Lowest-income families spend 40% of their money on what economists label luxuries

It turns out that all Americans, regardless of income, spend a large percentage of their income on what economists categorize as luxuries. People who make the most money spend the biggest chunk of their incomes on luxury goods, but even the poorest households spend a significant amount on luxuries, according to an analysis released recently by Deutsche Bank Research. The wealthiest families (the top fifth of earners) spend around 65% of their incomes on luxury goods and 35% on necessities, according to the study, which looked at spending habits between 1984 and 2014. Middle-income households weren’t far behind: They spend 50% on luxuries and 50% on necessities. Even the lowest-income families

Hey Walgreens and Rite Aid, Look at These Two Deals the Government Just Said Are Cool

Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) and Rite Aid Corp. (RAD) may have missed on on the FTC sweepstakes but two other retail mergers were cleared by the Federal Trade Commission in the past week. Shares of Cabela's Inc. (CAB) were up slightly Wednesday, July 5, after the company announced that at long last Cabela's had received antitrust approval for its sale to privately-held rival, outdoor supplier Bass Pro Shops. Also approved recently was Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc.'s $4.4 billion acquisition of competitor CST Brands Inc. The companies announced plans for the sale back in October 2016, but was slowed down by the need for antitrust clearance and approval from financial regulators. The companies

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  Why Rite Aid Remains A Good Buy

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America's biggest mortgage source is making it easier for millennials to buy their first home

Fannie Mae, the largest source of US mortgages, is making it a little easier for people with all kinds of existing debt — including student loans — to qualify for mortgages. To understand what that looks like, let's say a household earns $5,000 a month and makes monthly debt payments totaling $2,250. Its DTI, debt payments divided by income and expressed as a percentage, is 45%.