KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 (Bernama) -- Bursa Malaysia ended lower on the final trading day of the week, weighed down by the plantation sector as investors locked in gains following its recent strong performance. At 5 pm, the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) eased 7.03 points 1,708.10, compared with yesterday’s close of 1,715.13. The benchmark index opened 1.39 points lower at 1,713.74 and fluctuated between 1,704.86 and 1,715.20 throughout the day. The broader market was negative with losers outnumbering gainers 568 to 523, while 596 counters were unchanged, 1,085 untraded and 19 suspended. Turnover expanded to 4.33 billion units valued at RM2.98 billion from 3.90 billion units valued at RM3.21 billion on Thursday.
In a bid to tackle America’s deepening housing affordability crisis, President Donald Trump has floated a bold idea — a 50-year mortgage . The pitch? Lower monthly payments for homebuyers already squeezed by high rates and record prices. But within days, the proposal is losing momentum , as housing experts warn it could backfire — costing homeowners far more in the long run and doing little to solve the real problem: a lack of affordable housing supply . Key Takeaways 1. Lower payments, higher total costs Yes, a 50-year mortgage means smaller monthly payments. But here’s the catch: it massively increases total interest paid . According to the National Association of Realtors’ chief economist Lawrence Yun , for a US$420,000 loan , borrowers would save US$236 a month , but pay an extra US$360,000 in interest over the loan’s lifetime — pushing the total cost above US$1.1 million . That means homeowner...