“Programmer.” My wife nailed it as we stepped into the open house, staring into the front room labeled “home office.” Shoes off, respecting the homeowners still living there. “They’re hoping for a rentback,” explained the realtor. “The couple has to move out of town for work.” Ah, another casualty of the return-to-office mandate! Back to the Bay Area for these two. They’re far from alone. Major cities—Boston, New York, San Francisco—are shaking off five years of downtown rust, preparing for commuters back four or more days each week. Even here in Sacramento, I had to battle morning traffic this week…

Smart Spending Tips explains how the new FICO credit score incorporates Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) activity, which may impact how consumers build and maintain their credit. FICO, the company behind the widely used FICO credit scores, announced it will launch a new version that includes BNPL activity. This update could help people who struggle to qualify for traditional credit start building a record, but it may also carry risks. New FICO score to include BNPL transactions FICO issues a variety of credit scores for different purposes. For the first time, some versions will include BNPL transactions. FICO expects to…