Interest rates on home loans have risen since the beginning of the U.S. war in Iran. The Middle East conflict has put upward pressure on oil prices, which can make other items more expensive to manufacture and transport. The March consumer price index report found that inflation rose 3.3% year over year, which is the fastest pace since April 2024. Put simply, higher oil prices mean higher inflation — and higher inflation means higher interest rates.

Federal Reserve policymakers voted to at the April rate-setting meeting amid geopolitical uncertainty, rising inflation and a changing of the guard at the central bank. It was Jerome Powell’s final meeting as Fed Chair, and despite mounting pressure from President Donald Trump to cut interest rates, Fed officials are unlikely to do so with inflation well above the 2% target — even under a new Fed Chair.

Most experts expect over the next few years, stuck above 6% for the 30-year fixed term. Although there’s always the chance that something unexpected could happen in the U.S. economy that could send rates tumbling lower, it’s unlikely that rates will fall below 3% or even 4% in the foreseeable future.

Current Mortgage Purchase Rates

Here are today’s interest rates for conforming purchase mortgages by loan term:

— : 6.446%

— : 6.422%

— : 5.623%

— : 5.414%

— 7-year ARM: 6.562%

— : 6.847%

— 3-year ARM: 8.25%

And here are the current government-backed and nonconforming mortgage rates by loan type:

— : 6.424%

— : 5.657%

— : 5.421%

[Read: ]

Current Mortgage Refinance Rates

Here are today’s mortgage refinance rates:

— 6.531%

— 20-year fixed refi: 6.588%

— 5.599%

— 10-year fixed refi: 5.525%

Mortgage refinance rates tend to follow the same trends as mortgage purchase rates, although interest rates on a mortgage refinance are often a few basis points higher than on purchase mortgages.

[Read: ]

Mortgage Rate Trends in 2026 So Far

collects weekly mortgage rate data, which can help provide context for mortgage borrowers on how and why mortgage rates change over time. Since the mortgage giant began collecting data in 1971, the median mortgage rate is 7.24%.

The 30-year fixed rate of 2.65% in January 2021, driving up demand for purchase and refinance mortgages. Since then, mortgage rates rose to nearly 8% in October 2023 before coming down to around 6.5% currently. Still, that’s nothing compared with the record high of 18.63% recorded in 1981.

Mortgage Monthly Payment Calculator

Your mortgage interest rate is just one aspect of your monthly housing payment. You’ll need to carefully consider how your home’s purchase price will impact your budget so you don’t buy more house than you can comfortably afford.

The mortgage term — or the length of your loan — will also significantly influence your monthly payments. Most borrowers opt for a 30-year fixed mortgage, which can keep monthly payments affordable because they are spread over a long repayment term. But if you can afford the higher monthly payments of a 15-year mortgage, it can save you tens of thousands of dollars in interest payments over time.

How to Shop for a Mortgage

The mortgage rates we display on this page are national averages from lenders as provided to U.S. 海角社区app by Zillow, not necessarily the exact rate you’ll receive. Mortgage rates fluctuate throughout the day, and some lenders may be able to offer more favorable pricing for your situation than others.

“With spring homebuying season in full swing, aspiring buyers should remember to shop around for the best mortgage rate, as they can potentially save thousands of dollars by getting multiple quotes,” says Sam Khater, chief economist at Freddie Mac, in a statement.

Here are a few tips to help you shop for the lowest mortgage rate possible for your financial situation:

— Get your finances in order. Collect the documents you’ll need to apply for a mortgage using . You should also check your credit score and get a copy of your credit report to see where you stand.

— Apply through three to five lenders. Be sure to consider different loan types (such as ) as well as different types of lenders (like online lenders versus credit unions). Keep your rate shopping to a two-week window to minimize the negative impact to your credit score.

— Compare loan estimates. This document will outline the loan’s costs, including origination charges, lender credits, discount points, as well as the loan’s interest rate and or APR. The APR includes the interest rate as well as any fees, making it a holistic way to compare the cost of multiple loan offers.

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Current Disney Inspire Visa Card Offer

The earlier this year with valuable benefits targeting Disney super fans. New cardholders receive a $300 Disney gift card upon approval. Plus, they’ll get a $300 statement credit after spending $1,000 in the first three months after opening an account. This welcome bonus offer is expiring on May 4, 2026.

Reduced Bonus Offer Starting May 5

Starting May 5, the Disney Inspire Visa Card welcome bonus is reduced to a $500 statement credit. While the statement credit increases from $300 to $500, Chase is eliminating the $300 Disney gift card that new cardholders currently receive. To qualify for the $500 welcome bonus, you’ll still need to meet the $1,000 minimum spending requirement within three months of opening your account.

[Read: ]

Top Features of This Card

Whether you apply before the current offer expires or at a later date, the Disney Inspire Visa Card offers numerous benefits that will help you get more out of your Disney vacation. Here are the top features you need to know about:

— Earn up to 10% back on purchases. Receive Disney dollars that you can use on your next trip to Disney or when ordering online. You’ll earn 10% on purchases at DisneyPlus.com, Hulu.com or Plus.ESPN.com, 3% at gas stations and U.S. Disney locations, 2% on groceries and dining and 1% on everything else.

— Annual credits based on spending. Get $200 in Disney Rewards Dollars when you spend $2,000 each year on U.S. Disney Resort stays or Disney Cruise Line bookings. Earn another $100 statement credit after spending $200 per year on U.S. Disney theme park tickets, just in time for your .

— Disney streaming credits. Qualifying subscriptions of $10 or more on DisneyPlus, Hulu or ESPN earn a $10 statement credit each month.

— Special financing on Disney Vacation packages. Use your Disney Inspire Visa when booking to receive a 0% promotional annual percentage rate for six months.

— Other Disney perks. Receive additional discounts on Disney merchandise, dining and guided tours. Plus, enjoy complimentary downloads of your photos taken at private cardholder locations at Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resort.

Alternative Card to Consider

If you’re unsure whether you’ll visit Disney theme parks enough to justify the card’s $149 annual fee, a different travel credit card might be a better option. Theis a solid travel card with earning power, benefits and a welcome bonus that you’ll love. With this card, you’ll earn five points per dollar on Chase Travel? reservations, three points on dining, two points on all other travel purchases and one point on everything else.

New cardholders can earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Points can be used to book travel, transfer to airline and hotel partners and get cash back. While it has a $95 annual fee, it also comes with up to a $50 annual hotel credit, complimentary travel and purchase protections and exclusive partner benefits.

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Interest rates on home loans have risen since the beginning of the U.S. war in Iran. The Middle East conflict has put upward pressure on oil prices, which can make other items more expensive to manufacture and transport. The March consumer price index report found that inflation rose 3.3% year over year, which is the fastest pace since April 2024. Put simply, higher oil prices mean higher inflation — and higher inflation means higher interest rates.

Federal Reserve policymakers voted to at the April rate-setting meeting amid geopolitical uncertainty, rising inflation and a changing of the guard at the central bank. It was Jerome Powell’s final meeting as Fed Chair, and despite mounting pressure from President Donald Trump to cut interest rates, Fed officials are unlikely to do so with inflation well above the 2% target — even under a new Fed Chair.

Most experts expect over the next few years, stuck above 6% for the 30-year fixed term. Although there’s always the chance that something unexpected could happen in the U.S. economy that could send rates tumbling lower, it’s unlikely that rates will fall below 3% or even 4% in the foreseeable future.

Current Mortgage Purchase Rates

Here are today’s interest rates for conforming purchase mortgages by loan term:

— : 6.432%

— : 6.4%

— : 5.621%

— : 5.414%

— 7-year ARM: 6.571%

— : 6.769%

— 3-year ARM: 8.25%

And here are the current government-backed and nonconforming mortgage rates by loan type:

— : 6.455%

— : 5.646%

— : 5.421%

[Read: ]

Current Mortgage Refinance Rates

Here are today’s mortgage refinance rates:

— 6.538%

— 20-year fixed refi: 6.579%

— 5.602%

— 10-year fixed refi: 5.542%

Mortgage refinance rates tend to follow the same trends as mortgage purchase rates, although interest rates on a mortgage refinance are often a few basis points higher than on purchase mortgages.

[Read: ]

Mortgage Rate Trends in 2026 So Far

collects weekly mortgage rate data, which can help provide context for mortgage borrowers on how and why mortgage rates change over time. Since the mortgage giant began collecting data in 1971, the median mortgage rate is 7.24%.

The 30-year fixed rate of 2.65% in January 2021, driving up demand for purchase and refinance mortgages. Since then, mortgage rates rose to nearly 8% in October 2023 before coming down to around 6.5% currently. Still, that’s nothing compared with the record high of 18.63% recorded in 1981.

You can use the interactive mortgage rates graph below to see how 30-year fixed interest rates have changed so far in 2026, .

[CHART]

Mortgage Monthly Payment Calculator

Your mortgage interest rate is just one aspect of your monthly housing payment. You’ll need to carefully consider how your home’s purchase price will impact your budget so you don’t buy more house than you can comfortably afford.

The mortgage term — or the length of your loan — will also significantly influence your monthly payments. Most borrowers opt for a 30-year fixed mortgage, which can keep monthly payments affordable because they are spread over a long repayment term. But if you can afford the higher monthly payments of a 15-year mortgage, it can save you tens of thousands of dollars in interest payments over time.

You’ll also need to consider property taxes, home insurance, homeowners association fees and , if applicable. You can use the calculator below to run the numbers for your financial situation.

How to Shop for a Mortgage

The mortgage rates we display on this page are national averages from lenders as provided to U.S. 海角社区app by Zillow, not necessarily the exact rate you’ll receive. Mortgage rates fluctuate throughout the day, and some lenders may be able to offer more favorable pricing for your situation than others.

“With spring homebuying season in full swing, aspiring buyers should remember to shop around for the best mortgage rate, as they can potentially save thousands of dollars by getting multiple quotes,” says Sam Khater, chief economist at Freddie Mac, in a statement.

Here are a few tips to help you shop for the lowest mortgage rate possible for your financial situation:

— Get your finances in order. Collect the documents you’ll need to apply for a mortgage using . You should also check your credit score and get a copy of your credit report to see where you stand.

— Apply through three to five lenders. Be sure to consider different loan types (such as ) as well as different types of lenders (like online lenders versus credit unions). Keep your rate shopping to a two-week window to minimize the negative impact to your credit score.

— Compare loan estimates. This document will outline the loan’s costs, including origination charges, lender credits, discount points, as well as the loan’s interest rate and or APR. The APR includes the interest rate as well as any fees, making it a holistic way to compare the cost of multiple loan offers.

Check out this from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to get a better idea of what to expect when comparing loan offers.

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New and Enhanced Benefits

Here’s what’s new (and enhanced) for AmEx Gold’s 60th anniversary:

— Membership Rewards. Earn five Membership Rewards庐 points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. This is an increase from two points.

— Hertz Five Star庐 Status. Skip the counter at select locations, add a driver at no additional cost and enjoy vehicle upgrades, when available. Be aware that enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration is required.

— New dining options. Buffalo Wild Wings and Wonder are the newest participating partners where cardholders enjoy up to $10 in statement credits each month when they pay.

[SEE: ]

Limited-Time Anniversary Offers

AmEx Gold cardholders can also enjoy these limited-time offers:

— Hilton Honors points transfer bonus. Cardholders can receive a 20% point bonus when transferring Membership Rewards points to a Hilton Honors account. This offer is available through May 30, 2026.

— AmEx Travel offers: Cardholders can access offers from a curated selection of more than 250 properties in over 40 countries from The Hotel Collection. Offers may include a complimentary third or fourth night, 25% off select rooms or 30% off all suites, and a $150 property credit to use toward eligible charges during your stay. This offer is available through July 15, 2026.

— Uber One membership credit. Cardholders can enroll and get a one-time statement credit of up to $96 when using their AmEx Gold Card to pay for an annual Uber One membership. This offer is available through Oct. 30, 2026.

AmEx Gold Basics Remain the Same

In addition to these anniversary enhancements, AmEx Gold cardholders can continue to earn the following rewards:

— Four Membership Rewards庐 points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then one point for the rest of the year

— Four Membership Rewards庐 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then one point for the rest of the year

— Three Membership Rewards庐 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com

— One Membership Rewards庐 point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases

New cardholders can earn as high as 100,000 points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new card in your first six months with the account. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. The card also comes with baggage insurance^*, car rental loss and damage insurance^**, and no foreign transaction fees.

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When these routine tasks become obstacles, occupational therapy helps you regain independence by finding new or unique ways of doing things.

[READ: ]

What Is Occupational Therapy and How Does it Help?

“Occupational therapy practitioners work with clients to support participation in everyday activities, known as ‘occupations,’ that promote health and well-being, while also supporting rehabilitation and recovery from illness, injury or developmental challenges,” says Katie Jordan, an occupational therapist and the CEO of the American Occupational Therapy Association.

Cheryl Crow, a Seattle-area occupational therapist and founder of Arthritis Life, describes occupational therapists as “life skills detectives.”

“We help people with injuries, disabilities or illnesses figure out how to function better in the context of their lives,” Crow says.

This means helping people at all age ranges, from infancy to older adults. It also means helping with both and physical health challenges.

Occupational therapists can help their clients perform tasks like these with less effort and less pain:

— Cooking

—

— Managing a chronic disease

— Dealing with stress

— Playing

—

— Taking care of pets

— Sitting still at school

[READ: ]

Occupational Therapy vs. Physical Therapy: What’s the Difference?

There can be some crossover between , or PT, but they’re different therapies with different goals.

“PT is often focused on restoring movement, strength, range of motion and pain reduction. It’s more specific and targeted to body structures,” says Heidi Vladyka Fletcher, an occupational therapist and owner of The Intentional OT in Columbia Falls, Montana.

Occupational therapists will ask how your injury, disability or disorder impacts your life and help you work towards being able to complete those everyday tasks again.

Fletcher gives the example of a physical therapist helping you to improve after an injury. In contrast, an occupational therapist will help you reach into a cabinet, get dressed, carry groceries or complete your work tasks without pain or fatigue in your shoulder or surrounding area.

“Both are important and often work really well together,” Fletcher says.

[READ: ]

Conditions Treated by Occupational Therapists

Occupational therapists can treat a wide range of conditions and concerns. Here are just some of the areas where their treatment may help:

—

— Arthritis

— Autism spectrum disorder

— Cerebral palsy

— Chronic pain

— Developmental delays

— Down syndrome

— Lymphedema

— Orthopedic injuries

— Sensory processing disorders

—

— Various mental health diagnoses, including and

“An occupational therapy practitioner could treat a child with trying to engage in activities in school and play with their friends, or they could work with an older adult recovering from a stroke and trying to return home in their community,” Jordan says. “Interventions can look very different, as the practitioner is addressing the needs of the person and not the condition, but the goal is the same.”

Occupational therapists also help clients learn to use to make life easier. A few examples of items in these categories include:

— Kitchen gadgets to make opening things easier

— Larger-than-normal handles on objects like a toothbrush or comb to help someone with a weakened grasp or limited range of motion

— A speech-generating device that can improve functional communication for someone with limited or no ability to communicate verbally

“Assistive technology can be a great support for children and work and industry clients to ensure that they can access their environment, complete required tasks and have the tools that support them physically, cognitively and emotionally,” Jordan says.

Common Occupational Therapy Settings

Occupational therapists work in a wide range of environments, including:

— Hospitals

— Mental health settings

— Outpatient clinics

— Schools

—

— Workplaces

Occupational therapists can become certified in specialty areas, which means that person will have more expertise and experience helping clients with these concerns.

— Feeding, eating and swallowing

— Geriatrics

— Low vision (type of vision problem that can’t be fixed with glasses or contacts)

— Mental health

— Pediatrics

— Physical

Benefits of Occupational Therapy for Post-Surgery Recovery

Occupational therapy often can be helpful after surgery.

“OT helps individuals regain independence with daily activities, adapt to temporary or permanent changes and safely return to their routines,” says Rachael Jonik, a pediatric occupational therapist based in West Los Angeles.

People having these types of surgery may benefit from occupational therapy:

— Hand and upper extremity surgeries

— and other orthopedic surgeries

— Neurological surgeries

—

— Surgery for a traumatic brain injury

Yet those aren’t the only ones where OT may assist.

“Any surgery that affects the person’s ability to perform the necessary functions of their life, whether that’s dressing, cooking, care of children or pets and more will be one where occupational therapy can be helpful,” Crow says.

You also may encounter occupational therapists in a variety of settings post-surgery, Jonik says. Those include acute care, rehabilitation therapy, long-term nursing or .

How to Find and Choose an Occupational Therapist

If you or someone you care for, like your child, may benefit from occupational therapy, ask your for names of good occupational therapists in your area.

If you have health insurance, double check what type of coverage your plan may have for occupational therapy. , the federal health insurance for those age 65 and up, will cover occupational therapy if it’s ordered by a doctor and considered to treat a condition or injury.

Sometimes, the best source to find a good occupational therapist is through a specialist that you may see for your health concern, such as a neurologist or .

“If you’re part of a patient community, whether online or in person, that can be a good place to get recommendations, too,” Crow says.

When reaching out to occupational therapists, find out if they have experience in the area where you need support, such as hand therapy or pediatrics.

“It’s important to find someone who communicates well, collaborates with you and tailors treatment to your individual goals and lifestyle,” Jonik advises. Also, make sure that the way that they explain things is clear to you.

What Happens During an OT Evaluation?

When you first see an OT, expect them to do a little sleuthing to get a better idea of why you’re there. This can include things like:

— An assessment of your functional skills (things like feeding and grooming that allow you to live independently)

— Challenges related to why you’re there

— Treatment goals

— Your

“We start with an occupational profile to understand who they are, what they like to do and what matters to them,” Fletcher says. After looking at the areas above and more, the occupational therapist will work with you to set treatment goals.

“The goal is to look underneath the surface and identify which systems are impacting (a person’s) participation so we can actually help in a meaningful way,” Fletcher says.

The evaluation for a child may involve more play and focus on development skills and milestones.

Is Occupational Therapy Right for You?

Occupational therapists can help with a lot of things in life that you may not have considered.

“OT is sometimes called ‘the best profession you’ve never heard of,'” Crow says. “We are a hidden gem that can truly help people function better in life despite injury, illness or disability.”

If you think you may benefit from OT, talk to your primary care provider and double check what type of coverage is available for you.

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With fake versions of these drugs increasing in number, distinguishing between what’s authentic and counterfeit can be fuzzy at times.

The World Health Organization released an about three falsified batches of Ozempic in Brazil — and a about counterfeit weight-loss and diabetes management medications in various countries. The Food and Drug Administration has also consumers to look out for fake versions of Ozempic, and Novo Nordisk — the company FDA-approved to manufacture Ozempic — has filed numerous legal actions against entities for engaging in harmful and misleading practices related to the marketing and sales of alleged “semaglutide” products. Additionally, cybersecurity firm BrandShield has taken down more than 250 websites that sold fake versions of Ozempic or other GLP-1 drugs used as and treatments.

Authentic, FDA-approved semaglutide products are available nationwide by prescription and include Ozempic injection and tablets, Wegovy injection and , and Rybelsus tablets. At this time, there is no FDA-approved generic version of semaglutide.

To help you see through the scams, here are five questions to ask yourself about your GLP-1 medication.

[READ: ]

1. Where Did You Buy Your Ozempic?

The best way to ensure your is authentic is to first make sure you get it from a reputable source.

Dr. Antoneo Pashaj, a regional medical director at kidney-care company Strive Health who frequently counsels patients on prevention, says that — as with many other medications — this means seeking a prescription from your doctor and filling it at a licensed pharmacy such as CVS or Walgreens.

If you acquired without first seeing your doctor, don’t be afraid to check in with them after.

By letting your doctor know about online medications you are taking, you are assisting them in making informed decisions about your treatment going forward. They can also help you avoid potential , or treat any that have already occurred.

“I think there’s this stigma that if your doctor didn’t prescribe (Ozempic), you (shouldn’t) disclose it,” Pashaj says. “No provider is going to get mad at you or upset at you for having them review it. We’d be happy to.”

[READ: ]

2. How Is Your Ozempic Packaged?

How your is packaged can be a give-away as to whether it is authentic or counterfeit.

Correctly spelled labels and a design layout that matches the typical Novo Nordisk (which is the company that produces Ozempic) brand are green flags, Pashaj says. Product labeling red flags may include:

— Open seals

— Misspellings

— Funky colors

— Poor print quality

— Unusual fonts

Misspellings may be particularly troublesome, Pashaj adds.

“Gosh, if they can’t spell the word, how do you trust the quality of the medication that you’re about to inject in your body? I certainly wouldn’t inject anything if the spelling isn’t correct,” he says.

[READ: ]

3. Does Your Ozemic Have the Novo Nordisk Label?

Authentic Ozempic should have the Novo Nordisk label on its packaging. Novo Nordisk is the only FDA-approved company to sell medicines containing semaglutide in the United States.

[READ: ]

4. What Does Your Ozempic Pen and Needle Look Like?

After inspecting the exterior packaging and opening your medication, you’ll want to assess what’s inside — which should be a semaglutide injector pen and either four or six NovoFine庐 Plus 32G 4 mm disposable needles.

“That’s the first clue — (Ozempic pens) have to be given by injection,” says Dr. Mir Ali, a board-certified bariatric surgeon and the medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at in Fountain Valley, California.

From there, you’ll want to make sure no seals have been broken or tampered with. And next, you can assess a few design and packaging nuances that the FDA says set authentic Ozempic injectors apart from impersonators:

1. The color of the pen’s dial and end cap An authentic Ozempic pen should have a blue dial and a gray end cap, and the dial should not expand out when you turn the dial to set your dose. According to the drugmaker, a counterfeit pen may have a purple end cap and a white dial that expands when turned.

2. The color and layout of the needle’s tabAccording to the FDA, a genuine Ozempic needle is sealed with a white and blue paper tab. The white part of the tab is on top and the blue is on the side, where it extends down over the needle. The blue part of the tab should be imprinted with the needle lot number — and no other text. If there is text other than the lot number, this is likely a counterfeit needle.

Patients should also avoid known counterfeit labeling — per a December from the FDA, dozens of counterfeit Ozempic pens have been found under lot numbers NAR0074 and PAR1229.

3. The registered trademark on the top of the needle’s tabThe needles that come with a genuine Ozempic pen will display the registered trademark NovoFine庐 Plus, whereas some counterfeit needles have been found to display the NovoFine庐 trademark, sans “Plus.” The trademark should be in blue writing on the white part, or top, of the tab.

4. The description on the body of the pen The pen should display the words Ozempic庐 (semaglutide) injection “semaglutide” and a dosage that matches that of your prescription (0.25 milligrams to 2 milligrams).

Using this list may help you determine if your medication is — or isn’t — genuine Ozempic. However, you don’t have to rely on it completely. If you feel unsure, Pashaj says not to hesitate in calling your doctor or to seek further clarity.

[READ: ]

5. Is Your Ozempic Temperature Controlled?

One prescription Ozempic pen typically lasts four weeks — that is, if it is stored properly. Proper storage of Ozempic requires the drug to be kept refrigerated before you start using it. Whether you pick it up at an in-person pharmacy or receive a package in the mail, your Ozempic should arrive cool.

In person, it’s relatively easy for your pharmacist to hand you a temperature-controlled medication from a medical fridge. But via online delivery, it may be trickier to keep it cool. If your Ozempic is not packaged with any temperature control items — like using Styrofoam packaging or cold packs — Ali says that this could be a warning sign that it is not authentic.

After first use, you can store your Ozempic pen in the fridge or at room temperature for up to eight weeks.

“If they’re not coming in some sort of a protection from the temperature, that’s another sign that they may not be getting what they’re paying for,” Ali says. “Once the medication reaches room temperature, it’s only good for a few days or a few weeks depending on the formula. If you get medication that’s already achieved room temperature, it won’t be good for that whole four-week period.”

On the other hand, if your medication arrives frozen, you should not use it. Extreme temperatures can degrade the medication, as can exposure to direct sunlight.

[READ: ]

Risks of Counterfeit Ozempic

At this point, you may be wondering if it’s worth it to spend all this time and effort verifying your Ozempic’s authenticity. Well, according to doctors and health agencies, it is. Depending on their formula, a fake version of Ozempic could be too weak to help you reach your health goals or too strong that it induces new health problems. It could also contain unknown harmful ingredients.

Potential risks can come from fake medications if they:

Contain the wrong formula

Because counterfeit semaglutide products are not FDA-approved, they may not contain the active ingredients you need to lose weight — at all or at the right doses — or could contain additional, harmful ingredients that could hurt your body.

Often, Pashaj says, fake Ozempic contains a lot of water — which will dilute the medication and work against your health goals.

The WHO in 2024 that using falsified Ozempic may subject people to an “unpredictable range of health risks or complications” from potential hidden ingredients or adverse health effects related to unmanaged blood glucose levels or weight. And according to Novo Nordisk, testing of drugs that marked themselves as “semaglutide” revealed up to 24% of impurities.

Contain the wrong doses

Fake versions of Ozempic may contain the wrong dose of the drug — be this too low or too high. Too high a dose can make you more vulnerable to the of the drug, such as nausea, or even affect your blood pressure or heart rate.

In some cases, it could induce risks like a hypoglycemic episode, or severe drop in blood sugar.

Target the wrong patients

Semaglutide is not meant to be used for cosmetic reasons. The drug is FDA-approved under the brand name Ozempic for people with . It’s also approved as Wegovy for people who need to lose weight for medical reasons — specifically those with who have a , of 30 or more, or for people who are with a BMI of 27 or more who also have at least one weight-related ailment.’

But if you scroll through Instagram, you may notice actors and influencers who are perceivably thin marketing the drug. People who do not medically qualify for Ozempic may be at even higher risk for adverse effects like hypoglycemic episodes from taking counterfeit versions of the drug.

“My big concern is that these companies are going to prey on certain individuals who want to look ‘good,'” Pashaj says. “We’re such a culture driven by looks, and you see that in commercials, Instagram feeds and Facebook feeds.”

“People get desperate,” Pashaj says. “They want to look a certain way and they’re willing to do whatever it takes to get there — and it comes at a cost.”

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Applicants must weigh differences in career outcomes, global exposure and professional networks, experts say, and understanding the trade-offs is key to selecting the program that best aligns with your long-term goals.

“Our advice to students considering any MBA, U.S. or international, is to first evaluate programs based on the career opportunities and personal growth they will enable,” says Niketa Desai, founder of Admit Beacon, an admissions consultancy that helps professionals apply to top business schools.

Next, build a that align with your target market geographically, offer strong expertise in your desired sector and provide access to an alumni network in both that industry and region, she says.

Here are more tips to help you decide between a leading U.S. or international MBA program.

Compare Academic Focus and Specializations

One of the most significant distinctions in curriculum structure and between top U.S. and international programs “is the breadth and depth of experiential elements an MBA program can provide given its length,” Desai says.

Experiential learning components may include global study trips, hands-on consulting projects, industry immersions and direct engagement with professionals through student-led clubs and organizations. Since top U.S. MBA programs typically run 24 months, they offer more experiential learning and give students who are exploring or changing more time to build skills through engaging industry-focused experiences, Desai says.

[Read: ]

“Among the international programs, matches this breadth and depth but other programs are shorter, typically one year, limiting the amount of experiential learning,” Desai says.

An insight that has remained consistent among candidates she’s coached is that “they choose programs based on what the program enables, not just the .”

Consider Career Goals and Industry Connections

U.S. MBA programs emphasize autonomy, while international programs are more structured, says Ruchi Aggarwal, founder and CEO of Mentoresult, a career consultancy that guides applicants into top MBA programs through mentorship.

MBA students in the U.S. pursue multiple paths at once and manage their own networking and recruiting, taking on greater uncertainty, compared to international programs that offer guided recruiting timelines, hands-on career support and centralized prep resources, Aggarwal says.

“Neither system is better,” she says. “The U.S. model produces more unusual roles and innovation. The international model produces higher conversion for students who know exactly what they want.”

There are also differences in industry depth, experts say. U.S. programs have stronger pipelines into , U.S. tech product roles and private equity.

European programs often have deeper relationships and stronger placement into luxury, CPG, energy and cross-border corporate strategy, Aggarwal says, adding that is popular at both.

Top B-school students “find success regardless of program, as long as the school is a target for their intended employer,” she says.

Evaluate Post-Graduation Location and Job Placement

Where you want to work should drive your school choice, as is highly regional, experts say.

“This is the single most important factor, and candidates routinely over-index on brand prestige instead,” Aggarwal says.

Even within the U.S., hiring is geographically sticky, she says. “An East Coast school concentrates 50-60% of its active alumni base within a few hours’ drive. pulls heavily toward the Bay Area and tech. and anchor the Midwest,” Aggarwal says.

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The main exception is global employers — consulting, “bulge-bracket” global investment banks and big tech — where international mobility is real, she says.

Aggarwal graduated from Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, an Indian program, and joined global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company, which later offered her transfers to four offices, including New York, she says.

“The firm drove the mobility, not the school. But all post-MBA exits are not equally mobile.”

Deciding on geography should be the priority. For students who want a U.S. career, a U.S. MBA is usually a good option. For students looking to work in Europe, the Middle East or Asia, an international program is often a better option, since local recruiters are familiar with those brands and visa dynamics are friendlier, Aggarwal says.

“If you want genuine global mobility, what matters is whether your school is a target for a that will transfer you.”

Weigh Class Demographics, Culture and Cost

Top U.S. MBA programs often enroll about 30% to 45% , while leading international programs are far more global, Aggarwal says.

in France reports more than 90 nationalities in its typical MBA class, and schools like London Business School in the U.K. and IESE Business School at the in Spain are ordinarily at least 85% international.

“Every team project becomes a cross-cultural negotiation,” Aggarwal says.

Top U.S. MBA programs typically span two years, while many international programs last 12 to 15 months, a factor that can lower total cost.

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“On sticker , U.S. programs are meaningfully more expensive,” Aggarwal notes. “Top U.S. MBAs now run $230,000 to $260,000 in total cost over two years. Top European programs come in lower.” For example, 2026 tuition and fees for London Business School are about $160,000.

Experts say students should weigh .

“The total cost of attendance for an international MBA is roughly 60% of the U.S. equivalent, which improves the ROI for international students,” Desai says.

However, financial aid is often stronger at U.S. MBA programs. Schools like in Massachusetts and in California offer need-based grants that sometimes cover full tuition, and many programs match or improve offers based on competing admits.

“The MBA aspirants we coach are increasingly prioritizing ROI,” Desai says, “and choosing programs in regions where they want to eventually live, work and settle.”

For tips on how to get into B-school, how to it and what an MBA could mean for your career, for U.S. 海角社区app’ twice-monthly newsletter, The Bottom Line.

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Top Features of This Card

Although the Chase Sapphire Reserve has a $795 annual fee, it is jam-packed with benefits that frequent travelers love. Here are a few of its most valuable features:

— $300 annual travel credit. Book travel using your Chase Sapphire Reserve and statement credits automatically apply to eligible purchases.

— Complimentary lounge access. Improve your airport experience with free entry into Chase Sapphire and Priority Pass lounges for you and up to two guests.

— The Edit hotel collection benefits. Receive up to $250 for each booking of two nights or more through The Edit twice per year. All stays with The Edit receive complimentary benefits similar to elite status, such as a property credit, daily breakfast for two, available room upgrades and more.

— IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status. Link your IHG One Rewards account to receive Platinum Elite status through Dec. 31, 2027.

— Premium travel protections. Book travel with your Chase Sapphire Reserve card for protections, like primary rental car coverage, trip delay protection, lost luggage reimbursement, and emergency evacuation and transportation.

— Lifestyle credits. Receive annual credits for a variety of lifestyle purchases, including dining, Apple TV, DoorDash and StubHub.

Who Should Consider This Card

While the Chase Sapphire Reserve庐 offers tremendous value, it comes with a hefty annual fee, and earning its welcome bonus requires higher-than-usual spending. Justifying the card’s annual fee can be tough if you don’t travel enough or don’t take advantage of its many annual credits. Many households can spend enough to earn the bonus, but make sure you don’t overspend. No matter how appealing a card’s welcome bonus or benefits are, it isn’t worth going into debt and incurring high interest charges from carrying a balance.

Alternative Card to Consider

For travelers who want luxury benefits without the premium annual fee, the is much more affordable. While it has a $395 annual fee, the combined value of the annual $300 travel credit and 10,000 bonus anniversary miles cover the fee entirely. The Venture X earns up to 10 miles per dollar on eligible travel booked through Capital One and an unlimited 2 miles on every purchase.

New cardholders can earn 75,000 miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. These miles can be used to book travel, cover travel purchases, and transfer to over 15 airline and hotel partners. You’ll also get Capital One and Priority Pass lounge access after enrollment, premium travel protections, and Global Entry or TSA PreCheck reimbursement.

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Democrats in Congress and a pending lawsuit stand as potential roadblocks to the rule, which penalizes public employers and nonprofit organizations who engage in “illegal” activities. If enforced aggressively, the rule could upend some borrowers’ plans for paying off their student loans. It could also make staffing more difficult for any employers found to be in violation. There’s also a chance it could go almost entirely unenforced, sitting on the books like a “Beware of Dog” sign in front of a house with no pets.

The next few months may determine whether it can be used at all.

Here’s a look at the new PSLF rule, the challenges against it and how it may affect you.

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How Does PSLF Work?

Signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2007, PSLF provides an incentive for graduates to work in government or at nonprofit organizations. The program cancels remaining student loan debt for borrowers after 10 years of public-service work and qualifying monthly loan payments. Those eligible include government workers from the federal, state or local level as well as employees of nonprofit groups.

It can be a huge financial windfall for borrowers, especially those with sizable student loan balances. The government typically doesn’t forgive federal student loans for private-sector workers until after 20 or 25 years of payments.

More than 1.2 million borrowers have had their loan balances forgiven since the program launched, with the average forgiven debt reaching nearly $75,000, according to an by the Brookings Institution.

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Rule Cracks Down on ‘Illegal’ Activities

In October 2025, the Department of Education finalized a rule that would disqualify employers from PSLF if those organizations were deemed to be engaged in activities with “a substantial illegal purpose.” The rule states that those activities could include violating federal immigration laws, supporting terrorism or providing gender-affirming care to minors. The education secretary would be responsible for defining what acts qualify as “substantial illegal purpose.”

If an employer is disqualified from the program, that organization’s employees will no longer receive PSLF credit for monthly loan payments they make. Any past progress a borrower had made toward forgiveness while with the employer would remain intact, however. That sets up a scenario where a public or nonprofit worker seeking PSLF forgiveness would need to switch jobs to remain on track.

The punishment to employers can be harsh. Disqualified organizations would have to wait 10 years before they can reapply for inclusion in the program. Employers can avoid the 10-year ban if they agree to enter a “corrective action plan” when they’re first notified of potential violations. That plan isn’t available once the administration has formally disqualified the organization.

The rule is set to go into effect on July 1.

Administration officials say the rule change was needed to prevent taxpayer money from subsidizing borrowers at organizations that aren’t actually providing a public good.

“The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program was meant to support Americans who dedicate their careers to public service, not to subsidize organizations that violate the law,” Department of Education Undersecretary Nicholas Kent said when the rule was finalized. “With this new rule, the Trump administration is refocusing the PSLF program to ensure federal benefits go to our nation’s teachers, first responders and civil servants who tirelessly serve their communities.”

Critics have blasted the rule as overly vague and agenda-driven, saying they fear it will be wielded as a political tool to punish them for participating in work the administration dislikes. They also say it could be used to intimidate organizations against conducting work out of concern that those actions could result in disqualification. Numerous groups teamed up to sue the administration days after the rule was finalized.

“The Trump-Vance administration is telling a generation of dedicated public servants that their work only counts if it aligns with a MAGA political agenda,” said Persis Yu, deputy executive director and managing counsel at the advocacy group Protect Borrowers in announcing the lawsuit. “This betrays the nonpartisan promise of PSLF and the core principles of our nation. They are silencing dissent and trying to dismantle the very institutions that hold power accountable.”

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What Is Considered ‘Illegal’?

The Department of Education lays out what actions fall under “substantial illegal purpose,” which it says includes:

— Aiding or abetting violations of federal immigration laws

— Supporting terrorism

— Engaging in the chemical and surgical castration or mutilation of children in violation of federal or state law

— Engaging in the trafficking of children to another state for purposes of emancipation from their lawful parents in violation of federal or state law

— Engaging in a pattern of aiding and abetting illegal discrimination

— Engaging in a pattern of violating state laws

Challenges to the Rule

If you’re worried about the rule’s potential impact to your PSLF progress, there are two challenges to watch in the coming months.

Democratic lawmakers in April announced a joint resolution to overturn the rule under the Congressional Review Act. The effort, led by U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine and Rep. Joe Courtney, would require a simple majority vote of disapproval from each chamber and then need to be signed by President Donald Trump. If Trump were to veto it, the resolution would go back to the legislature, where it would need a two-third majority to override the veto.

“This new rule by President Trump and Secretary of Education McMahon would pick and choose which public servants are eligible for forgiveness based on the Trump administration’s ideological agenda, which clearly goes against Congressional intent,” Courtney said in a statement announcing the resolution.

Perhaps the more potent challenge comes in the courtroom, where lawsuits brought by a coalition of local governments, nonprofits and trade groups are likely to get a ruling before July 1. The next key hearing is expected to take place in early May.

A sizable and diverse mix of opponents has lined up against the rule, largely because such a wide range of employers and workers could potentially end up in its crosshairs. For example, if the administration isn’t satisfied with a city’s immigration enforcement, could it simply bar every city worker from earning credit toward forgiveness?

It’s unclear how aggressively the Trump administration would actually apply the rule. And in fact, in court documents defending itself against the lawsuits, the Department of Education dismissed critics’ concerns as unfounded, saying “their allegations rest on speculative fears of future enforcement and unreasonable misinterpretations of the challenged regulation.”

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Learn more about how much you can borrow from each student loan program, along with alternative ways to pay.

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What Is the Maximum Amount I Can Borrow?

Regardless of the type or number of loans a student takes out, the maximum annual loan amount is capped at the cost of attendance, or COA, at the student’s college or university. For two-year and four-year universities, the COA includes the total cost of tuition, fees and related expenses like on-campus room and board for both the fall and spring semesters of one school year. These are known as direct costs and can typically be found on the school’s website. It can also include indirect costs and estimates of other expenses that students will likely incur but aren’t paying directly to the school, like textbooks and off-campus living and transportation.

Based on the latest federal student loan data, approximately 92% of student loans are made by the federal government; the remaining 8% of funding comes from private student loans.

The reason federal loans are much more popular is that they are easier to qualify for and have benefits. “Federal student loans often have lower interest rates and offer more borrower protections as compared to private student loans,” says Sarah Austin, policy analyst at the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans

The that undergraduate students can borrow each year in federal direct subsidized and unsubsidized loans ranges from $5,500 to $12,500 per year, depending on their year in school and whether they’re a dependent or independent student. Borrowers can refer to the on StudentAid.gov to see how this breaks down. Note: These amounts are unchanged by the One Big Beautiful Bill Ac.

The actual amount is determined from information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form, which students are required to submit each year to be considered for federal and some other sources of financial aid. The financial information reported on the FAFSA is then used to calculate the Student Aid Index, which your college’s financial aid office uses to determine your federal student aid package.

There are also maximum total amounts students can borrow over the course of their undergraduate education, known as aggregate totals. Dependent students can borrow up to $31,000 in subsidized and unsubsidized student loans, with no more than $23,000 of the total in subsidized loans. Independent students can borrow up to $57,500 with the same cap on subsidized loans.

While students can’t borrow more than the cost of attendance, they might not always need to borrow the maximum amount allotted. The COA typically includes average expenses for indirect costs, and financially conscious students might be able to get by with spending less than the average.

“I recommend only borrowing what you need,” says Leslie H. Tayne, finance and debt expert and founder of Tayne Law Group. “Don’t take out more funding just because the option is there. One day, you will have to pay back whatever you take out, so if you only take what you need, you will thank yourself later.”

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Federal Direct Subsidized Loan Limits

Federal direct subsidized loans are available to eligible undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need. With these loans, the Education Department pays the interest while students are in school at least half time, as well as during the six-month grace period after they leave school and during periods of deferment.

In 2025, just 15% of federal student loans were subsidized, according to The College Board’s Trends in College Pricing.

Undergraduate students can borrow a maximum of $3,500 to $5,500 in direct subsidized loans, depending on which program year they’re in. The school will determine the specific amount based on financial need as determined by the student’s SAI.

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan Limits

Federal direct unsubsidized loans are available to all undergraduate and and don’t require students to demonstrate financial need. These loans accrue interest while students are in school and during periods of deferment.

The amount of direct unsubsidized loans that students may be eligible to receive is determined by their year in school and status as either a dependent or independent student. The annual maximum amount increases each year, and independent students can borrow more than dependent students.

Note that students already enrolled in a program of study at an institution as of June 30, 2026 who previously received a federal direct loan, and are still in the same program may be grandfathered into the pre-OBBBA limits.

Federal PLUS Loan Limits

PLUS loans are another type of federal loans available for parents of dependent undergraduate students. In this case, the parent is the borrower on behalf of their dependent student and is responsible for paying back the loan. Eligibility isn’t based on financial need, but parents must go through a credit check and demonstrate they don’t have any adverse credit.

What’s changing this academic year, however, is that there are new federal loan limits for parent borrowers. Beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year, Parent PLUS loans will be capped at $20,000 per year, with a lifetime limit of $65,000 per dependent student. Previously, parents were able to borrow up to the cost of attendance.

With new annual and aggregate borrowing limits on Parent PLUS Loans, students and parents may no longer be able to rely fully on federal funding to cover a student’s cost of attendance, says Austin. “This will likely lead students and families to explore private loan options,” she says, “which typically have more stringent credit requirements meaning not all borrowers will qualify, even with a cosigner.”

Private Student Loan Limits

When federal student loans can’t cover the full college cost, then students have to decide what their next move will be. “When a student reaches these loan limits, they have to turn to private student loans to fill the gap or enroll in a less expensive college,” says Mark Kantrowitz, student loan expert and author of “How to Appeal for More College Financial Aid.”

typically come from banks, credit unions and other lenders. They are almost always capped up to the COA, but otherwise, limits are up to the lender’s discretion. “Lenders set their own limits for private student loans, often based on their calculation of how much debt a student can afford to repay, based on the student’s academic major, the college where the student is enrolled and the student’s likelihood of graduating with the degree,” says Kantrowitz.

Because private student loans are credit underwritten, they require the borrower (and/or their cosigner) to have a very good credit score, minimum income thresholds and less than a maximum debt-to-income ratio, explains Kantrowitz. Since many undergraduate students have not yet established a credit history, however, the vast majority need a cosigner to qualify. In fact, around 94% of total private student loans in school year 2025-2026 were cosigned.

If the cosigner has strong credit, there’s a chance . But the flipside is also true.

As for repayment options, private loans do not have the flexibility of federal loans. Tayne advises having a well-thought-out, researched and realistic repayment strategy in place for all loans, but especially private ones. “It’s good to have a budget for when your payments begin, with your best- and worst-case scenarios, in terms of your financial status,” she says. “That way, you have a plan in place even if you haven’t yet found a job.”

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What to Consider When Taking Out a Loan

A little foresight and planning go a long way when considering student loans. Things like aid eligibility, tuition and COA can change on an annual basis, so projecting beyond the current school year and through the duration of the program is important.

When factoring in repayment, borrowers should also consider their planned line of work and whether the typical starting salary will be enough to cover loan repayments. Kantrowitz recommends this rule of thumb: “Students should aim to graduate with total student loan debt that is less than their annual starting salary,” he says “If total debt is less than annual income, the student should be able to afford to repay their student loans in 10 years or less.”

Graduates with lower starting salaries could consider an (for the federal portion of their student loans), which allows them to make smaller loan payments but may lengthen the duration of repayment. As for private loans, Tayne recommends having conversations with your lender about all options for payments and deferment beforehand. “You never know when financial turbulence can hit, so knowing your options ahead of time is best,” she says.

Borrowers who go on to work in public service, either in government or at a nonprofit organization, could get a reprieve via the , which wipes out all remaining federal direct loan debt after 10 years of full-time service, as long as regular minimum payments have been made. Keep in mind that private loans don’t qualify for forgiveness under the PSLF plan, and neither does part-time employment.

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Consider Other Sources of Funding

Some colleges try to help their students minimize the amount of loans needed, or by trying to meet full financial need through scholarships, grants and work-study opportunities.

Even if you can’t fully avoid student loans, other types of aid can help reduce the amount you borrow. For example, Pell Grants are awarded to undergraduate students who demonstrate exceptional financial need on the FAFSA. Amounts change yearly, but for the 2026-2027 school year, the maximum federal Pell Grant award was $7,395. Scholarships are another important source of financial aid.

Ultimately, families should think twice about borrowing above their means, even if that means choosing a less expensive school that might not be your first choice. “Live like a student while you are in school,” Kantrowitz advises, “so you don’t have to live like a student after you graduate.”

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Meta went public back in 2012 under the name Facebook, and its initial public offering was one of the most highly anticipated and controversial IPOs in history. After a rocky start to life on the public market, Facebook stock eventually found its stride and has become one of the two largest and most profitable online advertising companies in the world in 2026.

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Meta is now heavily investing in its future, developing and technology. While the stock hasn’t traded at all-time highs since August 2025, investors hope the company’s heavy investments in next-generation AI and wearable technology, along with its massive global user base, will catalyze another decade-plus of outperformance in the years to come.

Meta’s 14-Year Journey

Facebook was founded as one of the earliest social media platforms in 2004 by Harvard University student Mark Zuckerberg, but the company has made several pivots and key acquisitions throughout its history. The company went public at a valuation of $104 billion in 2012.

“The facebook” was originally open only to Zuckerberg’s fellow Harvard students, but it quickly expanded to other local colleges in the Boston area and then to all U.S. universities. In 2005, high schoolers could sign up for Facebook, and the site ultimately extended membership to anyone with an email address in 2006.

To increase engagement, Facebook launched the “like” button in 2009. By July 2010, Facebook’s user base had grown to over 500 million people.

In April 2012, Facebook made a game-changing acquisition, buying social media platform Instagram for roughly $1 billion in cash and stock. Today, Instagram has more than 2 billion monthly active users, more than 50% of which are between the ages of 18 and 34 years old.

Facebook priced its IPO shares at $38 on May 18, 2012, and the Facebook IPO was one of the most publicized events of the decade on Wall Street. Unfortunately, the stock tanked in its first few weeks of trading. By August 2012, Facebook’s market cap had dropped by $50 billion, and its share price dropped as low as $17.55.

By 2013, Facebook shares had recovered to their IPO price once again, propelled higher by impressive advertising revenue growth.

Facebook’s rally continued over the next several years, and the company expanded its business along the way. It acquired mobile messaging company WhatsApp for $19 billion in February 2014 and VR technology company Oculus VR for $2 billion just a month later.

In October 2021, Zuckerberg announced Facebook would be rebranding with Meta Platforms as its parent company and pivoting its focus to building the metaverse, an immersive online world in which people interact virtually. As part of the rebranding, the stock would also change its ticker from FB to META.

Unfortunately, this vision has been a pretty objective failure to date, and in the first quarter of 2026 alone, Meta’s Reality Labs division, which houses its metaverse efforts, lost more than $4 billion. The company’s cumulative losses in Reality Labs since late 2020 now amount to more than $80 billion.

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The Numbers on Meta Stock

Meta’s evolution and innovation have helped the company grow its revenue by more than 3,800% from 2012 through the end of last year. In 2025, Meta reported $201 billion in revenue, up 22% year over year.

Of course, it hasn’t been all smooth sailing over the years for the stock itself: In 2022, amid slowing revenue growth, costly metaverse investments and broad tech sector weakness, Meta’s stock plunged 64.2%, its worst calendar year since its IPO.

That said, from its IPO through market close on April 29, Meta shares have generated a return of 1,664% compared to a 451% total return for the S&P 500 during that stretch. Those gains translate to a roughly 22.8% compound annual growth rate for Meta compared to a 13% CAGR for the S&P 500 in that time.

As a result, $10,000 in META stock purchased during Facebook’s IPO 14 years ago would now be worth more than $176,000, while the same investment in the S&P 500 would be worth just over $55,000.

Analyst Outlook

Even after those impressive long-term returns, Wall Street analysts remain bullish on Meta’s outlook. Among the 65 analysts covering the stock, Meta has 59 “buy” or “strong buy” analyst ratings compared to just six “hold” ratings, according to Yahoo Finance. The average analyst price target for META stock is $855.11, suggesting 27.8% upside over the next 12 months from its April 29 closing price.

While the company’s metaverse bets have hardly justified the name change to Meta Platforms, the social media behemoth has entered the AI race, and is spending heavily on data center infrastructure and investing in its new vision of building the world’s best personal AI assistant.

It remains to be seen whether those plans will materialize, but the company has nearly 3.6 billion daily active people across all of its digital properties, which gives it ample opportunity to monetize those folks in the years ahead.

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In April 2025, the rollout of “Liberation Day” tariffs triggered a sharp sell-off, with the SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (ticker: ) falling into a maximum drawdown of 18.8% from peak to trough.

The following year brought another shock, as a joint U.S.-Israeli led to a smaller but still notable 8.9% drawdown, before markets rebounded on expectations of a ceasefire.

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For investors with smaller portfolios, these declines may appear manageable. A drop of that magnitude on a $10,000 portfolio is noticeable but not life-altering.

For those with larger portfolios in the six- or seven-figure range, however, even single-digit declines can translate into significant dollar losses. Viewed in that context, can feel like years of savings erased in a short period.

“A market loss is really a forced conversation between you and your actual risk tolerance — not the one you thought you had, but the one you discover when real money is on the line,” says Matt Kaufman, senior vice president and global head of ETFs at Calamos Investments. “That’s the case for having a risk management strategy in place when times are good, as opposed to during or after the storm.”

That said, losses are part of investing. Earning returns above the risk-free rate requires accepting periods of decline along the way. Markets do not move perfectly upward in a straight line, and drawdowns are a normal feature of long-term investing.

“While most portfolio performance measures focus on annual or quarterly returns, sometimes the true test of an investor’s intestinal fortitude comes in much smaller, bite-sized windows of time,” says Mike Loukas, principal and CEO of TrueMark Investments. “In reality, stock market returns can be lumpy rather than linear, and these instances often result in emotional buy and sell decisions.”

There are, however, ways to respond. Recovery is not just about waiting for markets to rebound, but also about how investors manage their behavior, structure their portfolios and use available tools. Some approaches are psychological; others involve portfolio adjustments or .

“As someone who’s navigated multiple market cycles, I’ve found that recovery requires both analytical discipline and psychological resilience,” says Michael Ashley Schulman, partner at Cerity Partners. “The most sophisticated investors I know view losses as tuition paid for market education.”

Here are three expert-backed insights on how to recover after a loss in the stock market:

— Staying the course.

— Averaging down.

— Tax-loss harvesting.

Staying the Course

Many asset managers, including Vanguard, advocate for staying the course as the default response to market losses. Over long periods, markets are asymmetrical in that both the magnitude and duration of gains tend to outweigh losses.

In an analysis spanning January 1980 to December 2024, Vanguard found that the average delivered a 96% total return and lasted about 1,018 days. By contrast, the average resulted in a 30% decline and lasted just 282 days.

Over the same period, 10 of the 20 best trading days occurred in years with negative overall returns. Missing just a handful of these days by being out of the market can significantly reduce long-term performance. At the same time, 11 of the 20 worst trading days occurred in years with positive returns, meaning that reacting to short-term losses can lead investors to exit at the wrong time.

Trying to time the market often leads investors to miss those longer, more powerful recovery periods. Selling out during declines may limit losses in the short term, but it also increases the risk of missing the recovery that follows.

“Even significant drawdowns can look like mere blips when viewed on a multi-decade chart,” Schulman explains. “The investors who ultimately succeed aren’t those who avoid all losses — they’re those who develop the temperament to weather them.”

There is also a measurable cost to panic-selling and . Vanguard found that investors who shifted to 100% cash had a 74% probability of underperforming a balanced 60/40 portfolio after three months, by an average of 4.1%. That probability was 71% after six months, with an average underperformance of 7.4%, and 87% after a full year, with an average shortfall of 13.3%.

“In order to keep up with — or outpace — the rising cost of living, investors need equity market exposure, but not everyone can afford the risk that comes with it,” Kaufman says. “This is where a strong risk management strategy comes into play — one that keeps you positively tied to the growth and inflation protection that equity markets provide, without all of the downside risk.”

Staying invested does not eliminate volatility, but it improves the odds of capturing long-term market returns. Investors can also reframe risk, not just as short-term unrealized losses but as the possibility of falling short of the returns needed to fund long-term goals like retirement due to poorly timed decisions.

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Averaging Down

Averaging down is the practice of buying more of an investment after its price has fallen, which lowers your cost basis. By adding to the position at a lower price, you lower the threshold needed to break even.

That said, there is an important distinction between averaging down and catching a falling knife. A “falling knife” refers to a security that is declining rapidly due to deteriorating fundamentals, where buying can amplify further losses. While each case is different, one way to reduce this risk is through .

A study by Hendrik Bessembinder at Arizona State University found that from 1926 to 2025, just 46 companies out of nearly 30,000 accounted for half of the $91 trillion in net wealth creation. The implication is that most individual stocks underperform, which makes concentrated bets riskier.

A diversified portfolio helps mitigate that uncertainty. Holding , different regions including international developed and , and across styles like value and growth increases the likelihood that some holdings will benefit from long-term economic growth.

Over time, businesses in general create value by growing earnings, expanding into new markets, acquiring competitors and realizing synergies, buying back shares when undervalued, and that investors can reinvest.

Rather than focusing solely on whether a single stock is a bargain or a falling knife, it can be more useful to assess your overall portfolio against these factors. If it is well diversified and aligned with long-term growth drivers, averaging down during market declines can be a way to position for future compounding.

Tax-Loss Harvesting

If you review your portfolio and determine that certain losses stem from company-specific risks rather than broad market declines, it may make sense to cut those positions at a loss.

“We’ve seen people hang on to losing positions for years, holding out hope to eventually be right; this is rarely a winning strategy,” Schulman says. “To put it another way, you don’t have to eat the whole apple to realize it is rotten.”

Selling an investment below your cost basis creates a capital loss, which can be either short-term or long-term depending on how long you held the investment. Short-term losses apply to assets held for one year or less, while long-term losses apply to those held longer.

These realized losses can be used strategically to reduce your tax bill. Capital losses can offset capital gains elsewhere in your portfolio, lowering the amount of taxable profit. If your losses exceed your gains, you can also deduct up to $3,000 per year against ordinary income.

“Tax-loss harvesting can be a silver lining when the markets are turbulent,” says Lauren Wybar, a wealth advisor executive at Vanguard. “Investors cannot control the inevitable ups and downs of the markets, but they can control when to lock in losses within their portfolio.”

Moreover, capital losses do not expire. Any remaining losses can be carried forward indefinitely to offset future gains, which can be useful in years when you realize windfalls from events like asset sales or inheritances.

There are, however, important rules to follow. Capital losses are first matched by type, meaning short-term losses offset short-term gains, and long-term losses offset long-term gains.

Investors also need to be mindful of the . This rule disallows a tax deduction if you sell a security at a loss and repurchase the same or a substantially identical security within 30 days before or after the sale. To stay invested while avoiding a wash sale, you can either wait 30 days or reinvest in a similar, but not identical, security.

Tax-loss harvesting is easier with exchange-traded funds, where different funds can provide similar exposure while tracking different indexes. For instance, an investor could potentially sell the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF () at a loss and immediately buy the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF ().

Tax-loss harvesting can be a useful tool, but it can also become complex depending on your situation. If you are unsure how to apply these strategies, it may be worth .

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But in everyday life, it simply means your comfort level with the possibility of losing money if you invest in that . Risk tolerance can vary by your age, how much time you have until retirement, how critical the income stream is to paying your most immediate bills and even your ability to monitor your personal anxiety.

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If you are , taking too little risk means that your investments might not add up to as much as you need. However, if you take more risk than your actual comfort level, you may experience a painful loss at exactly the wrong moment and panic.

So how do you determine the right balance? It is not a cut-and-dried exercise. Here are a few key factors to consider when deciding your risk tolerance and the right mix of investments for your portfolio:

— What does risk tolerance mean in investing?

— How does risk tolerance shape financial goals?

— What are the most common mistakes with risk tolerance?

— When to reassess your risk tolerance.

— Working with an advisor vs. evaluating risk on your own.

— Managing different risk tolerances in couples.

What Does Risk Tolerance Mean in Investing?

Risk tolerance is defined by the intersection of an investor’s psychological comfort with volatility, their financial capacity to absorb losses, and the specific rate of return required to achieve their objectives.

It generally comes down to three things: willingness, ability and need to take risk. Willingness reflects your attitude toward risk. Some people are naturally comfortable with uncertainty and market swings, while others prefer stability and predictability. Ability focuses on how prepared you are to handle setbacks. A strong emergency fund, proper and a solid financial cushion can make it easier to stay invested during difficult periods.

Need is tied to the return required to reach your goals. Investors should consider what they are trying to accomplish, how much it will cost and how long they have to get there. Once those answers are clear, it becomes much easier to build an that supports the necessary return.

How Does Risk Tolerance Shape Financial Goals?

Risk tolerance dictates how you should balance time horizons and investment strategies, often requiring a downward adjustment of expectations to ensure financial goals remain aligned with your actual comfort with market volatility.

Before building a portfolio, investors need to map out a route to their goal, whether it is retirement, college savings, purchasing a home or simply setting up a vacation fund. In this manner, one can determine how many dollars must be accumulated by what date.

Notice that each of these goals has very different purposes. As a result, they will require different investment strategies. Money that is needed to ensure that the mortgage is paid on time should not be allocated the same way a long-term goal like retirement is invested.

The amount of time you have available to meet your goal is important. A conservative, tax-efficient and consistent return on an investment held over time can be as effective as a flashier investment that causes you to lose sleep at night.

Every dollar should be allocated according to the proper amount of risk for your goal, but in alignment with your risk tolerance. In order to create the right alignment, it may be necessary to adjust the goal downward, rather than to increase the risk upward.

What Are the Most Common Mistakes With Risk Tolerance?

The two most common risk tolerance mistakes are two decision-making extremes:

— Taking too much risk. Chasing higher returns without fully considering what happens during a major downturn.

— Taking too little risk. Becoming overly conservative during periods of market uncertainty and allocating too much of the portfolio into cash or low-yield investments. Cash preserves principal, but rarely keeps pace with inflation over time. Playing it too safe can quietly become its own form of risk.

The goal is not to be aggressive or conservative. It is to take the right amount of risk for your situation that falls within your ability to stay calm when markets get messy.

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When to Reassess Your Risk Tolerance

The best time to evaluate your true risk tolerance is during or shortly after a market downturn. In that period, you will know instantaneously whether you have been overly optimistic or too pessimistic. It is easy to feel comfortable with risk when portfolios are growing. But, you may also realize that you could have stomached the downturn better than you imagined, freeing you to potentially to your portfolio.

Either way, risk tolerance is not something you set once and forget. Your core attitude toward risk may stay fairly consistent. However, the “right” allocation may change as you age, especially as markets change closer to your goal date. Personal circumstances can also alter your outlook. What might feel right to a new couple within a two-income household may not feel appropriate to a recently divorced individual in a single-income household with small children.

Life is rarely linear. People lose jobs, start businesses, have children, and experience changes in one’s health. Each of those moments can have an impact on the risks you will entertain, which is why regular reassessment is important.

Working With an Advisor vs. Evaluating Risk on Your Own

While self-directed investors can use online assessments and honest self-reflection to manage their portfolios, provides an objective perspective that helps bridge the emotional gap between a person’s perceived risk tolerance and their actual reactions to market volatility.

It can be challenging to be truly objective about your own financial behavior. Many believe they are conservative, but then lament lower returns in a rising market. But, the converse is true, too. When one’s portfolio drops 15%, panic can quickly flare.

Working with a professional financial advisor can make this process much easier. An advisor can help create a plan that matches both your comfort level and the return you need to pursue your goals.

It is still possible to get it right as a DIYer. Self-evaluation requires looking honestly at your goals, timeline and emotional response to risk. The wide variety of online assessment tools can be an invaluable resource in this situation. Some professionals will also help you with this question for a . Even a limited conversation with a financial advisor can be valuable for those flying solo.

Managing Different Risk Tolerances in Couples

For couples, the first step is understanding and respecting each other’s perspective; then, you may move on to creating a visualization like an investment pyramid. Risk tolerance is uniquely personal, and neither person is automatically right or wrong. It is all too common for spouses or partners to have very different attitudes toward investment risk; hence the saying, “Opposites attract.”

One person may be comfortable with stock market volatility, while the other desires maximum stability. These differences can create real tension when attempting to make financial decisions together. A financial advisor can help by assessing each partner separately and guiding the conversation toward a shared plan that works for both individuals.

An investment pyramid is a simple way to visualize how to structure a portfolio by organizing investments based on risk and stability. The widest part of the pyramid, or the base, holds the safest and most . As you move upward, the investments become riskier, more aggressive and usually represent a smaller portion of the portfolio. By building a wider base, the pyramid can support more risk-taking at the top.

When both partners can see how their individual needs can support and enhance each other’s preferences, compromise becomes much easier. The goal is not for one person to win. It is to find a level of risk both people can live with confidently and consistently.

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What do decisions like this mean for homeowners and potential buyers? Here’s how Fed policy can impact mortgage rates and what it means for you.

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How Does the Fed Affect Mortgages?

The housing market is sensitive to changes in interest rates. Don’t expect to automatically decrease, however, if the Fed targets a lower interest rate. In fact, long-term fixed mortgage rates generally react to the same conditions that drive the Fed to make its decisions and not necessarily to a Fed interest rate change itself.

“The Federal Reserve does not directly determine the mortgage rate specifically, but it has tools to indirectly control various interest rates,” says Yong Jin Park, associate professor of economics at Connecticut College. One of these tools is setting the target range for the federal funds rate, which influences short-term lending rates.

Financial institutions establish their own base rate for their lending products, called the , which is typically set a few percentage points above the federal funds rate. Loans based on the prime rate, including construction loans, some adjustable-rate mortgages and home equity financing, tend to get more expensive when the Fed increases rates.

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When setting the benchmark rate, Fed policymakers determine a target range they feel will best balance economic growth and inflation.

“Traditionally, the Fed raises interest rates and keeps them high to slow down economic activities to control inflation,” Park said. The Fed may then decide to lower its benchmark rate “only when there is enough evidence that the inflation is under control,” Park says.

When inflation is persistent, the Fed may have to keep interest rates elevated. “Sticky” inflationary conditions also tend to keep mortgage rates from falling.

How the Fed Impacts Fixed-Rate vs. Adjustable-Rate Mortgages

Homeowners who have a fixed-rate mortgage won’t see their interest rate change regardless of moves by the Fed. Fixed-rate mortgages have rates and payments that don’t change over the life of the loan.

Prospective homebuyers shopping for a new fixed-rate mortgage could be affected by Fed decisions, however. And have rates that can fluctuate along with broader market conditions, including the Fed’s changes to the federal funds rate.

“Homeowners with an adjustable mortgage are likely more directly impacted by the Fed’s policies,” says Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com. “Many ARMs are tied to the secured overnight financing rate, which does tend to vary with the Fed’s policy rate,” she says. The SOFR is a reference rate that is often used as a benchmark for other variable interest rates.

Adjustable-rate mortgages have introductory rates that are fixed for some period of time — generally one to 10 years, with five years being the most common. After the introductory period ends, the loan begins adjusting according to its terms. Adjustable mortgage rates are tied to short-term indexes like certificate of deposit rates and Treasury bill rates, and those tend to rise along with the federal funds rate.

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How the Fed Affects HELOCs and Home Equity Loans

usually have adjustable interest rates. Therefore, if the Fed raises interest rates, HELOC rates will likely rise, too.

typically deliver a lump sum of funds with a fixed interest rate. If you already have one, your rate won’t change as a result of the Fed’s policy moves. If you’re shopping for a new home equity loan, however, know that home equity rates tend to mirror market trends. Higher overall interest rates mean you’ll likely see higher home equity loan rates, too.

What Will Happen to Mortgage Interest Rates?

fluctuate depending on many factors, including economic conditions and investor appetite for mortgage-backed securities, or MBS. MBS are effectively bundles of mortgage loans that pay investors a steady yield.

“When the economy is growing, investors generally have many opportunities to pursue,” Hale says. Therefore, they may be less interested in buying mortgage-backed securities, which are a relatively safe, and thus lower-yielding, investment. If the economy weakens, though, investors may flock to these types of assets, driving rates lower.

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How to Get an Affordable Mortgage Despite High Interest Rates

You can’t control the U.S. economy, but you can take charge of your finances. If you’re shopping for a new mortgage, home equity loan or HELOC, there are some steps you can take to .

— Compare rates. One of the most important steps in getting a mortgage is comparing multiple lenders and mortgage offers. Different loan types can have very different interest rates.

— Shore up your credit. Review your credit report, correct any mistakes and make sure your credit score is the best it can be. If you’re carrying credit card balances, paying them down will help.

— Increase your down payment. Maximize your down payment, perhaps by saving more aggressively or accepting a gift from family. Putting down 20% or more can lower the amount you need to borrow, help you avoid paying private mortgage insurance and decrease your interest rate.

— Buy down the rate. Another way to lower your mortgage rate is to . That means paying money up front (one “point” equals 1% of the loan amount) to lower your interest rate and payment. Only do this if your monthly savings over time will offset the initial cost of the . If you sell your home or refinance your mortgage before that break-even point, you’ll lose money.

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Borrowers with an existing fixed-rate personal loan won’t need to worry about their interest rate changing in reaction to these Fed moves. But if you’re shopping around for a new personal loan or you have one with a variable interest rate, the Federal Reserve can impact the rate you pay throughout the loan term. Read on to learn how.

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How Does the Fed Impact Personal Loan Interest Rates?

The Federal Reserve’s monetary policies influence interest rates on many financial products, from credit cards to and personal loans.

Federal Funds Rate

One way the Fed guides the direction of the economy is by controlling the federal funds rate, which is the benchmark rate banks use for overnight lending.

Raising or lowering the federal funds rate can have a ripple effect on other rates that are tied to it. For instance, the prime rate moves with the Fed rate and acts as the underlying index for many loan products. Lenders use the prime rate to determine what to charge borrowers, including people who apply for personal loans. A higher Fed rate increases borrowing costs for banks, so they’ll transfer those higher costs onto consumers by increasing the prime rate. Banks usually calculate the prime rate by adding 3 percentage points to the federal funds rate. The current Fed target rate is at 3.5% to 3.75%.

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Buying and Selling Securities

The Fed can also trade securities to control the money supply and influence interest rates. This is called “open market operations.”

For instance, the Fed often buys long-term U.S. Treasurys to reduce their yields, which often leads to lower market rates (which can include personal loans). The Fed can also sell securities for the opposite effect.

“U.S. Treasurys are considered risk-free and are the basis for all other interest rates in the economy,” says Aleksandar Tomic, associate dean for strategy, innovation and technology and the program director of the master of science in applied economics programs at Boston College.

“When yields on U.S. Treasurys go up, rates on personal loans will go up as well,” Tomic says. Essentially, “the borrower has to convince a lender to lend to them instead of the U.S. government, which has zero risk of default.”

Does It Impact Existing Personal Loans?

If you already took out a personal loan with a fixed interest rate, then any future decisions the Fed makes won’t affect your personal loan. “The Fed’s policies will not impact someone with a fixed rate, unless they try to refinance or are looking for a new loan,” Tomic says.

A fixed rate stays the same throughout your loan term, no matter what happens with the prime rate or federal funds rate. However, changes to the Fed rate could impact personal loans with a variable interest rate.

Fixed vs. Variable Rate Loans

When you apply for a personal loan, you may have a choice between a fixed rate or a variable rate. Here’s how the Fed’s decisions may impact both types of loans.

Fixed-Rate Personal Loans

Most personal loans come with a fixed interest rate that never changes throughout the loan term. These loans come with fixed monthly payments that offer predictability. When the Fed changes its benchmark interest rate, lenders often do the same with the rates they charge borrowers.

In a low-rate environment, you could save on interest costs when taking out a personal loan. But the opposite is true, too. When the federal funds rate rises, you’ll typically pay a higher interest rate when you take out a new personal loan.

Variable-Rate Personal Loans

Some personal loans come with variable interest rates that may change anytime during the loan term. Variable rates usually start low, making them attractive to borrowers who want to save on interest. But borrowers take a risk that the rate will increase at some point. Lenders usually adjust the rate based on changes in the loan’s underlying benchmark, which is often the prime rate.

“If the Federal Reserve raises interest rates, the variable rate on an existing personal loan is likely to rise,” says Hugh Johnson, an economic adviser to the chairman of the New York State Assembly Committee on Ways and Means. “It will cost the consumer more each month going forward.”

The specific rate change and how frequently it can change depends on the terms of the loan. “In the early years of the loan, interest is the largest portion of the payment, so changes in the interest rate will have a large effect on the monthly payment,” Tomic says. “In more mature loans, the effect is smaller.”

You may be able to avoid further rate changes by taking out a fixed-rate debt consolidation loan. This move effectively refinances your debt and eliminates rate increases.

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Are Personal Loan Interest Rates Expected to Increase or Decrease?

In September, October and December, Fed officials cut rates. So far in 2026, the Fed left rates unchanged. And while minimum personal loan rates tend to track the federal funds rate, those low rates are reserved for only the most creditworthy borrowers. Improving your credit score and paying down your existing debt can help you . Also, comparing interest rates, fees and other terms from a few different lenders can help you find the best deal.

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