Personal finance

As Americans increasingly lean on credit to make ends meet, new reports show signs of potential problems ahead. Total credit card debt surpassed $1 trillion for the first time ever, the New York Federal Reserve reported Tuesday. Credit card balances are up almost 20% from a year ago, according to a separate quarterly credit industry insights

By nearly every measure, Americans are financially strained. Yet, we’re coming up with new ways to justify expensive purchases. The latest way, coined “girl math,” breaks down the price of an item by the cost per wear. If you use an expensive handbag every day for a year, for example, then it might only set

Astra Taylor Source: Isabella De Maddalena In 2014, Astra Taylor co-founded the Debt Collective, the first union for debtors. Since then, one of her main goals has been to get student debt canceled. The last year or so has been bittersweet: First, in what felt like a major victory, President Joe Biden announced that he’d

Enes Evren Investors piled into Series I bonds amid record yields, and some are now eyeing an exit for higher-interest alternatives. But redeeming I bonds can be tricky, experts say. After reaching 9.62% annual interest in May 2022, I bond yields have declined with falling inflation, reaching 4.3% interest for new purchases from May through

Djelics | E+ | Getty Images Income-hungry investors have long flocked to mortgage-backed real estate investment trusts — and why not? Many of them pay a handsome, double-digit dividend. But such vehicles haven’t done so well lately. That’s because when interest rates rise and yields balloon, their valuations tend to suffer, which is what happened

Jacob Wackerhausen | Istock | Getty Images With other household debt on the rise, the restart of student loan payments in less than two months may cause financial hardship for many Americans. The pause on federal student loan payments is one of the last pandemic-era relief measures still in effect, but the bills are expected

Morsa Images | E+ | Getty Images Some experts have reversed recession predictions and embraced a soft landing for the economy as the Federal Reserve continues to fight inflation. The rosier outlook is prompting talks between advisors and their clients, including possible shifts for investment portfolios. “A potential recession has been in the news since

Students on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Jonathan Drake | Reuters Like many would-be college students, Abigail Mokuba, 16, says “cost is a concern” when it comes to which schools to consider. The rising high school senior from Baltimore said she is still researching colleges but plans to apply

vchal | Getty Images Between 2000 and 2016, long working hours led to a 42% increase in deaths from heart disease, and a 19% increase in deaths from stroke, according to a 2021 report from the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization. The bulk of 745,000 deaths in 2016 from such causes were

The Mega Millions jackpot grew to more than $1.6 billion on Aug. 9, 2023. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images There’s finally a winner for the massive Mega Millions jackpot — but the lucky ticketholder may face unexpected pitfalls, experts say. A single ticket sold in Florida matched all six numbers on Tuesday night, marking the

Collectively, Americans now owe more than $1 trillion on credit cards. Total credit card debt rose nearly 5%, or roughly $45 billion, in the second quarter to a new high of $1.03 trillion, according to a new report on household debtfrom the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Although delinquency rates are still low by

In this article PTON ABT Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Google Headquarters is seen in Mountain View, California, United States on May 15, 2023. Tayfun Coskun | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images It is a combination that is likely to be highly appealing to many workers: the option to work from home and to

Sollina Images | Tetra Images | Getty Images After more than a year of gloomy forecasts for the U.S. economy, some experts have backed off recession predictions and embraced the soft landing targeted by the Federal Reserve. These shifts have sparked conversations among financial advisors and their clients, who may have varying levels of optimism

Credit cards are one of the most expensive ways to borrow money from month to month, and yet many Americans continue to take on ever-increasing amounts of this debt. On the heels of another rate hike by the Federal Reserve, the average credit card rate is now more than 20% on average, an all-time high, making it

Carlo Prearo | Istock | Getty Images With most college bills for the fall semester due this month, parents and students are likely strategizing how to cover the cost. For some, that may include deciding whether to take out private student loans. As higher education has gotten more expensive, the private student loan market has

The Mega Millions jackpot hit a record $1.55 billion on Aug. 7, 2023. VIEW press | Getty The Mega Millions jackpot has ballooned to an estimated $1.55 billion after months without a winner. One of the many choices the winner will make is whether to take the one-time lump sum or 30 annuitized payments. The

Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild members and supporters on a picket line outside Paramount Studios in Los Angeles on July 17, 2023. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images The recent wave of worker strikes have ushered in a new era: the “summer of strikes,” also known as hot strike summer. Employees at

Peopleimages | E+ | Getty Images The U.S. retirement system is a sprawling complex, a so-called “three-legged stool” of Social Security payments, workplace savings plans and individual wealth. But is the system falling short in its primary goal of achieving a secure retirement for all Americans? related investing news Fitch downgrade of long-term U.S. debt

Jgi/tom Grill | Tetra Images | Getty Images Some states are reestablishing a federal pandemic-era policy that offered free school meals to all kids, and most of them are doing so on a permanent basis. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, students qualified for free or reduced-price school breakfasts and lunches based on their income. The federal

Lucigerma | Istock | Getty Images Predictions that a recession may be looming for the U.S. economy have so far not come to fruition. Now, some experts are backing off the prediction altogether, including Federal Reserve staff economists. “What’s out: Mild recession,” states new economic research released by Bank of America this week. “What’s in: