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More Americans are expected to 'buy now, pay later' for the holidays. Analysts see a growing risk 11/22/2023 06:00am • NEW YORK (AP) — Consumers are expected to use “buy now, pay later” payment plans heavily this holiday season, a forecast that bodes well for retailers but that has credit experts again sounding alarm bells. The short-term loans often come with consumer-friendly interest rates and allow shop The 8 Best Underseat Luggage of 2024 11/21/2023 07:00pm • If you've flown recently, you know there's often a rush to board to get your carry-on bag a slot in the coveted overhead bins -- and multiple announcements asking travelers to gate-check their bag to help reduce the number of luggage items in the overhead space. If you want to avoid the problem and How to Build Credit With a Credit Card 11/21/2023 07:00pm • Using a credit card responsibly is an effective way to build your credit history. By responsibly, I mean keeping a low balance on your card and then paying your bill in full by the due date. Stick to this formula and you'll be on your way to a good credit score. Let's dive into the four steps you sh Why You Should Start Your Holiday Shopping Early This Year 11/21/2023 07:00pm • The Halloween candy didn't even have time to become a memory before this year's deluge of holiday ads hit the airwaves. Retailers seem to ramp up their advertising efforts earlier each year -- and possibly for good reason. Half of adults say they started their 2023 holiday shopping in October or ear How to Pay Online Without a Credit Card 11/21/2023 07:00pm • Charging purchases to a credit card is the way U.S. consumers most commonly pay online. But there are several reasons you might not want to use a card when you buy something on the internet. Maybe you're concerned about incurring interest if you don't pay the card off right away or about keeping you Slick roads, heavy holiday traffic: Big backups leading to airports ahead of Thanksgiving 11/21/2023 05:40pm • Listen to WTOP online and on the radio at 103.5 FM or 107.7 FM for traffic and weather news on the 8s. Halloween has passed, but it looks like Thanksgiving is going to be the new nightmare — at least as far as getting around the D.C.-area is concerned. Heavy rain all day Tuesday has slickened ar Legos, Barbie and Hot Wheels among most popular toys this holiday season, survey says 11/21/2023 06:03am • The holiday shopping season begins in earnest later this week with clothing, gift cards and toys at the top of many's lists. A survey for the National Retail Federation found that 74% of consumers plan to shop over the five-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The survey found 56% of consumers sa Shippers anticipate being able to meet holiday demand 11/20/2023 04:51pm • Carriers like the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx and United Parcel Service have capacity to meet projected demand this holiday season, which is cheery news for shippers and shoppers alike. Like last year, there's expected to be little drama compared to struggles during the pandemic when people hunkered From saving elephants to pleasing football fans, here are some holiday gift ideas for all 11/20/2023 03:49pm • NEW YORK (AP) — Staring down a hefty holiday gift list? There's something for everybody out there. Artisan gifts can be a hit. Head to Etsy.com to tap into the global handmade marketplace's trends for the season. This year, they include “grandpa chic,” a counterpoint in home decor to the � With the world's eyes on Gaza, attacks are on the rise in the West Bank, which faces its own war 11/20/2023 10:08am • QUSRA, West Bank (AP) — When Israeli warplanes swooped over the Gaza Strip following Hamas militants’ deadly attack on southern Israel, Palestinians say a different kind of war took hold in the occupied West Bank. Overnight, the territory was closed off. Towns were raided, curfews imposed, teena Prepare Your Finances for the Holidays 11/19/2023 07:00pm • If you're like many U.S. consumers, you're aiming for a bigger winter holiday budget this year. TransUnion, one of the three major consumer credit bureaus, conducted a holiday shopping season study and found that 51% of the respondents anticipate spending at least $500 on related expenses. Just 36% How do you know if a bargain is really a bargain? 11/17/2023 06:12pm • For some shoppers, Black Friday bargains are a big deal — that's if you can find one. "The problem is retailers have kind of stretched out Black Friday from what used to be a single day to a whole month. So, it's kind of 'Black November,'" said Edgar Dworsky, founder and editor of Consumer Worl Poverty is killing the Amazon rainforest. Treating soil and farmers better can help save what's left 11/16/2023 10:41am • TEKOHAW, Brazil (AP) — At dawn in this small Amazonian village in Brazil's Para state, flocks of noisy green parrots soar overhead as children run and play between wooden homes, kicking up sandy soil — in places white and bare as a beach. The ground reveals one of the paradoxes of the rainforest Americans are about to spend billions shopping online. Are those packages protected? 11/15/2023 10:11pm • Between now and Christmas, Americans will spend billions of dollars on online shopping. Last year just on Black Friday, more than $9 billion was spent online. In all, CNET says about $74 billion worth of packages are going to end up on doorsteps the rest of this year. It's enough to keep porch pi 10 of the Best Stocks to Buy for 2023 11/15/2023 07:00pm • The year 2022 was a lousy one for the stock market. Even after factoring in dividends, the S&P 500 fell 19.4% in those 12 months, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite took a 33.1% haircut. The catalysts behind Wall Street's sell-off are all too familiar: Inflation, soaring interest rates, persi