Veronica Dagher
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Personal Finance Reporter @WSJ | Author, @penguinrandom | Award-Winning Media Personality Providing Expert Analysis for TV, Podcasts, & Live Events
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Articles by Veronica Dagher
If you're rushing to lock in a mortgage rate, here's what you need to know
Prospective homeowners are rushing to lock in mortgage rates before they climb any further, and many are locking for longer than they did a year ago. The average 30-year fixed rate rose to 7.4%, up from 7.28% last week , reaching its highest point in nearly three years. Many forecasters expect rates to remain elevated at least through the end of the year. The rise is fueling anxiety among borrowers who fear they could miss their chance at homeownership if rates move any higher.
If You’re Rushing to Lock In a Mortgage Rate, Here’s What You Need to Know
Rising rates have borrowers working to secure rates, but lock terms and costs vary Prospective homeowners are rushing to lock in mortgage rates before they climb any further, and many are locking for longer than they did a year ago. The average 30-year fixed rate rose to 7.4%, up from 7.28% last week, reaching its highest point in nearly three years. Many forecasters expect rates to remain elevated at least through the end of the year. Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Real-estate agents give much different advice these days than they did five years ago With mortgage rates on the cusp of topping 7% for the fifth year in a row, it might be time to stop waiting for lower rates to put your home on the market. Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
The new rules for selling your home with mortgage rates near 7%
With mortgage rates on the cusp of topping 7% for the fifth year in a row, it might be time to stop waiting for lower rates to put your home on the market. Home sales have cooled siginificantly as high rates make buyers think twice. Sales of existing homes last month were at their lowest level in more than a year . And that was before the Federal Reserve raised interest rates on Wednesday. Most sellers can no longer count on a swift sale.
The New Rules for Selling Your Home With Mortgage Rates Near 7% — WSJ
By Veronica Dagher and Nicholas G. Miller With mortgage rates on the cusp of topping 7% for the fifth year in a row, it may be time to stop waiting for lower rates to put your home on the market. Home sales have cooled dramatically as high rates make buyers think twice. Sales of existing homes last month were at their lowest level in more than a year. And that was before the Federal Reserve raised interest rates on Wednesday. Most sellers can no longer count on a quick sale.
Here’s What It’s Like to Retire to a Low-Tax State
By Veronica Dagher and Anne Tergesen Sept. 14, 2026 Many Americans dream of relocating in retirement to stretch their nest eggs, and they often do it by moving to low-tax states. Choosing a state with no income tax, like Florida, or lower tax rates promises relief for retirees tapping 401(k)s. But such moves are rarely just about savings. For some, total spending remains almost the same, or even rises, but funds shift toward upgraded amenities or travel.
Here's What It's Like to Retire to a Low-Tax State — WSJ
By Veronica Dagher and Anne Tergesen Many Americans dream of relocating in retirement to stretch their nest eggs, and they often do it by moving to low-tax states. Choosing a state with no income tax, like Florida, or lower tax rates promises relief for retirees tapping 401(k)s. But such moves are rarely just about savings. For some, total spending remains almost the same, or even rises, but funds shift toward upgraded amenities or travel.
Here’s What It’s Like to Retire to a Low-Tax State
Sept. 12, 2026 8:00 pm ET Many Americans dream of relocating in retirement to stretch their nest eggs, and they often do it by moving to low-tax states. Choosing a state with no income tax, like Florida, or lower tax rates promises relief for retirees tapping 401(k)s. But such moves are rarely just about savings. For some, total spending remains almost the same, or even rises, but funds shift toward upgraded amenities or travel.
The Simple Request That Could Lower Your Mortgage Rate
Lenders can now consult two different credit-scoring models and pick the one that results in the lower rate Rebecca Noble/Bloomberg News One simple request might help you score a lower mortgage rate while costs are soaring. You can now ask your lender to pull your credit score using VantageScore 4.0, if it hasn’t already, or you can find a lender willing to do it. This is an alternative scoring model that makes some borrowers look more creditworthy. Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
The simple request that could lower your mortgage rate
One simple request might help you score a lower mortgage rate while costs are soaring. You can now ask your lender to pull your credit score using VantageScore 4.0, if it hasn't already, or you can find a lender willing to do it. This is an alternative scoring model that makes some borrowers look more creditworthy. The ability to do this is new.
The Simple Request That Could Lower Your Mortgage Rate — WSJ
One simple request might help you score a lower mortgage rate while costs are soaring. You can now ask your lender to pull your credit score using VantageScore 4.0, if it hasn't already, or you can find a lender willing to do it. This is an alternative scoring model that makes some borrowers look more creditworthy. The ability to do this is new.
A Guide to Owning Bonds When They Are Selling Off
Advisers say fixed income still has a place in a diversified portfolio The Treasury Department in Washington. Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg News A global bond market rout stretching from the U.S. to Japan is making investors skittish, but it doesn’t erase the value of fixed income in a diversified portfolio. For those thinking of buying, the market ructions have made bond yields more attractive, financial advisers say. Over 80% of the global bond market now yields above 4%, according to BlackRock.
A Guide to Owning Bonds When They Are Selling Off — WSJ
By Veronica Dagher and Ashlea Ebeling A global bond market rout stretching from the U.S. to Japan is making investors skittish, but it doesn't erase the value of fixed income in a diversified portfolio. For those thinking of buying, the market ructions have made bond yields more attractive, financial advisers say. Over 80% of the global bond market now yields above 4%, according to BlackRock.
Four Ways to Spot HOA Risks Before You Buy a Home
The stakes of buying into a homeowners association are rising, with aging buildings and soaring insurance costs threatening to strain community finances. A growing number of people are buying homes in community associations, which can include condos, co-ops or single-family homes where residents share costs to maintain common spaces. Roughly 373,000 U.S. community associations include about 78 million Americans, according to the Foundation for Community Association Research.
Four Ways to Spot HOA Risks Before You Buy a Home
Buying into a homeowners association means going into business with your neighbors The U.S. is home to about 373,000 community associations. Andy Jacobsohn for WSJ The stakes of buying into a homeowners association are rising, with aging buildings and soaring insurance costs threatening to strain community finances. A growing number of people are buying homes in community associations, which can include condos, co-ops or single-family homes where residents share costs to maintain common spaces.
Four Ways to Spot HOA Risks Before You Buy a Home — WSJ
The stakes of buying into a homeowners association are rising, with aging buildings and soaring insurance costs threatening to strain community finances. A growing number of people are buying homes in community associations, which can include condos, co-ops or single-family homes where residents share costs to maintain common spaces. Roughly 373,000 U.S. community associations include about 78 million Americans, according to the Foundation for Community Association Research.
Are you caring for your kids and aging parents? Tell us your biggest challenges
Right now, an estimated 11 million Americans are balancing the dual demands of raising children while helping aging parents. If you're managing school schedules, medical appointments and retirement savings all at once—you're not alone, and you don't have to figure it all out by yourself. In a new Wall Street Journal series, reporter Veronica Dagher is bringing your most pressing challenges to financial planners, doctors and career coaches for actionable advice.
Could You Beat a High-Schooler on the New AP Personal-Finance Test?
Personal-finance classes are expanding across U.S. high schools, and the subject’s importance is getting a nod of recognition this fall. The College Board is rolling out a new Advanced Placement Business with Personal Finance course in a number of schools this coming school year. The course, announced last year, will cover entrepreneurship and business strategy alongside topics devoted to personal finance. Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Why Your Condo Association Might Be Raising Your Dues Soon
Tighter federal mortgage rules will require many condo associations to budget more for future repairs Reserve balances for condo buildings in Florida are ranked significantly weaker than elsewhere in the country. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Many condominium boards are facing pressure to raise dues to comply with tightening federal lending rules.
Retirees love dividends, but the stock market surge is making them think again
The stock-market boom is pressuring an investment strategy that is popular with retirees. Stocks are spitting out a smaller share of their returns in dividend income, a challenge for those who lean on steady cash flows to cover daily expenses. The trailing 12-month dividend yield on the S&P 500 is now hovering around a generational low of just over 1%, after trending downward for much of the past two decades.
Homeowners Associations Are Foreclosing on More Residents
Money is getting tighter for America’s hundreds of thousands of homeowners associations, and they are extending a shorter financial leash to their residents. HOAs are getting more aggressive about pursuing people who rack up unpaid dues, skipping informal grace periods to make up the payments and turning delinquent accounts over to lawyers. In the most extreme cases, they are pursuing foreclosures on these properties.
Homeowners associations are foreclosing on more residents
Money is getting tighter for America's hundreds of thousands of homeowners associations, and they are extending a shorter financial leash to their residents. HOAs are getting more aggressive about pursuing people who rack up unpaid dues, skipping informal grace periods to make up the payments and turning delinquent accounts over to lawyers. In the most extreme cases, they are pursuing foreclosures on these properties.
Homeowners Associations Are Foreclosing on More Residents
There has been a sharp rise in HOA foreclosures on properties from suburban condos to luxury homes HOAs fund operating costs with pooled dues paid by homeowners. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty Images Money is getting tighter for America’s hundreds of thousands of homeowners associations, and they are extending a shorter financial leash to their residents.
What It’s Like to Retire and Start a Business in America
By Anne Tergesen and Veronica Dagher July 6, 2026 It is a myth that entrepreneurship is for the young. Later-in-life business owners are blurring the line between their working years and retirement. The number of entrepreneurs between 55 and 64 years old who incorporated new businesses increased 22% over the past decade, compared with a 0.6% increase in total population, according to Kenan Fikri, a senior fellow at the public-policy-focused Economic Innovation Group.
What It’s Like to Retire and Start a Business in America
Margo Clayson started a business in her late 50s after taking a class that required her to write a business plan. Lindsay D’Addato for WSJ It is a myth that entrepreneurship is for the young. Later-in-life business owners are blurring the line between their working years and retirement.
Why You’re Probably Overpaying for Your Mortgage
American home buyers and owners pay tens of billions of dollars for not shopping around for the best mortgage. It is one of the few ways to lower the cost of buying when home prices are prohibitive and mortgage rates are high. But people don’t shop around—even high earners. Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
Why you’re probably overpaying for your mortgage
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Brief Drop in Mortgage Rates Points to Another False Start for the Housing Market
Rates eased briefly on ceasefire talks, but a hawkish Federal Reserve means the spring housing freeze is likely to stretch through the year June 23, 2026 10:29 am ET High home prices are also giving buyers a reason to avoid the market. Jason Henry/Bloomberg News The U.S. mortgage market is locked in a tug of war, leaving home buyers and refinancers caught between a brief respite in geopolitical tensions and a hawkish Federal Reserve.
More Americans Are Aging Alone. One Woman Told Us What It’s Like.
By Veronica Dagher | Photography by Tony Luong for WSJ Amy Kant in the art studio in her home in Watertown, Mass. Amy Kant in the art studio in her home in Watertown, Mass. Amy Kant initially thought she should name a power of attorney about 10 years ago after caring for a dying friend. She still hasn’t appointed someone to do it.
美国部分火热的房地产市场终于降温
丹佛和檀香山对普通购房者来说正变得较容易负担，成为依然令人望而生畏的住房市场中为数不多的几个亮点。 美国全国地产经纪商协会(National Association of Realtors)和Realtor.com在5月份发布的一份追踪截至3月底数据的报告显示，尽管过去几年全美范围内有更多房屋挂牌出售，但疫情后房价激增意味着这些房源的定价往往过高，当地买家仅凭现有收入难以负担。 Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
These Red-Hot Housing Markets Are Finally Getting More Attainable
Honolulu is an outlier where the misalignment between inventory and affordability has improved for home buyers, according to a new study. GETTY IMAGES Denver and Honolulu are becoming more accessible to the average home buyer, some of the few bright spots in a still-forbidding housing market.
离婚会给退休生活带来什么
最近几周，我们将带来有关离婚的财务影响的系列报道。 对许多美国人来说，离婚正在改写他们的晚年生活。 Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
离婚时争夺的五样意想不到的东西
接下来的几周，我们将为您带来系列报道，探讨离婚带来的财务影响。 有时候，离婚夫妻为车或房子而争；有时候，他们争的却是一堆冰箱贴。 Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
High housing costs are pushing foreclosures to a six-year high
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High housing costs are pushing foreclosures to a six-year high
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Microsoft Cares About Your Privacy High housing costs are pushing foreclosures to a six-year high
Nicole Friedman, Veronica Dagher U.S. foreclosure filings hit a six-year high in the first quarter. Fast-rising homeownership costs such as property-tax and insurance bills are a reason to blame. The number of U.S. properties with a foreclosure filing rose to almost 119,000 in the first quarter, according to property-data provider ATTOM. That marked a 26% jump from the same period a year earlier.
High Housing Costs Are Pushing Foreclosures to a Six-Year High
U.S. foreclosure filings hit a six-year high in the first quarter. Fast-rising homeownership costs such as property-tax and insurance bills are a reason to blame. The number of U.S. properties with a foreclosure filing rose to almost 119,000 in the first quarter, according to property-data provider Attom. That marked a 26% jump from the same period a year earlier. Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
How Reporting on Divorce Changed the Way I Think About It
April 30, 2026 12:00 pm ET This is the final story in our series on the financial impact of divorce. As a Wall Street Journal reporter, I’m aware of how divorce can be destructive financially. And from hearing my own friends’ stories, it sounded grueling emotionally. But reporting on the topic for our recent Cost of Divorce series changed how I think about what it means when a marriage ends. Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
What It’s Like to Retire in America After a Divorce
April 25, 2026 5:30 am ET This week, we’re bringing you stories about the financial impact of divorce. For many Americans, their golden years are being rewritten by divorce. While national divorce rates have hit historic lows for younger generations, the rate for older Americans has climbed. People 50 or older now make up nearly 40% of the divorcing population, up from just 8% in 1990, according to research from Bowling Green State University.
Five Unexpected Things People Went to War for in Their Divorce
April 20, 2026 11:45 am ET This week, we’re bringing you stories about the financial impact of divorce. Sometimes, divorcing couples clash over who gets the car or the house. Other times, it’s the collection of refrigerator magnets. Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
Microsoft Cares About Your Privacy Five unexpected things people went to war for in their divorce
Use precise geolocation data and actively scan device characteristics for identification. This is done to store and access information on a device and to provide personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development. List of partners (vendors) This week, we're bringing you stories about the financial impact of divorce. Sometimes, divorcing couples clash over who gets the car or the house.
Your Home Repair Cost How Much?! Readers Share Their Stories
Veronica Dagher People who own older properties tend to expect lots of costly maintenance. But every so often, a repair comes along that is so expensive it catches even the most seasoned homeowner off guard. After a recent Wall Street Journal article on the surging costs of maintaining aging homes , we asked readers to share their most surprising repair stories. Here are some of their experiences.
The Typical U.S. Home Is 44 Years Old—And Needs Tons of Work
A side of an old colonial house in Sands Point, N.Y. By Veronica Dagher | Photography by Ava Pellor for WSJ A home-construction boom sprouted across America in the roaring 1920s. Millions more single-family units went up across suburbia after World War II. Building surged again in the 1970s. Now those homes are old. Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8 Continue reading your article with a WSJ subscription Subscribe Now Already a subscriber?
There’s Extreme Volatility in the Mortgage Market. See How It’s Playing Out.
Home affordability is better than a year ago, but about a third of the gains reversed, according to Zillow. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg News Mortgage rates started the year falling. By the end of March they were soaring. People taking out 30-year fixed mortgages to buy homes or refinance have had to endure especially high rate-volatility as the market responds to twists and turns in public policy. Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
Fannie Mae to accept crypto-backed mortgages for the first time
Nicole Friedman, Veronica Dagher The mortgage-finance giant Fannie Mae will soon accept so-called crypto-backed mortgages for the first time, the latest expansion of cryptocurrencies into mainstream financial transactions.
Fannie Mae to Accept Crypto-Backed Mortgages for the First Time
The mortgage-finance giant Fannie Mae will soon accept so-called crypto-backed mortgages for the first time, the latest expansion of cryptocurrencies into mainstream financial transactions. The mortgage company Better Home & Finance and the U.S. crypto exchange Coinbase Global unveiled a new mortgage product Thursday that allows home buyers to pledge their crypto holdings when getting a Fannie-backed mortgage, instead of selling the crypto to make a cash down payment.
How homeowners are turning to adjustable-rate mortgages, in charts
Veronica Dagher Americans are reconsidering adjustable-rate mortgages as a way to cut the cost of buying a home in the short term. The loans faded from popularity after helping fuel the 2008 financial crisis. But persistently high mortgage rates have more home buyers turning to ARMs, which tend to have lower rates for a set number of years before floating in tandem with market rates.
How Homeowners Are Turning to Adjustable-Rate Mortgages, in Charts
The prospect of short-term savings is pushing more buyers to adjustable-rate mortgages WSJ’s Veronica Dagher explains the resurgence of adjustable-rate mortgages, which carry more risk than traditional fixed-rate mortgages. Chart: Rachel Rogers Americans are reconsidering adjustable-rate mortgages as a way to cut the cost of buying a home in the short term. The loans faded from popularity after helping fuel the 2008 financial crisis.
In California, about the only way to get a house is to inherit one
Nicole Friedman, Veronica Dagher Inheritance is one of the last reliable ways for younger Californians to own their first home. About 18% of all property transfers in the state last year, representing nearly 60,000 homes, were made through inheritance, according to a recent analysis by real-estate data firm Cotality. That share is a record for California in data going back to 1995, up from 12% in 2019. It is also roughly double the national share of 8.8% last year.
In California, About the Only Way to Get a House Is to Inherit One Original
Inheritance is one of the last reliable ways for younger Californians to own their first home. About 18% of all property transfers in the state last year, representing nearly 60,000 homes, were made through inheritance, according to a recent analysis by real-estate data firm Cotality. Copyright ©2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
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