Determining how much of your income should go to your mortgage should start with your budget and long-term financial plan, but there are also some industry formulas you can use to help. One of the simplest is a rule of...
“The American dream of owning a house may be vanishing,” the U.S. Government Accountability Office said in a research report, “because of higher housing prices and a decline in housing affordability.” “Many young, middle-income, and first-time home buyers can no...
If you need more time to do your taxes, you’re not alone. Millions of taxpayers are granted extensions every year for all kinds of reasons, including that they just couldn’t get their paperwork together in time. The good news is...
Should you itemize your taxes? Most taxpayers take the standard each year. The Tax Policy Center estimates that only about 10% of households itemize their taxes. This is in large part because the standard deduction is $15,000 per person for...
If you have access to a 401(k) plan, you should take advantage of it, as it is one of the best ways to save for retirement. To maximize your 401(k), it is important to make consistent and sufficient contributions —...
Social Security is the backbone of many seniors’ retirement budgets. More than two-thirds of senior citizens rely on the government program for at least half of their income, according to a survey from The Senior Citizen’s League. With inflation impacting...
Americans believe a net worth of $2.5 million makes you rich, according to one survey. When you think about what it means to be rich, specific images may come to mind. Perhaps you imagine someone on a yacht wearing a...
If you’ve ever stared down IRS tax brackets trying to figure out where you fit, you’ll notice filing status has an outsized impact on your federal income tax. Your filing status determines not only which tax forms you fill out...
For many employees, what to do with a 401(k) plan at retirement has been a foregone conclusion: Roll it over. The opportunity to hang on to assets after employees retire — and in turn keep costs down for the whole...
One of the biggest questions among market participants is how many times the Federal Reserve will cut rates in 2025. Some have even floated the possibility of a rate hike during the year. The Fed and its decisions on monetary...
Diversification is the lifeblood of investing, but investors might not be as diversified as they think. That’s the warning from Apollo’s Torsten Sløk, who tells investors not to mistake owning the S&P 500 with having a diversified portfolio. The problem...
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Wednesday the U.S. central bank has no desire to be involved in any government effort to stockpile large amounts of bitcoin. “We’re not allowed to own bitcoin,” Powell said at a press conference...
A tariff is a tax on imported goods usually aimed at protecting local jobs and industries from foreign competition. The idea is that if foreign materials and products are more expensive, you’ll buy more domestic goods. Suppose, for example, that...
If you’re in your 50s and hear that the “average” net worth for people in your age group is over $1 million, you might be tempted to pop a bottle of champagne or stress about why you’re not feeling like...
If you need help managing your money or you’re not sure whether you’re on track for a major life goal, a financial advisor can be an important ally. A financial advisor is a professional who helps you create and implement...
