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While the broader software sector stumbles, cybersecurity platforms are emerging as essential infrastructure needed to channel rising traffic from AI agents.

During my career reporting on mortgage rates and the housing market, I’ve watched homeowners carry specific ideas about when they should refinance and when they shouldn’t. There aren’t any hard-and-fast rules, though — every family’s situation is different, and the real estate market and its “rules” are constantly changing.For a long time, a popular idea was that you should refinance only if your new mortgage rate would be at least 1 percentage point lower than your current one. This way, your savings interest would be more likely to offset the closing costs you pay up front when refinancing.However, an analysis by real estate technology company Redfin discovered that now is a good time for many to refinance, and the 1% rule isn’t necessarily relevant in the current market.This calculation was based on a 6.08% rate, which was the year-to-date average at the time of publication.Redfin found that 1 in 5 homeowners could benefit from refinancingMost homeowners don’t need to lock in a rate that’s 1% lower than what they have now. Lowering their rate by 0.5% could very well be enough to save money. Redfin detected that one in five households with a home loan could save money by refinancing into a lower-rate mortgage in today’s market.Why is 0.5% the new goal? Because in Q3 2025, more mortgage borrowers had a rate over 6% than under 3%, marking the first instance in five years. National average mortgage rates are hovering around 6% right now, according to Freddie Mac, which gives those homeowners the opportunity to refinance into a lower rate.“Say someone bought a $500,000 home in October 2023, when rates hit a 20-year high of 7.8%. Their monthly mortgage payment would be about $3,700, assuming a 20% down payment,” Redfin wrote. “Refinancing to a 6% rate would bring the payment down to about $3,200, saving $500 per month. If the homeowner pays $10,000 in refinance fees, it would take less than two years — 20 months — for the monthly savings to pay for the fees.”If the homeowner in this example stayed in the house for more than 20 months, they would recoup their up-front costs. After the 20-month mark, that $500 per month would be pure savings.“The last time this many homeowners were in the money for a refinance was the end of 2021, when mortgage rates averaged 3.08%, and roughly two in five (39.4%) would have benefited from refinancing,” Redfin wrote.Homeowners are losing out on savings by not refinancingSo, it’s the best time in years to refinance your mortgage. However, Redfin found that roughly one in 10 (9.1%) of eligible homeowners are actually refinancing to save money.“That’s the lowest ‘take-up rate’ for homeowners who could benefit from refinancing since the beginning of 2020,” the report stated.More about mortgages and the housing market:The conflict in Iran pushes mortgage rates over 6%Existing-home sales exceed Goldman Sachs’ expectationsZillow predicts mortgage rate, housing market changeSo far in Q1 2026, homeowners have refinanced around $223 billion of mortgage loans. There was potential for Americans to refinance $2.24 trillion in mortgages if the 90.9% who were eligible to save had refinanced.The analysis listed three main reasons homeowners haven’t refinanced yet in 2026: They aren’t aware that they could save by refinancing right now, they’re holding out for lower mortgage rates, or they’re worried about closing costs.I have been reporting on daily mortgage rates for years, and I can’t count the number of times mortgage rates have increased when the general public expected them to decrease. If a homeowner stands to save money by refinancing now, waiting simply in hopes of lower rates might not be the best idea. It’s a risky game to play, and there’s zero guarantee that rates will actually go down soon.And I won’t deny that closing costs can be expensive — but that’s why it’s crucial to shop for lenders with the lowest fees, consider no-closing-cost refinances, or opt for the less-expensive streamline refinance, if you qualify. Also, remember that your monthly savings will help offset what you pay on closing day.How to know when it makes sense to refinance your mortgage Redfin’s report makes it clear that more people could benefit from refinancing, but that still doesn’t mean refinancing is the right move for every homeowner. Here are some ways to determine whether refinancing is a good move for you right now.Look at your current mortgage interest rate. Is it over 6%? Then you might qualify for a lower rate now. Remember, Redfin stated that lowering your rate by just 0.50% could be enough to benefit financially.Estimate your closing costs.According to Freddie Mac, refinance closing costs typically total 3% to 6% of your mortgage principal. So, if you refinance into a $500,000 loan, expect to pay $15,000 to $30,000 in closing costs.Talk to your current mortgage lender. Get a better idea of what your new rate could be and how much you’ll pay in closing costs, and consider shopping with a few more to find the best deal.Calculate your “break-even point.” This is the amount of time it takes for your monthly savings to cancel out the money you spent on closing costs. If you spend $15,000 on closing costs and your new rate would save you $400 per month, your break-even point would be 50 months, or just over four years.Consider how long you expect to stay in the house. In the above example, refinancing probably wouldn’t be financially worth it if you plan to move in a year or two. But if you want to stay for more than four years, then you’ll save money in the long run.Related: Redfin, Zillow reveal major mortgage rate, housing market change

Broadcast Retirement Network’s Jeffrey Snyder discusses how consumers can select the best over-the-counter hearing aids with Akoio’s Bill Schiffmiller, MPS.Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkJoining me now is Bill Schiffmiller of Akoio. Bill, it’s so great to see you. Thanks so much for joining us this morning.Bill Schiffmiller, MPS, AkoioIt’s nice to join you again, Jeff.Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkYeah. And you are heavily involved in the, I would say, hearing technology world. And so I wanted to come to you because there are so many platforms now available, so many products and tools available over the counter as a result of an FDA ruling that I think it’s hard for consumers to kind of figure out where to go, how to select them.So let me get your first impression of the marketplace today. Let’s start there. What’s your impression?Bill Schiffmiller, MPS, AkoioWell, right now, I think it’s great that the FDA offered their approval on over-the-counter hearing aids. It’s a long time coming. Part of the challenge to that is when you look at hearing loss, we always look at prescriptive hearing aids.And that is for the very few, if you look at the market. So let’s take 100%. 20% of those who need truly hearing aids, prescriptive hearing aids, they would go to the audiologist and get those expensive options, which is appropriate for them.With OTC, now we’re looking at the other 80%, and that is those with mild to moderate loss. The challenge with that market is the awareness piece. Are you getting folks aware of their hearing?And what is their hearing profile? If you don’t have that kind of information, how do I know where to go and which product to choose when it comes to over-the-counter hearing aids? Now, there are many players in that space.You’re seeing advertisement on television. You see promotions via online. But how do I know I’m getting the right one?The way I look at hearing aids and OTC as well is it’s like choosing a car. Where do I go to get the right kind of car that’s going to be right for me? Is it performance?Is it comfort? Is it the price point? There are so many factors that need to be taken into account.With that being said, I always like to go, hey, where can you go to try products and get a profile and then allow you to try it for 30 days and you can bring it back if needed? So there are two players in that space. That does it for me.I think they can afford to address this market. And that’s Apple. And then there’s a company called Nuance Audio with their hearing glasses, which is part of Essilor Lasotica.And Essilor Lasotica, for our viewers, is the don. They’re the large eye-framing company. But what’s great about Essilor Lasotica is not only do they have these eye-framing brands, but they also have retail brands like Lenscraper and ProVision.And then you also have Apple. While we all know their products, we know that they have retail presence. So you can start by going into a retail store and say, hey, I want to try on the product that you’re offering when it comes to hearing.So once again, you have Essilor with their Nuance Audio hearing glasses. And then you have Apple with their Apple AirPod Pro 2, as well as Apple AirPod Pro 3. And both of these products by these companies are FBA-approved OTCs.Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkSo to follow up on that, Bill, I mean, the thesis that you have is that there are a lot of offerings out there, but you got to have a presence in order to do the education around it to make sure that people understand not only what they’re buying, but also how to deploy it. Because you just mentioned two very big brands. They both have that.Am I understanding that correctly from your perspective?Bill Schiffmiller, MPS, AkoioThat is correct. Not only do you have salespeople on the floor to work with you and set the right expectations, but they’re going to be a lot of questions. But they also have testing features built in to say, hey, we want to start you on the right foot and go, hey, is this the right product for you?So what they both have are the ability to do hearing tests and then determine, okay, your range is XYZ. These products will be appropriate for you. However, if it’s not, we recommend that you go and see an audiologist.So that, I think, is responsible. It’s smart. And you’re setting folks in the right direction.And what a great way to get them aware of, oh, well, what is my hearing profile? What does that really all mean?Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkYeah, I’m sorry to interrupt you. I was going to say, I like that, you know, it’s not about just selling the product and moving on and buying. Because I think there are a lot of people out there, Bill, that do not kind of under or maybe they don’t even recognize that they have hearing loss or they’re afraid to do something about their hearing loss because there used to be a stigma around, hey, I’m an old guy now and I can’t hear.But that stigma has really dissipated. So people should feel pretty comfortable going to these brands and trying to figure out a solution because it’s really uncomfortable to not be able to hear certain parts of a conversation.Bill Schiffmiller, MPS, AkoioAnd also, Jeff, what’s cool about this is when it comes to auditory matters, we’re not talking about hearing loss so much. We’re not talking about granddad’s hearing aid anymore. Now it’s a question of what is my auditory world like?Noise. Auditory fatigue. If I can hear well, I’m just stressed.I’m having some issues associated with noise. And what’s great about those products that I mentioned is they have added features in there that can help deal with noise and stress. And we hear about noise cancellation and features like that.That is a wonderful way to get people to realize, I don’t know why, but I feel better when I use these products. And when you do that, that is a great entry point. So one day, if they need a prescriptive hearing aid, because we do lose some hearing over time, they will be open and more receptive to a prescriptive hearing aid the way we know it today.And go, you know what? I benefited from these OTC over the years, but now that I’m older, my needs have changed. I am more open, more knowledgeable of what’s out there to help me.Jeffrey Snyder, Broadcast Retirement NetworkYeah. Very well said, Bill. Bill, we’re going to have to leave it there.It’s always great to see you. Thanks for sharing your insight into the marketplace. And we look forward to having you back on the program again very soon, sir.Bill Schiffmiller, MPS, AkoioThank you, Jeff. Good to be with you.

It seems like everything you buy these days has a hidden fee somewhere.Whether it’s that DoorDash meal you ordered that cost $15 on the menu, but somehow costs $23 to deliver, or the airline taxes and fees that take a $130 ticket to $200, hidden fees always come with a bit of sticker shock.But retailers are betting that after going through the rigamarole of choosing the product and then paying for it, the consumer is in too deep to not pull the trigger on the purchase. After spending 10 minutes starving and salivating about the food on DoorDash, I’m willing to pay however much it takes to get the food to my door as fast as possible.Related: 5 more great SUV deals to consider, according to Consumer ReportsIf that customer psychology works on small purchases, large purchases that take much more time to consider, and much more funding to complete, are even stickier.While so-called “destination charges” (the cost of getting the vehicle from the shipping yard or factory floor to the dealer lot) have been rising for years, they recently reached crisis levels.In 2026, what was once a fee of a couple of hundred dollars has ballooned to an average of $1,600 per vehicle.Overall, car buyers spent more than $26 billion on destination charges in 2025, according to Edmunds, and The Wall Street Journal reported that much of that cost was due to tariffs.“It’s a way to raise prices that is, shall we say, less transparent to the consumer,” John Morrill, a Massachusetts car dealer, told the Journal. “Carmakers have raised them a lot, certainly faster than they’ve raised prices.”Ford F-150, the most popular pickup truck in America, saw destination charges add an average of $2,595 to the final price in 2025. In 2020, that number was $1,695. Consumer Reports recently compiled a list of the cars with the most expensive destination charges and a list of cars with the least. Surprisingly, all the vehicles on the least-expensive destination-charge list are foreign models. No U.S.-made vehicle had an average destination cost below $1,235.What is Consumer Reports?Founded in 1936 by a group of workers fired from a product-testing firm called Consumers’ Research, Consumer Reports is a multifaceted nonprofit organization that aims to educate consumers about products and help them make informed purchasing decisions.It does this by purchasing and testing products directly, administering detailed surveys to its members about the products they own and use, and investigating the veracity of manufacturers’ claims.Consumer Reports at a glanceFounded: 1936 (as Consumers Union by former employees of Consumers’ Research, fired after they attempted to unionize)Headquartered: Yonkers, NYLeadership: Marta Tellado, president and CEOEmployees: Approx. 500 to 600Members: At least 6 millionMission statement: “Consumer Reports is an independent, nonprofit member organization that works side by side with consumers for truth, transparency, and fairness in the marketplace.”Consumer Reports’ slogan, “Smarter choices for a better world,” captures the organization’s purpose. CR aims to educate and inform the public by providing objective information about popular products, helping consumers make “smarter choices” when purchasing major items.For this list, Consumer Reports says the key takeaway is “destination charges are now a major cost when buying a car. Be sure to look past the sticker price to understand average transaction prices in your area, destination charges, and taxes for budgeting.”5 vehicles with the least expensive “destination charges” in 20262026 Kia K5

2026 K5Kia

Brand: KiaModels: K4, K5Destination Charge: $1,1952026 Nissan Z

Nissan

Brand: NissanModels: ZDestination Charge: $1,1952026 Subaru BRZ

Subaru

Brand: SubaruModels: BRZ, ImprezaDestination Charge: $1,1952026 Volvo V60

Volvo

Brand: Volvo Models: V60Destination Charge: $1,1952026 Mazda 3

Mazda

Brand: MazdaModels: 3Destination Charge: $1,235Related: These are the 5 most reliable compact SUVs, says Consumer Reports

Big banks are increasingly seeing their shares impacted by worries about underwriting quality at private lenders.

Refunds are almost 11% higher than the same point last year, the IRS said this week.

Paul McCartney debuts the Man on the Run soundtrack at No. 5 on the Soundtracks chart, marking his first appearance on the ranking as a soloist.

With fuel prices soaring since the start of the war with Iran, a question has surfaced that was almost unimaginable a few weeks ago.

“I’ve read this advice again and again.”

TheStreet aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.Why we love this dealIf you’ve ever spent 10 minutes hunting through a tangled pile of screws, drill bits, and fasteners before a job or DIY project, you already understand the problem this organizer solves. The DeWalt 20-Compartment Pro Organizer brings a professional-grade answer to one of the most persistent headaches in any workshop, garage, or job site — and right now it’s available at Amazon for just $22.That’s a surprisingly low price for a product that tradespeople and serious DIYers describe as one of the best organizational tools they own. Not only will this help you wrangle all your DIY supplies, but it also has a handle so you can take it on the go.DeWalt 20-Compartment Organizer, $22 (was $28) at Amazon

Courtesy of Amazon

Why do shoppers love it?The Deep Pro Organizer features a heavy-duty, clear, impact-resistant lid, removable dividers for customizing compartment sizes to fit various parts and tools, and sturdy latches that keep everything locked down during transport.The carry handle folds flat when not in use, making it easy to stack and store.One of its most practical features is the IP53-rated water seal, which protects contents from dust and light moisture. That’s a major advantage for anyone working outdoors or hauling gear between job sites in unpredictable weather. The lid is also ridged on the underside, which keeps small parts from migrating between compartments when the box is carried or stacked.Speaking of stacking, that’s another handy feature of this organizer. The side latches can stack with several other products from the Pro Organizer line, meaning you can build out a modular system over time, pairing boxes together and carrying them as a single unit.Related: DeWalt’s 8-compartment organizer is on sale for $8, and it’s a storage dream for DIYersPros and cons of this $22 DeWalt OrganizerPros:It’s a DeWalt product: DeWalt has made reliable, high-quality products for more than 100 years.It interlocks with other products in the Pro line: You can build a modular system using this organizer.It’s water-resistant: Your supplies will never get wet when stored in this organizer.Cons:It may be too small for your needs: If you need more room than what the 20 compartments can hold, check out the rest of the DeWalt Pro Organizer line.Partitions don’t always stay in place: Some reviews mention that the partitions inside sometimes move, and that small items like screws can get lodged underneath.Amazon has sold more than 800 of these organizers in the last month, so it’s obvious how popular they are. Over 600 shoppers have given it a five-star rating, praising the quality and functionality. “This is a game changer!” one shopper wrote. “With having a two-year-old and small nails/screws/etc, we needed something to hold these items and prevent our kiddo from accessing them. It locks in four places, has great storage, is built with quality, and is definitely worth your money!”Another shopper said, “When it comes to hardware storage, you can’t go wrong with the DeWalt case. You can get four of these into a large cabinet drawer, and they fit perfectly. These solved a long-term storage issue I’ve been dealing with for years.”Shop more deals DeWalt 8-Compartment Tool Box, $8 (was $9) at AmazonDeWalt T-Stak Tool Organizer, $33 (was $35) at Amazon DeWalt Shallow Tool Organizer, $31 (was $38) at AmazonFor anyone who works with small parts regularly, the DeWalt 20-Compartment Pro Organizer is the kind of purchase you make and wonder how you managed without it. At just $22 at Amazon, it’s a steal.