Plunging stock prices can even rattle the nerves of a veteran markets reporter who's been covering Wall Street's ups and downs for two decades. But through the years — after watching many nail-biting down days for the Dow and listening...
Like death, taxes remain uncertain. But they’re now on sale. Under the new tax laws, individual tax rates are broadly lower, and the standard deduction – which directly reduces your taxable income – is nearly double what it was. A...
Medicare Part B premiums are heading higher next year because of increasing healthcare costs, and that could take a bigger bite out of your Social Security income. Roughly 70 percent of Social Security recipients have their Medicare Part B premiums...
If your employer offers free life insurance during open enrollment this fall, grab it. But if your workplace lets you buy additional coverage on top of that, ask some questions before spending any money. Buying group life insurance through an...
You may have stopped working, but Uncle Sam is still digging into your pocket. Though high-income retirees are looking forward to lower taxes once they've exited the workplace, they can still expect to pay stealth taxes in the form of...
An individual retirement account, or IRA, can be a highly effective way to save and invest for retirement. The tax-deferred nature of these accounts can allow savers' money to grow and compound far more efficiently than in a standard taxable...
Not everyone defines being "well off" the same way. A struggling recent graduate may be comfortable with a few bucks in his wallet and food in the fridge while a working single mom may not be comfortable without a six-month...
When preparing their financial information for tax season, it's important for taxpayers to have an idea of how much they'll be paying. Even if your income didn't change, the amount you're paying in taxes may. Several factors affect your taxes...
Saving toward retirement is challenging for many Americans. Given all of the competing demands on your paycheck, it can be hard to set aside money that you won't need for years, or even decades. But even though many people aren't...
Finding the right vehicle to save for college can be daunting. There are many choices, and it can be difficult to discern the differences among each type of account. Below, we've outlined a few salient features of a few of...
Every year, the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) and VantageScore Solutions work together to produce the Annual Credit Score Survey. This survey examines how much Americans actually know about the credit system. With the average credit score reaching a record...
When Leigh McIlvaine first learned that her student loan debt could be forgiven, she was thrilled. In 2008, at age 27, she’d earned a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Minnesota. She’d accrued just under...
Most people who get retirement benefits from Social Security get the bulk of their income from their monthly benefits. Because they don't have many other sources of money to pay for living expenses, the annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) that Social...
Pete Roberts of Nottingham, England, was one of the many risk-takers who threw their savings into cryptocurrencies when prices were going through the roof last winter. Now, eight months later, the $23,000 he invested in several digital tokens is worth...
If you’ve ever stepped into the ring with an identity thief, you are probably familiar with a credit freeze. Credit freezes are an incredibly helpful line of defense in protecting your credit, but like everything else that’s good in life,...
