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I’ve closely followed rising rent prices over the last decade or so, both in my work as a real-estate reporter and as a former renter. The rule of thumb is that prices rise over time, and in most cases, your landlord has the right to increase your rent.It’s one reason people consider buying a home to be a wise money choice. When you get a mortgage, your monthly payments toward the principal and interest are set. If you continue renting, your monthly rent could increase regularly.Except now, rent prices are decreasing in many parts of the U.S.Creative Planning CEO Peter Mallouk recently shared a screenshot on X of Reventure App’s breakdown of the 15 American cities with the largest rent cuts since 2022. The data, originally from Apartment List, showed that rents had fallen in major metros from Aug. 2022 to Feb. 2026.The metro area with the biggest drop was Austin, Texas, with a 22.2% decrease. Cities such as Phoenix, Atlanta, and Orlando also experienced significant cuts, with percentages in the double digits.Why have rent prices been decreasing? Ramit Sethi, financial influencer and author of “I Will Teach You to Be Rich,” shared his thoughts on the data.Sethi said landlords can’t pass their costs down to rentersSethi reposted Mallouk’s original post on X with a quote. “When I point out that landlords cannot magically pass along their costs to renters, people get VERY mad,” Sethi wrote.”Below is an example of how landlords can only charge what the market will bear,” he continued, referring to the screenshot Mallouk had shared. “Sometimes they cover their costs. Sometimes not. Often, they don’t even know their own costs!”Related: Financial influencer shares if buying a home is a waste of moneyPeople who rent out their homes may get angry when Sethi claims that landlords can’t automatically charge renters more just because their own homeownership costs have increased because, generally, the goal of renting out a home is to make money. It’s viewed as an investment.Eric Roberge, founder and CEO of financial advisory firm Beyond Your Hammock, agreed that landlords can’t simply calculate their costs, charge more so they make a profit, and decide that’s how much they’re going to charge for rent.”Landlords obviously have some control over what they charge to rent a particular property, but their costs can easily exceed what they can demand for a rental rate —particularly if we’re talking about ‘accidental landlords,’ or people who bought a home as a primary residence and instead of selling when they were ready to move on, kept ownership and tried to rent out the home,” Roberge told TheStreet.Some people view this approach to landlording as evil, others as naive. Regardless of the motivation, Apartment List’s latest data showed that it isn’t realistic. A landlord’s costs don’t decide the monthly rent they charge — the housing market does.Local real estate markets dictate rental pricesWhat did Sethi mean when he posted that “landlords can only charge what the market will bear?”The answer is complex (any explanation of the real estate market is), but it can mainly be broken down into two factors: location and supply versus demand.”Real estate is very, very locally based,” Roberge said. “For example, the Boston market is NOT the same as the Cambridge market which is again different from the Somerville market… even though you might be talking about a difference of a mile or two in physical distance.”If a landlord with a house on the outskirts of Boston charges as though it’s in downtown Boston, potential renters will probably search for a different property.More on real estate and the housing market:Politics, economy cause mortgage rates to jump 0.4% in MarchFannie Mae predicts shifts in mortgage rates, housing marketHome-buying costs are 4 times what buyers expectJust because a landlord might have a cost of $5,000 per month on a property between its mortgage, property tax rate (which is higher if you don’t live in the property as a primary residence, which landlords are not), and the ongoing cost of maintenance/repairs does not mean they can charge $8,000 per month and get a tenant willing to pay this amount,” Roberge said.However, Roberge explained that a landlord may be able to charge $8,000 monthly if the rental demand is high in their local market and there is low inventory. It’s also a more realistic price if the area’s main industries provide high-paying jobs.”The housing cost is going to rise to stay relative with people’s incomes,” Roberge said. More multifamily housing construction leads to lower rentsWhen a lot of people are looking to rent in an area, demand might exceed supply. In this case, landlords can get away with charging higher monthly rents. It’s the same with buying a home: If there are more potential homebuyers than properties for sale, houses are more expensive.But rental construction increased in 2024 and early 2025. An Apartments.com study revealed that because more multifamily construction in certain metro areas translated to more units for people to rent, the higher supply resulted in lower rent prices.The cities recorded by Apartment List with the most significant rent decreases have also experienced some of the most rapid construction over the last few years. Multifamily housing construction is slowing down now, according to Apartments.com, so rent prices could bounce back later. But for now, renters in cities like Austin and Phoenix are still enjoying the aftereffects of the previous construction boom.Related: Financial influencer warns homeowners about this mistake

For years, Dollar Tree built its brand on a simple promise. No matter what item you stumbled upon in the store, you were able to buy it for $1. But in today’s economy, that promise has evolved. It’s been years since Dollar Tree’s base price point was actually $1. In the wake of the pandemic, Dollar Tree increased its baseline price to $1.25 in response to soaring inflation.Most recently, Dollar Tree has gone all in on its multi-price strategy. Roam the aisles, and you’ll see plenty of items with $3 stickers and $5 tags. Some items are even being priced as high as $7.You’d think that would be a bad thing for Dollar Tree customers. And for some shoppers, it is. But Dollar Tree customers with a bit more wiggle room in their budgets may actually be getting more value because of it.Dollar Tree is redefining what value meansIt’s natural for Dollar Tree customers to associate lower prices with value. After all, the company isn’t necessarily known for the highest-quality products. Rather, the value of shopping at Dollar Tree has long boiled down to the unbeatable price point. But as Dollar Tree shifts away from its old pricing strategy, the company is redefining what value means. Related: Costco quietly made changes to Kirkland Signature brandDuring the company’s fourth quarter 2025 earnings call, Dollar Tree CEO Michael Creedon shared some insight on the company’s new approach to pricing. Not only did he confirm that multi-price was driving an uptick in sales, but he also said it was benefiting customers in a surprising way. “On average, the relative value of our multi-price offerings is even higher than that of our entry-price SKUs,” Creedon said.In other words, it’s not the $1.25 items that offer Dollar Tree shoppers the most value. Rather, it’s those higher-priced items. 

Dollar Tree’s higher-priced items offer sizes and formats that last longer, yielding better value for consumers.Trong Nguyen/Shutterstock

Why higher prices can actually help shoppersEven though Dollar Tree has long been associated with rock-bottom prices, those don’t always help consumers stretch their paychecks as much as expected. Often, food products and household staples sold for $1.25 come at the expense of smaller quantities and, in some cases, lower quality.More Retail:Costco sees major shift in member behaviorRetail chain shuts all locations as legal changes hit industryCostco makes major investment in online shopping for membersT-Mobile launches free offer for customers after major lossGranted, the latter doesn’t always apply. Dollar Tree commonly stocks national brands with a strong reputation. But by expanding its price range, Dollar Tree can offer products that better meet shoppers’ needs. That includes household essentials, food items, and seasonal products in sizes and formats that last longer, potentially reducing the need for repeat purchases.There’s also the convenience factor to consider. If Dollar Tree maintains a larger assortment of goods, consumers can do a single shopping run, as opposed to having to drive to multiple stores. And at a time when gas prices are soaring, one-stop shopping offers savings on top of convenience. Of course, many Dollar Tree customers will remain unhappy that higher-priced items now take up real estate on the store’s shelves. But that doesn’t mean they’re not getting good value, and that the company’s strategy isn’t working.At a time when so many retailers are struggling, Dollar Tree has a positive outlook. The company expects 3% to 4% comparable sales growth in 2026, signaling continued momentum, even as economic uncertainty lingers across the sector.That’s an indication the company is doing something right, even if not every customer agrees.Related: Walmart sees troubling shift in consumer behavior

Sasha Brookner evolved from publicist to partnership architect, redefining influence through brand deals, social strategy, and cultural relevance in modern media.

Generating passive income from stocks sounds complicated. But sometimes, the math is pretty simple.If you own enough shares of a dividend stock, the quarterly checks add up, and eventually, it can cover a real expense, such as a car payment, a utility bill, or maybe even a vacation.Ford Motor Company is one of those stocks that income investors keep coming back to. It’s not flashy, but at current prices, it offers a dividend yield that most blue-chip stocks can’t match. And after a rocky couple of years, the automaker’s financial picture is starting to look a lot cleaner.Here’s what you need to know if you’re considering Ford (F) as a dividend stock in 2026.Is Ford a good dividend stock to own?Ford stock is currently trading at $11.60 per share and pays an annualized dividend of $0.60 per share. That puts the dividend yield at roughly 5.2%. For context, the S&P 500’s average dividend yield sits well below 2%. More on dividend stocks:Semiconductor dividend stock shows 40 percent upside as AI demand upWall Street sees 57% upside for iconic tech dividend stockHow much to invest in Coca-Cola for $1,000 annual dividends in 2026So Ford is paying out more than twice the market average just for holding the stock.To earn $1,000 in annual dividend income from Ford, you’d need to collect about $83.33 per month, or $250 per quarter.At $0.15 per share per quarter, here’s how the math works:$250 ÷ $0.15 = 1,667 sharesAt $11.60 per share, that’s a total investment of roughly $19,336.Ford is part of the automobile sector, which is quite cyclical. So, investors are keen to know if the legacy carmaker can sustain its dividends across business cycles. Wall Street estimatesFord to increase its free cash flow from $4.97 billion in 2026 to $6.46 in 2027. Given an annual dividend expense of $2.4 billion, the payout looks well covered over the next two years. Key Ford stock dividend ratios worth knowing:Dividend yield: About 5.2%Annual dividend per share: $0.60Quarterly dividend per share: $0.15Shares needed for $1,000/year: Approximately 1,667Estimated investment needed: About $19,336Payout frequency: QuarterlyFree cash flow guidance (2026): $5 billion-$6 billionFord CFO Sherry House summed it up during the Q4 earnings call.Ford performed well in 2025Numbers on a screen don’t mean much unless the business behind them is healthy. In its Q4 earnings call, Ford CEO Jim Farley said the company delivered $6.8 billion in adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) for the full year. Revenue grew to $187 billion, the fifth straight year of top-line growth.Related: Ford’s 4.2% dividend yield masks a hidden riskFarley also pointed out that without a one-time tariff headwind, caused by an unexpected late-year change in tariff credits for auto parts, full-year EBIT would have been $7.7 billion. That’s a meaningful difference, and it tells you the underlying business performed better than the headline number suggests.Ford Pro, the company’s commercial vehicle division, was the star of the show. It delivered more than $66 billion in revenue and $6.8 billion in EBIT, with a double-digit margin. Transit had record sales, up 6% year over year (YoY). Super Duty had its best sales in more than 20 years, up 10%.That kind of durable commercial business is what dividend investors want to see behind a stock. It suggests the cash generation is real, not a one-year fluke.What’s next for the dividend stock?Here’s where it gets more interesting.Ford’s 2026 guidance calls for adjusted EBIT of $8 billion to $10 billion. Free cash flow is expected to land between $5 billion and $6 billion. That’s a meaningful step up from 2025.House noted that the company ended 2025 with close to $29 billion in cash and nearly $50 billion in liquidity. It gives Ford the flexibility to keep investing in new products while still returning cash to shareholders.

Ford is forecast to improve profit margins in 2026.Bill Pugliano / Getty Images

On the dividend front, Ford already declared its first-quarter 2026 regular dividend of $0.15 per share. That’s the baseline for now, but the improving earnings picture makes a sustained or growing payout more plausible.There are legitimate risks to keep in mind. Ford’s Model e (electric vehicle) segment is still losing money with $4.8 billion in losses in 2025, and $4 billion to $4.5 billion expected in 2026. The Novelis aluminum supply disruption is also creating a temporary drag that the company expects to resolve by the second half of 2026.But here’s the thing: Analysts’ estimates already reflect a big step up. Tikr.com data shows EPS expanding from $1.09 in 2025 to $2.96 in 2030, a jump of almost 200%. That’s a dramatic swing, driven largely by the easing of the Novelis headwind and a leaner product portfolio.The bottom line on Ford as a dividend stockFord is not a growth stock. Nobody buys it hoping for a ten-bagger.But for income investors looking for a dividend stock with a chunky yield and a business that generates real cash, Ford makes a credible case. A 5.2% yield backed by $5 billion to $6 billion in projected free cash flow is worth noting.For a long-term investor building a passive income stream, Ford’s combination of yield, liquidity, and improving fundamentals makes it worth a serious look in 2026.Just go in with eyes open. The EV losses are real. So is the macro uncertainty. But the dividend? For now, it looks like it’s here to stay.Related: 109-year-old energy giant paying $4 billion in dividends as oil spikes

Many retailers share a secret that consumers may not fully understand. Companies make a higher profit margin selling services compared to goods.”All these big MSPs are starting to have two-thirds of their revenue being services-led because you double profitability compared to the traditional resale model,” said Bob Skelley, CEO of The Channel Company at XChange 2019, according to CRN.com.Walmart actually expects to drive more profit from selling services than goods in the next five years, according to its CFO David Rainey.”Today, the vast majority of our overall profits are attributable to in-store brick-and-mortar in the U.S.,” John David Rainey, Walmart’s CFO, said at a Raymond James Conference.”If you fast forward 5 years, we are much less dependent on that as an income stream than some of these other faster-growing parts of our business,” he said at a conference in 2023, per Investing.com.Lowe’s does not specifically break out service revenue in its earnings reports.”Services, such as fees Walmart collects from third-party sellers on Walmart.com, the cut it gets if Walmart fulfills those orders to shoppers and the dollars that advertisers spend through Walmart’s growing retail media business, are the higher-margin, faster-growing parts of Walmart’s business,” Rainey said. Now, another big-box retailer, Home Depot, has made a major purchase that will add both traditional sales and increased service revenues.Home Depot makes a major purchaseSRS Distribution Inc., a subsidiary of The Home Depot, has agreed to acquire Mingledorff’s, Inc., a leading wholesale distributor of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment, parts, and supplies, serving residential and commercial customers through 42 locations in five states across the southeastern U.S.This purchase allows Home Depot to better support its network of professional HVAC installers. More Retail:Walmart fires OpenAI in playbook-changing moveCostco CEO just gave members a new reason to renewBath & Body Works makes big change customers will notice right away”Mingledorff’s brings an extensive product portfolio, robust distribution network and established customer relationships that are highly complementary to SRS’s existing business, positioning the company to win greater share of wallet in the fragmented building materials distribution industry. HVAC distribution represents a total addressable market of approximately $100 billion and will increase The Home Depot’s total addressable market to $1.2 trillion,” the chain shared in a press release.And, while the chain did not address the topic in its media statements, buying will also support the company’s HVAC installation and repair services. Analysts at Telsey Advisory Group say Home Depot’s investments in professional services and service-oriented acquisitions could support long-term earnings growth, a point noted in Investing.com coverage.Home Depot’s arrow has been pointing upDespite a challenging operating environment, Home Depot has delivered strong results.Sales for fiscal 2025 were $164.7 billion, an increase of 3.2% from the same period last year. Comp sales increased 0.3% from the same period last year and comps in the U.S. increased 0.5%. Adjusted diluted earnings per share were $14.69 compared to $15.24 in the prior period.In the fourth quarter, comp sales increased 0.4% from last year and comps in the U.S. were up 0.3%. Adjusted diluted earnings per share were $2.72 compared to $3.13 in the prior year.
Source: Home Depot fourth-quarter earnings call
“As we shared with you at our Investor and Analyst Conference in December, we are uniquely positioned to grow share of wallet with all our customers. We are investing across the business to drive our core and culture, deliver a frictionless interconnected experience and win the Pro,” CEO Edward Decker shared during the call.

Home Depot has added to its HVAC capacities. Shutterstock

Home Depot (and Lowe’s) face a challenging marketBoth Home Depot and Lowe’s have been operating in a challenging market.”Building materials and garden supply retailers saw year-over-year sales drops of at least 4% each month from May to July, even as most others posted growth, according to data from the National Retail Federation (NRF),” told Investing.com.”Right now, the consumer is more focused on essentials, and pricing is a key driver of activity,” said Mark Mathews, chief economist at NRF. “I’m not sure there is enough impetus, or need, to drive spending in the building material & garden supply space right now.”Lowe’s has also managed the challenging times well, but sees ongoing headwinds.”While our outperformance in the fourth quarter demonstrates our team’s disciplined execution, our outlook for 2026 remains cautious, given the persistent volatility in housing macro. This uncertainty continues to pressure big-ticket discretionary DIY projects as many consumers are reluctant to make significant investments in their homes,” CEO Marvin Ellison said during his chain’s fourth-quarter earnings call.He also noted that service has been a growing category.”Now turning to home services, where we delivered high single-digit growth. This is another example of a customer experience that we have overhauled at Lowe’s by removing the friction for what was a time-consuming process through digital tools and enhanced service to create an intuitive installation solution for our do-it-for-me customers,” he added. Related: 78-year-old furniture chain closing all stores and liquidating

Iran wants sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz—not just control. The international community is legally justified in using force to open it now.

Kaori Sakamoto claimed her fourth figure skating world title, edging out Japanese teammate Mone Chiba and Nina Pinzarrone of Belgium. After errors, Americans Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito missed the podium in Prague.

Goldman Sachs economist Pierfrancesco Mei published a note on March 26 estimating that the current oil price surge will reduce U.S. payroll growth by roughly 10,000 jobs per month through the end of 2026.The bank also expects the unemployment rate to rise 0.2 percentage points in total to 4.6% by Q3 2026. Higher oil prices account for about half of that increase.Goldman cross-checked its estimates against the Federal Reserve’s FRB/US model and academic research, finding close alignment across all three approaches.Why this oil shock hits differently than past onesGoldman’s first conclusion is that the U.S. economy is far less sensitive to oil shocks than it was in the 1970s and 1980s. Using oil supply shocks constructed by economist Diego Känzig, the bank estimates that a 10% increase in oil prices today has roughly one-third the impact on unemployment and payroll growth compared to the 1975-1999 period.Känzig’s method isolates oil supply news from broader economic conditions by measuring oil futures price movements in narrow windows around OPEC production announcements.MoreEconomy:Goldman Sachs resets oil-price bets as war rages onHow Fed meeting impacts mortgage rates, housing marketIMF drops blunt warning on US economyTwo structural shifts explain the difference. First, the oil intensity of U.S. GDP has fallen significantly. That reduces the drag on consumer spending and non-energy capital investment when prices rise.Second, the shale revolution since 2010 created a domestic energy sector that generates an offsetting boost to investment and hiring when oil prices increase.That offset is smaller this time, however. Significant improvements in extraction productivity in recent years mean that job gains in oil extraction will likely be more limited even if production expands. Goldman also does not expect a meaningful increase in energy capital spending, which limits the boost to support industries such as oil machinery manufacturing and pipeline construction.Goldman’s oil price baseline and the unemployment mathGoldman’s commodities strategists expect Brent crude to average $105 per barrel in March and $115 in April, before declining to $80 by Q4 2026. That baseline reflects an expectation that flows of oil through the Strait of Hormuz will remain very low for approximately six weeks.Under that path, Goldman estimates the oil shock alone will raise the unemployment rate by 0.1 percentage points. The remaining 0.1 percentage point rise reflects job growth that is already running too slow to absorb labor supply growth.

Goldman Sachs says the U.S. economy is far less sensitive to oil shocks than it was in the 1970s and 1980s.Santiago/Getty Images

Combined, these two factors underpin Goldman’s forecast of 4.6% unemployment by Q3 2026.The bank also modeled two more severe scenarios. In the adverse case, where Brent peaks at $140, the oil shock contributes 0.2 percentage points to unemployment. In the severely adverse scenario, where Brent peaks at $160, the contribution rises to 0.3 percentage points.Where the job losses are concentratedGoldman’s industry-level breakdown identifies where the pain lands:Leisure and hospitality: The largest single drag, at roughly 5,000 jobs per month. Higher energy prices erode real disposable income, leading consumers to cut back on dining, travel, and entertainment first.Retail trade: Approximately 2,000 jobs per month. Weaker consumer spending flows through to lower demand for goods and staffing.Arts and entertainment, accommodation and food services: The sharpest declines in hiring rates among all industries studied, consistent with consumers pulling back on discretionary categories.Healthcare and housing: Largely insulated. These categories represent more essential spending and show smaller effects in Goldman’s model.Goldman notes that the upward pressure on unemployment primarily reflects lower hiring rather than a significant rise in layoffs. The layoff contribution is described as modest, consistent with a slowdown in job creation rather than a wave of firings.What this means for the broader labor marketThe bank is clear that the U.S. is not facing a 1970s-style oil shock. The structural changes in the economy mean the damage is more contained.But the combination of a slower-growing job market and an oil-driven hit to consumer spending is enough to push unemployment meaningfully higher by mid-year. Goldman’s own GDP forecast has already been revised down, with unemployment and inflation forecasts revised up.The net payroll estimate of minus 10,000 jobs per month accounts for both the losses in consumer-facing industries and the modest gains expected in the energy sector. Even with those energy gains, the drag from weaker discretionary spending outweighs the offset.Related: Goldman Sachs resets recession risks for 2026

True growth isn’t linear — it’s exponential, and thinking in zeros means setting bold targets and creating systems that multiply impact instead of adding it slowly.

Selling intensity has picked up as the company faces new questions about its AI approach.