Advisors

kate_sept2004 | E+ | Getty Images Whether you’re starting to invest or nearing retirement, there are several ways to use exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, to achieve your financial goals, experts say. An ETF is like a basket of individual assets, such as stocks or bonds, with shares that trade on an exchange throughout the day.

Tetra Images | Digitalvision | Getty Images Feeling the pressure of inflation and rising interest rates over the past few months, an increasing number of consumers have been making credit card payments 30 days late or more, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s latest Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit. That

Jimvallee | Istock | Getty Images This is the time of year when most companies hold their open enrollment periods, during which employees decide on their benefits for the next 12 months. You’ll likely have a window of just a few weeks to review health insurance plans, allocate your savings and review a host of

While Americans’ credit card debt levels have reached a record high of more than $1 trillion, their overall credit health has remained strong, according to a report from credit scoring company VantageScore.  Even with inflation, rising interest rates and concern about the overall economy, U.S. consumers still have room to spend. “The consumer is not

Getty Images For millions of people, it’s time to compare benefits and prices and pick health coverage on the Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplaces. Open enrollment on those plans started on Nov. 1 and typically lasts through Jan. 15, though that will be extended to Jan. 16 in 2024 due to a federal holiday.

Peshkova | Istock | Getty Images Fixed-income investing is entering an exciting new era, and investors should take notice. Decades of low interest rates, engineered by global central banks, have suppressed the bond market’s ability to generate attractive and reliable returns. But in recent quarters, we have witnessed a dramatic shift higher in interest rates,

Jitalia17 | E+ | Getty Images The U.S. Department of the Treasury announced Series I bonds will pay 5.27% annual interest from Nov. 1 through April 2024, up from the 4.3% annual rate offered since May. Tied to inflation, investors can claim 5.27% for six months — the fourth-highest I bond rate since 1998 —

Insta_photos | Istock | Getty Images Inheriting an individual retirement account can be a welcome surprise. But the gift comes with mandatory withdrawals for heirs and following the rules can be difficult, experts say. According to the Secure Act of 2019, certain heirs now have less time to deplete inherited accounts due to a change

Shapecharge | E+ | Getty Images The federal estate-tax exemption helps wealthy families avoid or reduce inheritance tax, but the clock is ticking on the size of this advantage. In 26 months, some families that pay no inheritance tax today face the potential for sizeable federal taxes unless benefactors act. Though few families have enough

Kate_sept2004 | E+ | Getty Images If you’re itching to save more into your 401(k) for 2023, your plan may have a feature that allows you to bypass the yearly deferral limit. For 2023, you can funnel $22,500 into your 401(k), plus an extra $7,500 if you’re 50 or older. But so-called after-tax contributions can

Whether you’re at a restaurant, coffee shop or are using an app on your iPhone, you’re being asked to tip just about everywhere these days and for just about everything. It’s one thing to choose not to tip the worker at the cash register of a toy shop or clothing store, places where workers aren’t

Halfpoint Images | Moment | Getty Images Saving for retirement is one thing, meeting your goals in the golden years is another. That’s where worry creeps in. Among older workers, just 34% of baby boomers and 26% of Gen Xers feel like they’re on the right track with their retirement savings, according to a recent

larryhw | iStock / 360 | Getty Images The annual rate for newly bought Series I bonds could top 5% in November — and there are several things to consider before adding more to your portfolio, experts say.   November’s rate for new purchases could be higher than the current 4.3% interest on I bonds bought

The floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Spencer Platt | Getty Images August and September are historically the worst months for stocks. That was the case this year, as the S&P 500 index fell 6.5% over that span. Much of the time, however, the rest of the year can provide a respite, helping investors

About half of holiday shoppers have already started making purchases or plan to begin by Halloween, according to a recent Bankrate survey.  Most of them will use credit cards to pay for at least some of their purchases, the survey shows. “A couple of years ago, early holiday shopping was all about the supply chain

Ethan Hawke sits with Winona Ryder in a scene from the 1994 film “Reality Bites.” Universal Pictures | Moviepix | Getty Images As Generation X knows all too well, “reality bites,” to quote the iconic 1994 film of the same name. Most Gen Xers — roughly defined as those born between 1965 and 1980 —

Cravetiger | Moment | Getty Images The 60/40 portfolio — a cornerstone strategy for the average investor — has been stressed by the pandemic-era economy and market dynamics. However, “the 60/40 portfolio certainly isn’t dead,” Holly Newman Kroft, managing director and senior wealth advisor at asset manager Neuberger Berman, said Thursday at the semiannual CNBC

Demonstrators call for immigration reform near the White House on Feb. 14, 2022. Nicholas Kamm | AFP | Getty Images As the U.S. fertility rate continues to fall, there are growing concerns about the long-term economic impact: A smaller population means less tax revenue, which could reduce funding for programs such as Social Security and

Justin Sullivan | Getty The Powerball jackpot surged to an estimated $1.73 billion, the second-largest prize in the game’s history, without a winning ticket on Monday. While it’s the first time Powerball has seen back-to-back billion-dollar grand prize cycles, lottery jackpots have gotten bigger more frequently over the past several years, experts say. The next

Amid heightened economic uncertainty, Americans, overall, are saving less. The personal savings rate — how much people save as a percentage of their disposable income — was 3.9% in August, well below a decadeslong average of roughly 8.9%, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. And yet, consumers continue to spend,