WSJ Your Money Matters

While some prices have ticked down slightly from recent highs, others continue to rise and are unlikely to come down anytime soon. WSJ personal-finance reporter Julia Carpenter joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss why some prices remain “sticky” and how they are causing consumers to adjust their household finances . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Auto-insurance rates have risen an average of 8.3% from a year ago. WSJ personal-finance reporter Veronica Dagher joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss what is pushing rates higher and how drivers can reduce their monthly premiums . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So-called “quality” stocks, or profitable companies whose shares typically weather market downturns, haven’t performed as reliably this year as in past bear markets. WSJ’s “Intelligent Investor” columnist Jason Zweig joins host J.R. Whalen to explain why and discuss some changes investors can make to their portfolios to minimize losses.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoi...

Reviewing traditional tax strategies now could mean more money in your pocket when you prepare your tax return next spring . WSJ contributor Tom Herman joins host J.R. Whalen with steps taxpayers should consider to lessen the amount they may have to hand over to Uncle Sam. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Grocery prices rose more than 13% in August from a year earlier , the highest 12-month increase since 1979. Host J.R. Whalen is joined by reporter Rachel Wolfe to discuss how consumers are making ends meet, and by Louisiana resident Jamaica Bonvillian, who has struggled to balance food costs with her family’s overall household finances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoice...

Making donations to a political candidate or cause isn’t always tax deductible , and it can come with privacy implications. WSJ tax reporter Laura Saunders joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss what consumers should know before making a donation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Homeowners who previously locked in low mortgage rates face the dilemma of whether to sell and take on a significantly higher rate, or stay put and keep their low rate locked in . WSJ housing market reporter Nicole Friedman joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss the issue and the potential effect on home prices. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As workers return to the office, many companies are reinstating performance reviews . WSJ reporter Kathryn Dill joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss their relevance in the post-pandemic workplace, and how workers can prepare for their meeting with the boss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Americans’ electricity and natural-gas bills have risen an average of more than 15% over the past year. WSJ energy and utilities reporter Katherine Blunt joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss why prices are rising and how consumers can prepare . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some homeowners who are ready to sell are finding that more buyers are waiting on the sidelines, and many are choosing to rent out their homes instead, in the hopes of freeing up cash so they can buy a new place to live. WSJ housing-market reporter Will Parker joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss the pros and cons of renting out your home instead of selling it . Learn more about your ad choices. Visi...

New premium models of phones from Apple and Samsung can cost as much as a month’s rent. WSJ personal-finance reporter Veronica Dagher joins host Daniella Cheslow to discuss ways of lowering the sticker price and getting deals on wireless service . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than 125 U.S. colleges and universities promised in 2016 to raise the enrollment of lower-income students by 50,000 by 2025. But a progress report from the initiative shows the schools have added fewer than 8,000 so far. Higher-education reporter Melissa Korn joins host Daniella Cheslow to discuss why federal Pell Grants are reaching so few potential students . Learn more about your ad choice...

The largest share of second-home purchases closes from fall to early in the new year. But along with the dream of family memories and rental incomes, vacation homes carry financial and emotional risks . WSJ personal-finance reporter Veronica Dagher joins host Daniella Cheslow to discuss the highs and lows of buying a second home, and how to lay the foundation for a good buy. Learn more about your...

A record 19 million taxpayers asked the IRS for more time to file . Wall Street Journal personal finance reporter Ashlea Ebeling joins host Daniella Cheslow to discuss why so many taxpayers are filing late, and how to avoid steep penalties for missing the Oct. 17 deadline. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Americans’ credit-card balances are way up, and inflation is only part of the reason. WSJ personal-finance reporter Julia Carpenter joins host Daniella Cheslow to discuss why impulse buying (including her own) is up , and whether splurging might actually be worthwhile. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the U.S. savings rate on the decline, some financial apps are offering prizes and other incentives to encourage consumers to put money away . WSJ contributor Cheryl Winokur Munk joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss how the incentives work, and what financial experts have to say about their role in a savings plan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The competition among home sellers has increased this year as mortgage rates have risen to nearly 6%. WSJ “Mansion” section senior editor Kerry Barger joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss a new series of stories focused on helping homeowners prepare their house for a sale. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As stocks have flirted with bear-market territory this year, many people have invested in a type of exchange-traded fund known as a “buffer fund” to protect against potential steep declines. WSJ markets reporter Eric Wallerstein joins host J.R. Whalen to explain how buffer funds work and how well they have performed . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mortgage rates are roughly double where they were a year ago, and that is leading some people who are ready to buy a house to consider renting instead . WSJ economics reporter Ben Eisen joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss the tradeoffs of buying versus renting in the current housing market. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After several failed attempts over the past year to bring workers back to the office, companies are making a stronger push for a return to in-person work . WSJ workplace reporter Chip Cutter joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss what is different this time, and how workers can make the most of a return to their office desk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fraudsters send out about 12 billion robotexts a month in the hopes of scamming unsuspecting consumers . WSJ personal-technology columnist Nicole Nguyen joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss how you can avoid being victimized. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Americans in the upper middle class are feeling the effects of the economic downturn more acutely than those in other income groups. Host J.R. Whalen is joined by WSJ reporter Dion Rabouin to discuss the economic factors behind the trend, and by 33-year-old Texas resident Mark Yu, who explains how the economic instability has caused him to change his financial habits. Learn more about your ad choi...

A bill in California would require some of the country’s largest employers to include salary ranges in job postings . WSJ workplace and management reporter Chip Cutter joins host J.R. Whalen to explain how the measure also could affect workers and companies in other parts of the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inflation and stock-market instability are causing many seniors to make changes to how they treat their retirement savings as well as other aspects of their lives . Age Wave co-founder Maddy Dychtwald joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss the findings from a survey the group conducted with thousands of retirees.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A recent study found that the average cost of raising a child through age 17 is now $300,000. WSJ “Numbers” columnist Josh Zumbrun joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss the factors that are driving costs up the most, and how families can keep them under control . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices