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GlobalStock | Getty Images Deciding at what point you will collect Social Security benefits may be one of the biggest decisions you make in retirement. Yet many people who are at or near the age when they face that choice may need to brush up on the program’s rules before they do. MassMutual recently gave

Newly minted graduates are in for a shock. Although the job market and starting salaries for the Class of 2022 look significantly better than last year, they may fall far short of graduates’ expectations. Employers plan to hire about 31% more new degree holders from this year’s graduating class than they hired from the Class

Building wealth is cool. That’s a mantra of Modern Blk Girl, a community aimed at teaching Black women the importance of investing and wealth creation that was founded by Tiffany James when she was just 25. Like most newly minted college graduates, James had student loan debt and was living just barely within her means

Tetra Images | Tetra images | Getty Images There’s a recent uptick in states swapping tiered income taxes for a flat tax, charging the same rate to all residents, regardless of earnings. Over the past 100 years, only four states have changed from graduated rates to flat taxes, according to the Tax Foundation. Another three

Israel Sebastian | Moment | Getty Images There are some financial goals more pressing for adults right now than bulking up their nest egg. For 2022, just 17% have made saving for retirement their top financial priority, according to First National Bank of Omaha‘s latest financial wellness survey. And nearly half of respondents — 46%

Westend61 Whether you got a refund or owed money this tax season, it’s never too soon to start thinking about next year’s bill.  Boosting your 401(k) contributions for 2022 may provide two benefits: reducing your adjusted gross income while also padding your retirement savings.   What’s more, there’s a higher 401(k) employee deferral limit for 2022,

Kali9 | E+ | Getty Images The loss of a spouse is up there with the most challenging experiences you might face in this lifetime. With the understandable barrage of emotions you might face, it is probably hard to imagine taking concrete steps to secure your financial future. But this is exactly the time to

Sean Gladwell | Moment | Getty Images Inflation is at a 40-year high. That means consumers are losing buying power at a faster-than-usual pace. Just how quickly is inflation eating away at your savings? The so-called rule of 72 can help gauge its long-term impact. This rule of thumb is generally applied to investment returns.

kate_sept2004 Summer vacations plans could be in flux this year. This time, it’s not because of Covid-19. Instead, high prices due to inflation may prompt prospective travel goers to switch up their plans. In fact, 69% of adults who say they will take a vacation this summer anticipate changing their travel plans as prices have

Your end-of-life experience may be very different depending on where you live, according to a Policygenius report that ranks the country’s best and worst places to die.  The report gave each state and the District of Columbia a numerical score based on seven factors, including funeral costs and services, green burials, palliative care, Medicare providers,

Alxeypnferov | Istock | Getty Images As more people head back to the office, they may not be able to rely anymore on their work wardrobe from more than two years ago. Their tastes or size may have changed during the pandemic, or their company might have amended expectations around professional attire. Restocking your closet

Ariel Skelley | Digitalvision | Getty Images How would it feel to give your children an enormous leg up on saving for retirement while also helping them form healthy money habits? The answer could be opening a Roth individual retirement account for them. To start, a Roth IRA is a special retirement account that allows

Getty Images If you filed a last-minute tax return, you may see your 2021 refund faster than you’d expect.  Nine out of 10 refunds have arrived within 21 days this season, according to the IRS. As of April 15, the agency has issued more than 78 million refunds worth over $242 billion in total, and

cdwheatley | E+ | Getty Images People have wide-ranging views of what it means to be “high net worth,” according to a survey from digital wealth manager Personal Capital. Yet most people — 74% — don’t see themselves ever fitting into that category. When 2,209 adults were asked what they would consider high net worth,

Fizkes | Istock | Getty Images For some consumers, medical debt they don’t even owe appears to ends up haunting them anyway. Complaints jumped 31% from 2018 to 2021 about debt collectors attempting to get consumers to fork over amounts that already were paid or otherwise not owed, according to a new report from the

Many Americans agree it now takes a six-figure salary — at least — to get by amid today’s rising prices and economic uncertainty. Yet, 72% of six-figure earners are men, according to a recent report by MagnifyMoney that’s based on an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. For every woman who makes at least $100,000,

Prices for gas, food and housing have skyrocketed in the last year. Less noticeable, to some, is the rising cost of health care.  Medicare, the U.S. government’s national health insurance program for Americans age 65 and over, imposed a 14.5% increase in premiums for Part B (outpatient care coverage) for 2022, a record high and

Liubomyr Vorona | Istock | Getty Images Money and family – what two subjects bring up more for us? And so when a relative comes to you asking for financial help, and the two are combined, it’s only natural to feel overwhelmed. “Being solicited for money from someone you love can cause discomfort that you

MoMo Productions | DigitalVision | Getty Images Inflation is taking a substantial bite from the income retirees get from pensions. Many pensions periodically increase recipients’ payment amounts by offering a cost-of-living adjustment. But those raises are small relative to the 8.5% annual inflation rate in March, the highest in over 40 years. Some plans, especially

Skyrocketing student debt has been devastating for young adults. As the cost of college has risen, more students have had to borrow to help pay for school. Now, recent graduates are delaying some of life’s major milestones because of their loan burdens.  Americans across all generations have made such sacrifices, from saving for retirement to