What is a robo-advisor? How it works, how much it costs, and pros and cons
Robo-advisors now manage hundreds of billions of dollars.
Business
Stocks are mixed on Wall Street after setting records
Stocks are off to a mixed start on Wall Street a day after reaching their...
Warner Bros rejects Paramount takeover again and tells shareholders to stick with Netflix bid
Warner Bros. Discovery said that its board determined Paramount’s offer isn’t in the best interests...
Prediction markets could change sports betting nationwide, report says
The legal sports betting battle may not be resolved for months, even years.
Automakers face an ‘EV winter’ in 2026 as sales growth slows
While EV policy is deteriorating, the sector’s economics are improving.
On the hook for uninsured residents, counties wonder now how they’ll pay
County health officials nationwide are bracing for an estimated 10 million newly uninsured patients over...
Alaska Airlines pilot who safely landed plane after panel blew out says Boeing unfairly blamed him
He believes the plane maker wrongly tried to blame him and the rest of the...
California tax revenue getting a boost from AI boom — but for how long?
As talk of a possible AI bubble grows, so does uncertainty around an important source...
Musk’s AI chatbot faces global backlash over sexualized images of women and children
Musk pitches his chatbot as an edgier alternative to rivals with more safeguards.
SoCal Edison compensates 82 Eaton fire victims 2 months into program
The utility received 1,500 applications for its Eaton fire compensation program and paid out 82...
Wall Street rises on Big Tech gains and approaches records
Investors will be focused on the U.S. labor market this week.
Why home maintenance deserves a spot in the annual health and budget plans
Experts say home care can affect your health and finances.
Trump Mobile’s golden phone remains nowhere to be found
A golden phone that President Donald Trump’s family business promised to release last year remains...
Big Tech’s fast-expanding plans for data centers are running into stiff community opposition
Once-sleepy municipal board meetings now feature crowded rooms of angry residents.
Hyundai and Boston Dynamics unveil humanoid robot Atlas at CES
The life-sized robot walked and waved to the crowd.
McDonald’s facing class action lawsuit over ‘deceptive’ McRib meat
McDonald's is facing a class action lawsuit from plaintiffs who allege the fast food chain...
Banks snatch up mortgage bonds that saw best returns since 2002
US banks flush with cash are buying up mortgage bonds and betting that the asset...
IKEA battles Amazon, Temu as market shifts bring pain to flat-pack dynasty
The maker of the much-loved Billy bookcases and products with hard-to-pronounce names is on its third...
Factory malaise continues as manufacturing gauge drops to 1-year low
Producers are drawing down their raw materials inventories at the fastest rate since October 2024.
Will this be the year California makes kindergarten mandatory?
California is one of 32 states that doesn’t require 5-year-olds to attend school.
Could mysterious news site with ties to Orange County influence 2026 election?
The California Courier uses the name of an established paper and doesn’t disclose apparent Republican...
US-based multinational companies will be exempt from global tax deal
Critics say the deal undermines efforts to prevent profit shifting to tax havens.
6 fast ways to simplify your finances in 2026
Managing money doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming.
Pacific Palisades businesses slowly return to work with ‘a lot of people gone’
Fewer than 10% of mom and pop businesses have reopened, while rebuilding the fire-ravaged business...
Are Americans’ household debt levels a major concern for the economy?
Nearly 203 million U.S. shoppers, the highest in nine years, went to retail stores and...
Oil stocks sharply higher after US action in Venezuela
The U.S. action could upend energy markets.
Housing won’t crash because it’s getting a bailout
Everyone talks "affordability" – but elections aren't won by doing what's needed: letting home prices...
This startup’s concept promises to snuff out California’s wildfires with sound
Entrepreneurs with a fire suppression technology developed by a NASA engineer wants to prevent a...
Wall Street gains ground as crude prices and oil company stocks rise after the US raid on Venezuela
Tech shares rose as the industry kicks off its annual CES trade show in Las...
Last year’s odd economy in five charts, and what to watch for in 2026
The economy in 2025 was filled with contradictions, as growth was healthy while hiring slowed,...
7 things you may not know about dividends
There is a lot to know about reinvesting dividends.
New Year reset: Starting 2026 with clarity and a renewed inner compass
A new year doesn’t feel new unless you feel renewed.
US military operation in Venezuela disrupts Caribbean holiday travel, hundreds of flights canceled
Major airlines canceled hundreds of flights across the eastern Caribbean after the FAA imposed restrictions.
A commercial real estate expert’s predictions for 2026
Pricing expectations are still adjusting in some sectors, and deals that make sense tend to...
Fans mourn closure of cupcake vending machine company Sprinkles Cupcakes
The company was famous for selling sweet treats in vending machines known as 'cupcake ATMs.'
California law gives state more power over workplaces. Trump suing to block it
Backed by California unions, it gives a state board the right to regulate working conditions...
California grant program coming for homeowners in wildfire areas
New Safe Homes grants program, taking effect on Jan. 1, 2026, could begin taking applications...
Let’s hope these California economic dips don’t return in 2026
California had numerous lumps of coal within 2025 business patterns that are better not seen...
Wall Street edges higher in a wobbly start to 2026
Foreign markets fared better and benchmarks in Britain and South Korea hit records.
First homeowners move into Hesperia’s new master-planned Silverwood
The development launched in 2012 is projected to deliver 15,663 homes over the next two...
Should you worry about overfunding your 529 plan?
You can roll over unused 529 dollars into a Roth IRA or ABLE account, but...
Tesla loses title as world’s biggest electric vehicle maker as sales fall for second year in a row
A Chinese rival took the crown from Musk's Tesla.
Forget the gurus: Do your own economic forecast!
Just use our questionnaire to score your outlook.
Asked on Reddit: Can I justify an expensive hobby?
It turns out financial experts think it’s OK to indulge — in a balanced way.
What’s up with dead lobsters at San Onofre State Beach?
Scores of carcasses are scattered on the shore, but state officials are not sounding any...
Laguna Beach home, one of 8 on the sand in Three Arch Bay, seeks $30M
Private steps descend to the backyard and beach below, accessible by land only to residents...
Disney to pay $10 million to settle allegations involving children’s data
The complaint alleged it violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule by failing to properly...
Some Warren Buffett wisdom on his last day leading Berkshire Hathaway
Buffett spent six decades building up the Berkshire conglomerate.
Sprinkles Cupcakes closing all stores New Year’s Eve
Founder Candace Nelson was surprised by the closures, which come without explanation from the company's...
Average US long-term mortgage rate falls to the lowest level of the year at 6.15%
It's an encouraging sign for prospective home buyers.
Wall Street falls in light trading on the final day of 2025, another banner year for markets
2025 was a banner year for markets was driven by both optimism and uncertainty.
How to build an emergency fund, pay off debt and make a plan for your money in 2026
As many start writing their New Year’s resolutions, financial goals are also making the list.
California owners lost $33,000 in home equity in a year
Californians have plenty of equity left despite $33,000 slip: $603,000, No. 2 in US.
Trump made lots of tariff threats in 2025. Here’s some that never materialized
While many threats led to a barrage of new import taxes, others never materialized.
US applications for jobless benefits fell below 200,000 last week with layoffs historically low
Applications for unemployment aid are viewed as a proxy for layoffs.
Meta buys Singapore startup Manus in latest move to advance its artificial intelligence efforts
Meta reportedly closed the deal at more than $2 billion.
Delete Act: How to request personal information be purged in the New Year
California legislative analysts concluded that data brokers offer valuable services, but also threaten people's rights...
New California law requires working fridge in all apartments. LA landlords fought it
Beginning Jan. 1, landlords will be required to provide all apartments with a working stove...
New law streamlines housing development for California’s coastal universities
The bill, which began as a collaboration between UC Santa Cruz and UC San Diego...
Samsung’s first trifold phone is expensive and half-baked
Nearly seven years in, the foldable smartphone era has been a letdown — but you...
December interest rate cut was a close call for some Fed officials, minutes show
Minutes released Tuesday underscore the divisions and uncertainty permeating the central bank.
Nearly 3,000 pounds of ground beef recalled for E. coli risk
The recall involves 16-ounce packages labeled “Forward Farms Grass-Fed Ground Beef.”
Did California finish 2025 with booming confidence?
Rising confidence, no matter the reason, is an economic positive.
Judge blocks White House’s attempt to defund the CFPB, ensuring employees get paid
This decision comes days before the bureau would have run out of money.
Stocks waver as 2025 winds down while gold and silver rise
The more notable action was again in the commodities markets.
Without pennies, should retailers round up or down? States offer their 2 cents
Businesses and states are grappling with the fallout of the federal government’s quick elimination of...
America’s ‘missing middle’ and the struggle for affordable housing
State and local governments are rethinking how and where Americans can live by changing the...
HOA Homefront: Court decision denying ADU supports board’s discretion
The case stemmed from a couple's effort to build an accessory dwelling unit on their...
California couple creates one of the most sustainable homes in the nation
The Sebastopol couple have made their 1980s home ultra-energy- and water-efficient and outfitted it with...
Big Tech blocks California data center rules, leaving only a study requirement
A new law orders regulators to study the cost impacts of fast-growing, energy-hungry AI data...
New California laws rewrite car-buying rules with return policy, pricing reforms
California lawmakers let automakers opt out of recent changes to the state’s lemon law and...
The 11 big trades of 2025: Bubbles, cockroaches and a 367% jump
From bond desks in Tokyo and credit committees in New York to currency traders in...
Struggling to set 2026 financial goals? Get an AI assist
Here’s how to get the most out of AI tools.
Status Update: Richland Aesthetics med spa expands to Newport Beach
The boutique clinic offers all the modern technology of skincare with "a concierge-level patient experience,"...
Nvidia, Lenovo and Samsung to test consumer appetite for AI at CES
At CES, the annual consumer technology conference happening in Las Vegas next week, the biggest...
Stocks slip on Wall Street as 2025 winds down
The losses have little impact on the broader annual gains for major indexes.
Should you make charitable gifts in 2025 or 2026?
It's the season of giving, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be tax savvy about...
From Craftsman style to modern and minimalist, a year into post-fire rebuild a vision emerges
Housing options vary from relocating condemned houses, craning in factory builds and shopping plans from...
More thrifting and fewer returns, the early trends that defined shopping this holiday
Here are the trends that defined the holiday shopping season so far.
Why Sears’ last great hope was a promise that never materialized
A decade after an investment firm was created to help save Sears from its inevitable...
New California law requires tortillas to include folic acid
Starting Jan. 1, California tortillas will contain folic acid to help prevent birth defects —...
Nvidia strikes a deal with Groq, an AI chip startup
Nvidia, the maker of artificial intelligence chips and the world’s most valuable public company, agreed...
Target jumps after FT reports activist Toms Capital took stake
Target Corp. shares rose on Friday after the Financial Times reported that an activist investor...
Real estate news: Orange City Square office complex sells for $89 million
The buyer was MGR Real Estate in Ontario.
Home prices fall in 44% of OC. How did your ZIP do?
Of 84 local ZIP codes with sales in October 2025, prices increased in the past...
Stocks close slightly lower in quiet post-Christmas trading
Gold and silver prices continued to climb.
For young people in debt, bankruptcy seems like a get out of jail free card. Is it?
Friends, TikTokers, even credit counselors can’t tell you whether or not to file for bankruptcy.
25 good things that happened in Southern California in 2025
Economists from the Inland Empire Economic Partnership look at events throughout the region worth spotlighting,...
HOA Homefront: What board eligibility requirements must HOAs follow?
In California there is only one mandatory eligibility requirement to run for director or serve...
Americans facing a tough job market in 2025 won’t get a break next year
Workers outside of health care, in particular, have had a difficult go of it.
Mortgage servicer Mr. Cooper cutting 102 jobs in Lake Forest
Mr. Cooper Group Inc., a mortgage servicing operation that was recently acquired by Rocket Cos....
California’s minimum wage is increasing in 2026 as LA debates $30 an hour
California’s minimum wage is adjusted every year for inflation. Some cities have a higher wage...
Average US long-term mortgage rate ticks down to 6.18% this week
Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages rose this week.
US stocks drift to more records on a holiday-shortened day of trading
Markets closed early for Christmas Eve and will remain closed for Christmas on Thursday.
These are the best and worst things about new account bonus offers
Learn what bank account bonuses offer aside from cash.
US unemployment claims fall again last week, remain at historically healthy level
The latest figures come despite some signs that the labor market is weakening.
Commercial real estate’s 12 days of Christmas
Please enjoy my take, as a commercial real estate professional, on the real 12 days...
Nvidia gains, hospitals hurt: Congress winners and losers
The Republican-controlled Congress has been very good to most of corporate America this year.
Aetna to cover IVF treatments for same-sex couples in national settlement
It is the first case requiring a health insurer to apply this policy nationally across...
Cautious shoppers step up spending to start holiday season
Uncertainty about the economy is making consumers more targeted in their buying.