Correction: Is it (finally) a good time to rent or buy a home?

We sent the wrong survey link in the previous email.

Sign up for Reuters newsletters On the Money By Lauren Young, Digital Special Projects Editor Dear On the Money Readers,   In a previously sent version of this newsletter we mistakenly included the wrong link to the survey. Here is the correct version:  Reuters is conducting research to see what you love (or hate) about this newsletter. We want to identify the topics you want to read about and help you manage your money better, faster and smarter. Do you want more coverage of real estate, retirement or credit cards? Do you skip over the shopping tips?   Some of you already answered. Yay! But we need to hear from more readers. Please take this super-quick – less than three minutes, tops! – survey here.    Thanks,   – Lauren (and the Reuters newsletter team) Ask questions! Save money! Getting better deals requires negotiation – and asking the right questions. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic My mantra in life is: I don't ask a lot of questions. I demand a lot of answers. But if you want to improve your financial situation, here is a surprisingly simple piece of advice: Just ask for it. Want a lower interest rate on your credit card? Ask. Want bank fees waived? Ask. Want to trim your medical bill? Ask. That is the recommendation LendingTree chief credit analyst Matt Schulz (a longtime source of mine) offers in his new book, "Ask Questions, Save Money, Make More."   For a lot of different reasons – culture, habit, anxiety – we do not like asking people for things. (I personally hate asking for favors or deals.) But it is costing us money. "The worst thing that can happen is that somebody tells you no," says Schulz. "But if they say yes, great things can happen."   We tend to think that all the costs we encounter in life are forever fixed, but, in reality, very few of them are. Just one example: 76% of those who asked for a lower credit-card rate got one, according to a LendingTree survey. Getting better deals every day requires negotiation – and that is a skill few of us have developed.  Sponsored What I'm reading and watching Wendy's, burned by CEO comment, vows no price surges for burgers  New money advice from Wyclef Jean just dropped – and it's a rap How to experience Amsterdam? Tips from an online travel expert US economy on firmer footing heading into first quarter Time to invest in renewables Dealmaking in Miami with Shark Tank's Daymond John Video of the Week Why retailers are struggling: U.S. retail stocks, as tracked by the S&P US retail index, have barely budged in 2024, despite a resilient American consumer. There are a few good reasons why. (Hint: High interest rates are impacting spending.) Watch our interview with Corient's Amy Kong here. Is it a good time to rent or buy a home? I know spring is coming when the croci are in bloom. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann Spring is around the corner in my neck of the woods. This week I spotted a batch of purple croci as well as a lone daffodil in bloom.   With spring flowers typically comes the seasonal onslaught of real estate listings.    The good news for homebuyers is that interest rates are falling. The bad news is that relief may be short lived, prompted by a shortage in housing stock.   Even so, prices could be softer this spring. The median home price surged nearly 50% from $322,000 in 2020's second quarter as the pandemic began, to a peak of $479,000 at the end of 2022 when the pandemic was subsiding, Census data shows. That was the fastest run-up since the early 1960s.   The median price has since edged back to $417,000, a side effect of Fed rate hikes that at one point pushed the average interest rate on a 30-year home mortgage to nearly 8%, the highest in a quarter century.   Members of Congress are calling on the U.S. Federal Reserve to cut rates to bring down mortgage costs for consumers and encourage construction. And states are toying with rent-control measures and programs to boost supply.   What does this mean for homebuyers? Is it a better time to be a renter? If you're in the market for a home, I want to hear about the experience. Share your insights via onthemoney@thomsonreuters.com. I read every email! The Bitcoin bump Will Bitcoin's bull run continue? REUTERS/Benoit Tessier I normally steer clear of cyber currency, but it's hard to ignore Bitcoin, which just hit $62,000 for the first time in more than two years.    One of the reasons for Bitcoin's rise is that so much money is flowing into new U.S. bitcoin exchange-traded products. That helped fuel a 47% price rally in February. Bitcoin is on track for the largest monthly gain since December 2020.   Are you a long-time bitcoin investor or have you become one with more ETFs available? Let me know at onthemoney@thomsonreuters.com.   For more Bitcoin news, be sure to check out our Future of Money coverage. A$k Lauren Are you still stymied by the financial aid process? Do you need pet insurance? Send questions to onthemoney@thomsonreuters.com, and I'll tap my extensive source network and braintrust for expert advice. Don't forget to subscribe to this newsletter! Even better, share it with a friend! Live event! An inside view of the 2024 Election  Join me at 11 a.m. ET on March 4 for a LinkedIn Live with D.C. insiders Trevor R. Hunnicutt and Colleen Jenkins of Reuters to talk about the 2024 U.S. presidential election. RSVP here (you'll get a handy notification from LinkedIn when it starts!) And please ask some questions, which we will answer live.   This newsletter was edited by Mark Porter. Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content. Advertise in this newsletter or on Reuters.com Reuters On the Money is sent every other week. Think your friend or colleague should know about us? Forward this newsletter to them. They can also sign up here.   Want to stop receiving this newsletter? Unsubscribe here. To manage which newsletters you're subscribed to, click here. Reuters Terms & Conditions and Privacy Statement © 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036