archivesource:USA TODAY

Jan. 27, 2026Updated May 15, 2026, 5:24 p.m. ETInvestors buy silver as a hedge against inflation, for portfolio diversification, or as a tangible asset.Silver's price is influenced by industrial demand, mining supply, economic uncertainty, and interest rates.Compared to gold, silver is less expensive but more volatile, offering both higher risk and potential reward.Investors buy silver for all sorts of reasons. Some want protection when markets drop. Others worry about inflation eating away at their savings. But recent price headlines won’t tell you if the precious metal belongs in your portfolio.So,...

June 18, 2026, 5:11 a.m. ETUnited States stock markets will be closed on Friday, June 19, in observance of Juneteenth.The Nasdaq and New York Stock Exchange will be closed Friday and reopen Monday, June 22. The U.S. bond market will also be closed on June 19, according to the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association.Juneteenth, known as America's Second Independence Day, has been commemorated as a federally-recognized holiday since 2021, providing millions of Americans with a paid day off and the opportunity to commemorate the end of slavery.The holiday commemorates the day when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in...

June 17, 2026Updated June 24, 2026, 1:11 p.m. ETHousing is fundamental. We all need a roof over our heads. We all need someplace to raise our families, cook our meals and escape from the world.So it’s a cruel state of affairs that we seem to be getting it so wrong.That’s the idea at the heart of the "State of the Nation’s Housing," a report produced every year by Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. The 2026 edition, released on June 17, is sobering.“Persistent affordability challenges and rising economic uncertainty...

Updated June 5, 2026, 5:41 p.m. ETCarnival Cruise Line has upgraded and renamed its private island in the Bahamas to RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay.New additions to the island include a pier, tram service, eateries, and complimentary loungers and umbrellas.Carnival is expanding its portfolio of private destinations, known as the Paradise Collection, to accommodate larger ships and enhance guest experiences.The sun beamed down as I walked along the Papaya Pathway at Carnival Cruise Line’s Bahamas private island, RelaxAway, Half Moon Cay. Visitors lunged after volleyballs on a sandy court nearby, while...

June 4, 2026, 7:20 a.m. ETI’m going to let you in on a little secret: There’s a built-in feature on your Apple devices that can instantly convert currency for you. So before you begin a frantic web search or try to download an app while you’re in a different country, open the Calculator app on your iPhone instead.The Calculator app on your iPhone, iPad or Mac can convert currency, temperature, distance, fuel and much more with just a few taps or clicks.But that’s not all! Depending on your device, you...

May 28, 2026Updated May 29, 2026, 12:09 p.m. ETLast year, when Matt Gehr and his wife, Amber, decided to upgrade their condo for a single-family home, they had some advantages.Among the biggest: just enough savings to be able to swing a 10% down payment on a new place without having to sell their current home. Doing so would have wiped out their savings, but it was a fallback option.The couple got lucky, however. They made a contingent offer on a new house that was accepted, mostly because they offered a...

Updated May 29, 2026, 12:00 p.m. ETThis opinion column has been udpated.It sounds like a scammer's email, but it's true: State governments across the country are holding about $100 billion ‒ some of which may belong to you or people you know.This unclaimed money ‒ or "unclaimed property" in government-speak ‒ isn't in the forms of benefits, grants or taxpayer assistance. It is people’s own money from forgotten bank accounts, unreturned security deposits, unused gift cards and other assets that people often just leave behind.States did not earn this money....