Personal finance

Kwangmoozaa | iStock | Getty Images Student loan payments have been on pause for nearly two years. Come May, they’re scheduled to resume. Many of the tens of millions of borrowers will find themselves in a different financial situation then they were in March 2020, and a different payment plan may make more sense for

pixelfit | E+ | Getty Images Women earned just 84% of what men made in 2020, according to the Pew Research Center. And that difference — dubbed the gender wage gap — has stayed consistent for about 15 years. The discrepancy is often attributed to education, occupation and experience. However, research from economists at the

PeopleImages | E+ | Getty Images January has been a rough month for stocks. But while the market is down, it’s actually a great time to start investing toward your retirement, according to James Royal, analyst at Bankrate.com. A Bankrate survey found that almost 36% of respondents have never had a retirement account. Those investors

A woman shovels her car out of the snow during a major snowstorm on Jan. 29, 2022 in Stony Brook, New York. Andrew Theodorakis | Getty Images After a few months of winter and two major snowstorms pounding much of the eastern U.S. in January, many Americans may be realizing they’re in for elevated heating

Jamie Grill | Getty Images In a competitive job market, equity compensation such as stock options — the chance to buy stock in the company that employs you at a specific price — can be an incentive to sign on and stick around. It can also be nerve-wracking when these assets underperform.  “Part of the

10’000 Hours | DigitalVision | Getty Images Bonds take on a bigger role in retirement, as investors take chips off the table to protect their nest egg. Unfortunately, it’s easy to get tripped up — namely, by chasing returns and taking too much risk, according to financial advisors. “Bonds are the single biggest mistake I

More than 45 million Americans collectively owe over $1.7 trillion in student debt.  Economists say this mounting total worsens generational inequality, slows economic growth and exacerbates racial disparities. On a micro-economic level, borrowers also face serious consequences in their day-to-day lives.  According to CNBC + Acorn’s recently released Invest in You Student Loan Survey conducted

Going out is not only less common these days, it’s also a lot more expensive. In general, the prices that consumers pay for goods and services recently notched their largest year-over-year jump since 1982. Gas prices, alone, are up a whopping 58.1% over the past year, and that’s just to get to where you are going.

U.S. President Joe Biden returns to the White House on Jan. 24th, 2022. Alex Wong | Getty Images News | Getty Images More than a year into his first term, Loren Ewing is disappointed that President Joe Biden hasn’t moved to forgive student debt. She remembers his vow on the campaign trail to deliver “immediate

Kate Quick, 43, said that her student loan debt causes stress and anxiety for her and her family. Courtesy: Kate Quick When Kate Quick, 43, finished her master of fine arts degree at the University of Alaska Fairbanks 22 years ago, she had taken out about $30,000 in loans. Now, she owes nearly $48,000, even

Anna Mascall pictured in front of the Easton, Pa., home she recently purchased. “To be able to say I own a home, I kind of did the American dream,” she said. Courtesy: Anna Lee Mascall After years of renting, Anna Mascall, 30, decided she wanted to buy her own home. Then the Covid-19 pandemic hit,

US President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with private sector CEOs in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on January 26, 2022. Nicholas Kamm | AFP | Getty Images The Biden administration has said that student loan payments will finally restart in May. Many people aren’t taking that message

urbazon | E+ | Getty Images An inflation gauge closely watched by the Federal Reserve has reached a record high. The core Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index climbed 4.9% from a year ago in December. The index measures the prices people pay in the U.S. for goods and services, excluding food and energy, which tend

Getty Images Nearly one-third of undergraduates borrow money from the federal government to pay for college. That’s about 43 million Americans who owe a staggering total of nearly $1.6 trillion in outstanding student loans. A new survey found that 54% of federal student loan borrowers said taking on that debt was not worth it. Overall,

Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images The pandemic has upended millions of American lives, and for many has made them reconsider priorities around work. That’s prompted many to quit jobs amid the so-called Great Resignation. In November, a record 4.5 million workers left their jobs, according to data from the Labor Department. There are also

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange at the opening bell Jan. 25, 2022. TIMOTHY A. CLARY | AFP | Getty Images The specter of rising interest rates is spooking the stock market. The Federal Reserve, the U.S. central bank, is expected to increase its benchmark rate several times this year

Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images If you’re like most people, the idea of a four-day workweek sounds appealing. While the jobs are few and far between, there has been a slow buildup of companies moving to the shortened week, either permanently or through a trial phase. Some have already implemented the perk. Others may

Representative Judy Chu, a Democrat from California, speaks during a news conference announcing the State and Local Taxes (SALT) Caucus outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, April 15, 2021. Sarah Silbiger | Bloomberg | Getty Images As Democrats debate Build Back Better, the social and climate spending plan may still include changes to

Marko Geber | DigitalVision | Getty Images The IRS has issued all third-round stimulus payments to eligible Americans, the agency said Wednesday. However, new parents and other recipients who added dependents in 2021 may still qualify for additional money. The payments, up to $1,400 a person, were authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act, a

Terry Vine | DigitalVision | Getty Images It’s not uncommon for older couples to reach a point when nursing home care is needed for one spouse — and the cost isn’t something they were prepared for. Generally speaking, Medicare doesn’t cover such long-term care. While Medicaid steps in when a person’s financial resources are minimal,