekend and more will plan to travel in coming weeks as the kids gets out of school. Gas may be down, but AAA shows domestic flights today are 2% pricier versus 2024, when they hardly were cheap. So with prices rising across the board, many families now have to weigh whether travel is worth the squeeze. Many of us will have chosen a nice Monday gathering with friends and family. But sirloin steak is up 13% this year. Hosting a group of eight might cost you $30 more than it did last May. Add soda, chips, and burgers, and your backyard barbecue is suddenly flirting with triple digits — and that's before dessert. Restaurant dining on a road trip isn't cheap, either. Eating out costs are up 3.9%, and while the spike has come down from its peak, diners still notice a hefty increase on their bills. At some restaurants, the price spike is even more obvious. Take IHOP, once a reliable budget option: A milkshake now costs $7.99, up from $3.99 five years ago. The Two x Two x Two meal? It jumped from $5.49 in 2020 to $12.59 today, according to FinanceBuzz. And that's just the food. We don't make decisions about travel in isolation, we consider our ability to afford a trip. Other unavoidable costs —such as child care, which rose about 6% last year, and car insurance, up more than 20% — are taking even bigger bites out of household budgets and making it harder to justify expensive travel plans. It's not just higher prices — it's weaker buying power. Wages lagged inflation in 2021 and 2022, meaning people earned more but could afford less. Only recently have paychecks begun to stabilize. According to government data, the average worker's pay in April 2024 was about 4% higher than it was a year earlier. But once you factor in inflation, that boost disappears. In 2021 and 2022, prices rose so fast that paychecks couldn't keep up, meaning people could actually buy less even if they were earning more. Lately, because inflation has slowed, take-home pay is holding steady or rising slightly — but most people still haven't fully caught up. Until real wages consistently outpace inflation — and the cost of essentials stabilizes — it will continue to feel like 'everything's more expensive' even if paychecks are technically bigger. This helps explain why people are eating out less and cutting back on nonessentials. A recent KPMG survey found that nearly 4 in 10 consumers reported a decline in household income (double last year's finding) and 70% of respondents said they believe a recession is likely soon. Overall, the survey showed people plan to spend about 7% less on restaurants this summer, looking for ways to cut back costs. Still, KPMG's analysis shows Americans are still planning to travel this summer — and at an even higher clip than last year. That's the good news, and maybe it means that while we're tightening our belts at the moment, we're all hopeful that things won't stay this way forever. We've likely seen the peak of inflation. But not the peak of pain. Until wages rise faster than prices — and stay ahead — Americans won't feel like they're getting anywhere. This summer may be cheaper at the pump, but economic pressure still rides shotgun. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@
Chicago Tribune
26-05-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Editorial: Gas is cheaper this Memorial Day. So why does your wallet still feel lighter?
You pull into the gas station, surprised to see a $3.49 pump price staring back at you. That's cheaper than last summer. So why doesn't it feel like a win? Maybe because inside the grocery store, the steak for your Memorial Day cookout costs $16, and it wasn't even a pricey cut. And the soda aisle? A 12-pack costs $9. So the tank might be full, but the wallet still feels empty. Memorial Day is synonymous with cookouts and time spent outside — or in the garage, if you're a Chicago suburbanite. This weekend is our bridge to summer. For a long time, the big decision for Memorial Day was whether to stay home or hit the road to take advantage of the extra day off. The open road still calls Americans; AAA anticipates 39.4 million drivers will have traveled by car across the U.S. this holiday weekend and more will plan to travel in coming weeks as the kids gets out of school. Gas may be down, but AAA shows domestic flights today are 2% pricier versus 2024, when they hardly were cheap. So with prices rising across the board, many families now have to weigh whether travel is worth the squeeze. Many of us will have chosen a nice Monday gathering with friends and family. But sirloin steak is up 13% this year. Hosting a group of eight might cost you $30 more than it did last May. Add soda, chips, and burgers, and your backyard barbecue is suddenly flirting with triple digits — and that's before dessert. Restaurant dining on a road trip isn't cheap, either. Eating out costs are up 3.9%, and while the spike has come down from its peak, diners still notice a hefty increase on their bills. At some restaurants, the price spike is even more obvious. Take IHOP, once a reliable budget option: A milkshake now costs $7.99, up from $3.99 five years ago. The Two x Two x Two meal? It jumped from $5.49 in 2020 to $12.59 today, according to FinanceBuzz. And that's just the food. We don't make decisions about travel in isolation, we consider our ability to afford a trip. Other unavoidable costs —such as child care, which rose about 6% last year, and car insurance, up more than 20% — are taking even bigger bites out of household budgets and making it harder to justify expensive travel plans. It's not just higher prices — it's weaker buying power. Wages lagged inflation in 2021 and 2022, meaning people earned more but could afford less. Only recently have paychecks begun to stabilize. According to government data, the average worker's pay in April 2024 was about 4% higher than it was a year earlier. But once you factor in inflation, that boost disappears. In 2021 and 2022, prices rose so fast that paychecks couldn't keep up, meaning people could actually buy less even if they were earning more. Lately, because inflation has slowed, take-home pay is holding steady or rising slightly — but most people still haven't fully caught up. Until real wages consistently outpace inflation — and the cost of essentials stabilizes — it will continue to feel like 'everything's more expensive' even if paychecks are technically bigger. This helps explain why people are eating out less and cutting back on nonessentials. A recent KPMG survey found that nearly 4 in 10 consumers reported a decline in household income (double last year's finding) and 70% of respondents said they believe a recession is likely soon. Overall, the survey showed people plan to spend about 7% less on restaurants this summer, looking for ways to cut back costs. Still, KPMG's analysis shows Americans are still planning to travel this summer — and at an even higher clip than last year. That's the good news, and maybe it means that while we're tightening our belts at the moment, we're all hopeful that things won't stay this way forever. We've likely seen the peak of inflation. But not the peak of pain. Until wages rise faster than prices — and stay ahead — Americans won't feel like they're getting anywhere. This summer may be cheaper at the pump, but economic pressure still rides shotgun.
