Personal finance

Georgijevic | E+ | Getty Images The start of the year is the perfect time to review your retirement savings, including pre-tax versus Roth 401(k) contributions. Roughly 86% of 401(k) plans offered a Roth account in 2020, up from 75% in 2019, according to the Plan Sponsor Council of America. While pre-tax deposits offer a

Chesnot | Getty Images Major cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and ether have had a rough start to 2022. For some investors, it may be an opportunity to buy into the risky digital assets. Bitcoin slumped as much as 6% Monday, falling below $40,000 per coin for the first time since September, according to Coin Metrics.

A worker installs U.S. flags as part of a Covid-19 memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Jan.18, 2021. Carlos Barria | Reuters When the Covid-19 pandemic took hold in March 2020, Stephanie Bonin and her husband, Keith Arnold, co-owners of a Denver restaurant, worried they would face financial disaster. The pandemic prompted

Sarah Jessica Parker and Bridget Moynahan are seen on the set of “And Just Like That…” the follow up series to “Sex and the City” in Midtown Manhattan on July 27, 2021 in New York City. Raymond Hall | GC Images | Getty Images For many people, their last will and testament, a document that

NicolasMcComber | E+ | Getty Images Air travel continues to be disrupted this week by the national surge in Covid infections, and many worried Americans may be wondering whether or how to ensure — and insure — upcoming or planned trips. More than 2,221 flights nationwide were canceled Thursday alone, according to website FlightAware. That

Kirby Hamilton | Getty Images The Biden administration in December again extended the moratorium on student loan payments and interest, meaning most people with federal loans are off the hook until May 1. In the meantime, however, confusion about the pause, continued calls for broad-based forgiveness and changes to other aspects of student loan debt

When it comes to car shopping these days, sticker price may mean sticker shock. New and used car prices continue to spurt higher amid strong demand and tight inventory. While a manufacturing slowdown has improved slightly, there won’t be a return to normal anytime soon for car buyers. “The typical dealership experience that consumers are

bojanstory | E+ | Getty Images This year may be your chance to get a big raise. As employers try to retain talent amid the “Great Resignation,” many of them expect to pay more in salaries and/or bonuses. In fact, 51% of human resource leaders in the U.S. said their organization expects average merit increases

In this article CTRU An investing index that aims to track the most transparent companies in the world is changing its holdings for 2022. The index — called the Transparency Index — is adding 20 new companies to its list of 100 companies that exclude certain industries it deems harmful for people and the planet.

In this article KALU brightstars | E+ | Getty Images Beginning this month, a new law that was years in the making bans certain unexpected medical bills. However, advocates say it’s important for consumers to still be on the lookout for these charges and to know what steps to take if they get hit with

LPETTET | iStock | Getty Images If you didn’t get the last stimulus check, don’t despair. You still have time to claim the money if you’re eligible. A third round of stimulus payments was sent to Americans as a part of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, signed into law in March 2021. Starting that

Getty Images Money has piled into municipal bonds, known as muni bonds or “munis,” as investors aim to lower risk and reduce taxes. But some may worry about price drops amid rising interest rates. Investors funneled a record-breaking $96.8 billion of net money into U.S. muni mutual and exchange-traded funds in 2021, according to Refinitiv

Austin, Texas. Ryan Martinez | Moment | Getty Images Several states have stopped accepting applications for federal rental assistance. The programs in New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Texas, as well as Washington, D.C., are either closed or on hold, leaving many struggling renters cut off from their only hope of paying off their debt

FG Trade | E+ | Getty Images Even as the coronavirus continues to upend American life, most pandemic-era relief measures have dried up by now. The recent shelving of the Build Back Better Act, the massive spending bill with a number of provisions to lift up middle-class families, means the chances for new relief is

New Yorkers queued for Covid-19 testing in Times Square on Dec. 26, 2021, as the omicron variant continued to spread. Andrew Kelly | Reuters  Omicron is wreaking more disruption on the American economy. That could prompt Washington lawmakers to revisit relief strategies from earlier in the Covid-19 pandemic. Conversations on Capitol Hill have turned to

Troels Graugaard | E+ | Getty Images There’s a do-over for Medicare beneficiaries who discover early in the year that their Advantage Plan is not an ideal fit. Between Jan. 1 and March 31, you can switch to a different Advantage Plan or drop the one you have altogether in favor of basic Medicare (Part

A healthcare worker administers a Covid-19 swab test at the Boulder County Fairgrounds testing site in Longmont, Colorado, on Dec. 14, 2021. Chet Strange/Bloomberg via Getty Images Covid-19 infections are ballooning, and sick Americans who miss work due to the virus may wonder if they qualify for unemployment benefits. The short answer: They don’t. There

An employee watches as checks are run through a printer at the U.S. Treasury printing facility in Philadelphia. William Thomas Cain | Getty Images The new year will usher in bigger Social Security checks for many beneficiaries starting this month. That’s as a record 5.9% cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, takes effect. It marks the biggest

Pascal Broze | ONOKY | Getty Images As retirees kick off the new year, high inflation and strong market returns may leave many wondering how much cash they need to have handy. Annual inflation grew by 6.8% in November, rising at the fastest pace since November 1982, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The

Tetra Images | Tetra images | Getty Images Filing 2021 taxes will look slightly different for families who received the enhanced child tax credit last year. That’s because the monthly payments that were sent to millions of families with eligible children from July to December only accounted for half of the credit. Now, those who