Housing · Guide
What to check before you appeal a property tax assessment
An appeal is usually won or lost on the assessor’s record of your home. Reading that record carefully comes first.
By Daniel Okafor
Section
Housing
Rent, mortgages, property taxes and the cost of keeping a roof overhead.
Utilities · Analysis
Budget billing smooths a utility bill. It does not shrink it.
Level-payment plans can make winter heating costs easier to plan for, but the annual true-up deserves attention.
By Daniel Okafor
Latest in Housing
Elsewhere in the Journal
Money · Analysis
The quiet arithmetic of a household budget when prices stop falling
Lower inflation does not mean lower prices. For many families, the work now is resetting a budget around costs that are likely to stay where they are.
By Eleanor Marsh
Health · Explainer
How to read an explanation of benefits without losing an afternoon
The form that follows a doctor’s visit is not a bill, but it is the best tool for checking one.
By Ruth Calloway
Groceries · Explainer
The shelf tag most shoppers skip, and why it matters more as packages shrink
Unit pricing makes it possible to compare products across sizes. Its usefulness depends on reading it the same way every time.
By Eleanor Marsh