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Mortgage payments have become cheaper after more than two years, rates have dropped to their lowest levels since 2023 and the outlook seems to improve. But don’t let it be used to commit crazy things. When buying a house, as always, it is better to think everything carefully. The same at work, when one is already at the limit of stress, or when thinking about retiring.
Happy mortgagees. The terror of the triggered Euribor is easing. After months of nerves and continuous increases, the first reduction in installments for those with variable rate mortgages has finally arrived. Little, yes, but it’s something… In the market rates are relaxing and the mortgages that are given are the cheapest in more than a year. It must be taken into account, however, that the granting of credit is reduced. The panorama may make some want to take out a mortgage beyond the age of 65. It is a good idea? In these cases there is fine print and a formula that will define whether it can be done or not.
Pay pensions. Speaking of senior citizens, retirements and other benefits require increasing spending. So much so that the Spanish will not be able to pay for them alone. We need 25 million immigrants to sustain the system. These are calculations from the Bank of Spain, which says that today it is the only form of population growth we have. The OECD has given us another blow these days for pensions. We spend too much on them. At the same time, it asks to increase VAT and other taxes. Be that as it may, if you want to retire, this is what you should keep in mind in 2024.
Work less. Retiring, retirement, is very far away for some. The desire is more to work less. It is possible: “To work less, simplify your life and learn to be more productive,” say José Mendiola and Ana González, burnt-out former workers. You don’t have to aspire to have more things, to be richer. Far from stress, his recipe is the art of living slower (Podcast). The idea of ??working less is also the great demand of the unions. From the outset they aim to work 37.5 hours per week, and in the long term the demand for a four-day work week is already emerging. The debate is open.
Tax doubts. The news and details of the income campaign leave many offside. If they are impossible to resolve, this is of interest to you: starting this week you can make an appointment to file the declaration with help over the phone. At La Vanguardia this week we have resolved the most common doubts. Inheritances, deductions, investments… Tax expert Carme Elena has clarified all the issues. You also have to be careful with life insurance, which is increasingly common: this is how they are taxed in the declaration.
Your bank card expires. You decide to cut it into pieces and throw it in the trash. Double mistake. No matter how much you have tried to keep your data from being seen, you are doing it wrong. The Bank of Spain warns that there are only two correct ways to dispose of cards.
People seem to have it clearer when it comes to purchases. Private labels can take over our basket, but there is a sector in which they cannot penetrate: beverages. We are soft drinks, beers or liquors from recognized brands. Because?