Personal finance

Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images One of the most coveted holiday gifts of the year might be unexpected. Some 65% of Americans want financial investments such as stocks and cryptocurrency as gifts this year, according to a recent survey of more than 2,000 adults from MagnifyMoney. In addition, about one-quarter of those surveyed said

In this article GSBD damircudic | E+ | Getty Images Working Americans rank credit card debt as one of the top challenges to their ability to save for retirement. That’s the finding in a new surveyconducted over the summer by Goldman Sachs that included more than 1,200 people. Melinda Opperman, president and chief relationship officer

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Thursday it is opening an inquiry into popular “buy now, pay later” programs. The financial watchdog said it is particularly concerned about how BNPL impacts consumer debt accumulation, as well as what consumer protection laws apply and how the payment providers harvest data. “Buy now, pay later is the

A Social Security Administration office in Sebring, Florida. Jeff Greenberg | Universal Images Group | Getty Images Applying for Social Security benefits can be a complicated process. Now President Joe Biden wants to make it easier. This week, the president signed an executive order to streamline processes for Americans to apply for services and benefits

mphillips007 | iStock Unreleased | Getty Images If some holiday magic makes you a Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot winner this weekend, don’t forget Uncle Sam will be celebrating alongside you. After no ticket matched all six numbers drawn Wednesday in Powerball, the jackpot has jumped to $353 million for Saturday night’s drawing. For Mega

mixetto | E+ | Getty Images The tax season is fast approaching — and the IRS has its eye on crypto investors.   Form 1040, which U.S. taxpayers use to file an annual income tax return, has a question about “virtual currency” near the top of the first page. Investors must report taxable 2021 transactions

ljubaphoto | E+ | Getty Images The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated many differences between haves and have-nots in the U.S. Now, a new survey shows that it also made the savings gap more pronounced between those groups. Of those with incomes less than $50,000, 36% say they now have less savings than before the pandemic, versus

As you’re wrapping up your finances this year, you may want to take advantage of a few investment and tax strategies that could become more expensive or go away altogether in 2022. Financial advisors, retirement consultants and tax experts recommend these savvy money moves to make now — or at least by Dec. 31 —

Karen Tongson Courtesy: Karen Tongson Karen Tongson never imagined a moment when she wouldn’t be paying back her student loans. As a professor at the University of Southern California, the Los Angeles resident qualified for the public service loan forgiveness program but had heard too many stories of borrowers not getting the government’s promise of

Liu Guanguan | China News Service | Getty Images News that inflation rose to a historic high in November probably comes as no surprise to retirees. But they may be in for another shock when they receive their monthly Social Security checks in January. The Social Security Administration announced in October that beneficiaries will get

In this article MRO XOM MUR krisanapong detraphiphat | Moment | Getty Images In recent years, many financial advisors have been cautious talking to clients about energy companies. So much so that it’s become almost taboo. Undoubtedly, environmental, social and corporate governance concerns have played a part, with a burgeoning number of investors now more

Milos Dimic | E+ | Getty Images If a new job is what you want in the new year, you may want to start preparing now. That’s because January and February are the best times of year to look for a job, since companies that have a calendar-year budget tend to post new positions during

XiFotos | E+ | Getty Images Inflation is not just a day-to-day worry for Americans. It is now also their top risk for retirement. A survey from Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America finds that 25% of Americans see rising inflation as the single greatest risk to their retirement plans. That’s up from 8%

Employers are feeling particularly generous this season. After a year of unprecedented workloads amid a job market that’s increasingly competitive across nearly every industry, twice as many employers are offering their employees year-end bonuses, compared to last year. Google said it will give all employees, even interns, a one-time cash bonus of $1,600, while Tyson Foods

It’s become impossible to ignore that prices are going up.  Last month, inflation accelerated at its fastest pace since 1982. The consumer price index, which measures the cost of a wide-ranging basket of goods, rose 0.8% for the month. Year over year, prices jumped 6.8%.  “Households are facing higher prices at every turn,” said Greg

The amount of student loan debt in the United States is $1.8 trillion dollars — and counting. The price to get an education has never been more expensive. The student loan crisis has affected a lot of students but statistics show that it disproportionately affects the Latinx community. Around 72% of Latinx students take out

Dana Neely | Taxi | Getty Images Medicare beneficiaries may already be aware that the big jump in their 2022 Part B premiums is partly due to the cost of a single drug. Yet why all enrollees are picking up the tab for Aduhelm — a controversial new medicine designed to slow cognitive decline with

Ines Fraile | iStock | Getty Images Over the course of the pandemic, most people’s office clothes hung in their closets, untouched. Now, with many companies announcing that they’re going fully remote post-Covid, or requiring employees to come in only a few days a week, much of that clothing may become permanently irrelevant for you.

Throughout our lives as students, we work hard to get a good education that will lead us to a solid job and fruitful career. But we aren’t prepared for what happens after graduation — responsibilities such as finding a place to live, getting that first job and paying rent and other bills. You can’t just

Sporrer/Rupp | Image Source | Getty Images How much do you think you’ll need to save for retirement? If you’re in one of these major cities, the answer will be at least $1 million to live an average lifestyle, according to MagnifyMoney. To find the amount needed to retire in each city, analysts used data