Author: Paul Davidson, USA TODAY

All-cash home purchases have waned in popularity. The reasons include fading bidding wars, falling mortgage rates and rising prices.

With earnings season underway, a second straight quarter of declining S&P 500 profits would add to concerns about a possible recession by next year.

The Dow topped 27,000 for the first time Thursday as easing trade tensions and the Fed’s campaign to lower rates offset lingering economic worries.

The Federal Reserve seems poised to cut rates for the first time in a decade. How would a cut affect your credit cards, home equity lines, savings.

Nebraska ranks as best state to retire, followed by Iowa, Missouri, South Dakota and Florida, Bankrate.com survey shows. Maryland scores worst

Doubling U.S. minimum wage to $15 an hour would raise pay for up to 27 million workers and lift 1.3M from poverty but leave 1.3M jobless, CBO says.

The broad market climbed 17.4% the first half of the year. A trade deal will be needed for further strong gains, analysts say.

Economist Gary Shilling, who called several recent recessions, says the nation is probably already in a downturn. He cites recently weak job growth.

The S&P 500 index set a new record Thursday on a strong signal that the Fed could cut interest rates and on hopes for a trade war truce.