WSJ Your Money Matters

U.S. households are likely to pay a lot more for electricity this summer due to inflation . WSJ personal-finance reporter J.J. McCorvey joins host J.R. Whalen with tips for reinin g in your air conditioner’s electricity usage and lowering your monthly energy bill. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prospective homebuyers who don’t have funds on hand to make an all-cash offer are finding creative ways to solve the issue . WSJ reporter Orla McCaffrey joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Investors whose portfolios have suffered losses can turn those declines into gains when preparing their taxes next year . WSJ’s Laura Saunders joins host J.R. Whalen to explain how it works, and IRS rules to keep in mind.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inflation is weighing on consumers’ finances, but some shoppers are still willing to pay rising prices on brands they like . But not all. The Drucker Institute’s Rick Wartzman joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss the challenges this poses to companies that often pass higher costs on to shoppers.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.K. launched a study this week with thousands of employees in many sectors to determine if working one less day during the week would affect production or morale . WSJ’s Kathryn Dill joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss the experiment and similar studies, and whether U.S. companies are likely to adopt a four-day workweek anytime soon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoice...

In addition to extra charges for food and checked bags, some airlines are charging fees for passengers to select a seat - in some cases in excess of $100. WSJ travel columnist Dawn Gilbertson joins host J.R. Whalen on how passengers can avoid paying seat fees. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a strong 2021, “buy now, pay later” companies like Klarna and Affirm are facing financial headwinds due to increased consumer delinquencies and the effects of higher interest rates . WSJ’s AnnaMaria Andriotis tells host J.R. Whalen what consumers who use those programs should expect going forward.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some senior homeowners use a reverse mortgage to borrow a portion of the equity in their homes as funds to live on . WSJ contributor Lori Ioannou joins host J.R. Whalen to explain the nuts and bolts of reverse mortgages, and the risks that come with them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More people in their 20s, often called Gen Z, are shelving plans to pursue socially conscious jobs to take roles with better pay . Host J.R. Whalen is joined by WSJ “On the Clock” columnist Callum Borchers, who discusses the trend, and 25-year-old Monica Tuñez, who left her education non-profit job for a role at a large company. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More people are using Slack to connect with professionals and recruiters outside their workplace to fast-track their job search . WSJ workplace reporter Lindsay Ellis joins host J.R. Whalen to explain how it works.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

House Democrats have asked the big three credit-reporting firms for answers on how they have handled consumer complaints about inaccuracies on credit reports . WSJ banking reporter AnnaMaria Andriotis joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Auto-insurance companies are set to raise rates by as much as 20% in some places. WSJ insurance-industry reporter Leslie Scism joins host J.R. Whalen to explain why, and when consumers can expect to see those higher bills kick in. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The tight labor market has driven rates for teenage babysitters to upwards of $35 an hour . Host J.R. Whalen is joined by WSJ reporter Rachel Wolfe to discuss the trend, and 15-ye ar-old babysitter Evelyn Loperfido talks about how she has been able to command higher pay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The IRS is struggling with a lack of staff and funding, which is making it even harder than usual for taxpayers to get timely customer service . WSJ tax reporter Laura Saunders knows this firsthand. She joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss her experience of waiting several hours in line to get assistance at an IRS office. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many people might not realize their 401(k) retirement account has taken on more risk in recent years . The reason: a shift in how target-date funds invest workers’ savings. WSJ retirement reporter Anne Tergesen joins host J.R. Whalen to explain how target-date funds work and whether they’re a safe investment in a volatile stock market. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inflation running at levels not seen in 40 years is causing millennials and younger people to rethink how they save and spend . WSJ personal-finance reporter Julia Carpenter joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss the financial lessons learned from higher i nflation, and ways to stretch your dollars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As teens gear up to start their summer jobs, many will have their first experience with the IRS when they get taxes and other deductions taken out of their paycheck . WSJ tax reporter Laura Saunders joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss what summer workers, and their families, need to know.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While homeowners ready to sell can benefit from prices that continue to hit record highs, those not ready to sell can use the equity in their home to hedge against future declines . WSJ contributor Brian O’Connor joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss the strategies, and risks, for locking in the steep rise in home values.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After making their monthly payments through the first year and a half of the pandemic, more subprime borrowers are missing monthly payments on various types of loans. WSJ reporter AnnaMaria Andriotis joins host J.R. Whalen to explain why, and what it could mean for people’s ability to take out loans in the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More companies, such as the Wall Street bank Goldman Sachs, are offering employees an unlimited number of days off per year. WSJ workplace reporter Lindsay Ellis joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss why companies are offering the perk, and the tradeof fs workers face when using it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After steadily rising to record levels along with new-car prices during the pandemic, prices for pre-owned vehicles have been lower in recent months . WSJ autos reporter Ryan Felton joins host J.R. Whalen to discuss why prices are falling and how that is affecting buyers of both new and used cars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With prices for flights, lodging and car rentals on the rise, your summer trip may cost a lot more this year. What’s worse, previous tactics that travelers relied on to save money might not work as well right now. WSJ travel reporter Jacob Passy joins host Trenae Nuri to discuss why. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Owning a home has traditionally been seen as a good long-term financial move over renting. But with home prices climbing along with rent, is that still the case? WSJ housing reporter Will Parker joins host Trenae Nuri to discuss the new math on whether it makes more financial sense to rent or buy a home . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Prices are up. Stocks are down. And that’s leading a lot of households to rethink their budgets and investments. But there are various tools available that can automate your day-to-day financial decisions . WSJ personal-finance reporter J.J. McCorvey joins host Trenae Nuri to discuss how robo advisers powered by AI could protect you from making important financial moves based on emotion. Learn mor...

In the tight labor market, new workers are in high demand. And that’s good news for teenagers who want a job . Teen unemployment is near its lowest level in decades, as businesses look to them to help fill a record number of open positions. WSJ workforce reporter Kathryn Dill joins host Trenae Nuri to discuss how businesses are attracting and retaining teenage workers, and Houston restaurateur Ita...