Personal finance

Tomekbudujedomek | Moment | Getty Images The historic climate legislation President Joe Biden signed in August offered a federal tax break — worth up to $7,500 — to households that buy new electric vehicles. But it may be tough for consumers to get the full value of the tax credit — at least initially. That’s

Fg Trade | E+ | Getty Images Are you ready for a “second act” in retirement? Sadly, large numbers of Americans heading into their 60s are not — at least from a financial perspective. While the average amount of retirement savings for Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 was $408,000 in 2019, per

Student loan borrowers gather near The White House to tell President Biden to cancel student debt on May 12, 2020. Paul Morigi | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images The U.S. Department of Education began beta testing the student debt forgiveness application Friday night. The application is available at StudentAid.gov. As of 8:45 p.m. ET Friday,

Wand_prapan | Istock | Getty Images Social Security’s average retiree benefit will go up by $146 per month in 2023, thanks to a record 8.7% cost-of-living adjustment prompted by high inflation. More than 70 million Social Security and Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries will benefit from those higher payments. “It’s the highest COLA in 40 years,”

Geber86 | E+ | Getty Images As the U.S. economy attempts to find its footing as it emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic, two looming uncertainties have emerged: persistent high inflation and a possible recession. So it’s no surprise that financial advisors who landed on the CNBC FA 100 list for 2022 are hearing about those

Delmaine Donson | E+ | Getty Images The U.S. Department of Education has said that its student loan forgiveness application will go live in “early October.” Yet it’s nearly halfway through the month, and borrowers still can’t apply. Still, the White House has shared new information on what people can expect from the form. Here’s

In this article WMT AMZN TGT Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Amazon’s Prime Early Access Sale may be over, but the discounts have only just begun. “Black Friday is here,” said Julie Ramhold, a consumer analyst at DealNews.com, noting that sales that traditionally rolled out on the Friday after Thanksgiving Day are starting earlier

Increasingly, college is an option only for those who can afford it or are willing to take on massive student debt. But not all schools see it that way. To make higher education more accessible, a growing number of institutions are eliminating student loans altogether.  More than 20 schools now have “no-loan” policies, which means

Tommaso79 | Istock | Getty Images People who do not typically file taxes have a new way to claim a federal tax credit aimed at low- to moderate-income workers that was temporarily made more generous last year. GetCTC.org, a simplified filing tool, was updated on Wednesday to include the earned income tax credit. The maximum

Getty Images Younger, wealthy investors are looking beyond the stock market for higher returns. Some 75% of high-net-worth investors between the ages of 21 and 42, compared to 32% of investors over 43-years-old, don’t expect “above-average returns” solely from traditional stocks and bonds, according to a Bank of America Private Bank study released Tuesday. The

In this article TGT AMZN Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Amazon‘s two-day “Prime Early Access Sale” is underway. Look for significant discounts on Amazon devices, such as the Kindle, Echo and Fire TV streamer, and its private-label clothing, according to Julie Ramhold, a consumer analyst at DealNews.com. As part of the sale, the Fire 55-inch

Rudi_suardi | E+ | Getty Images The Biden administration will soon issue a rule that may make it easier for workers to be considered “employees” instead of “independent contractors.” The U.S. Department of Labor issued a notice of proposed rulemaking on Tuesday, signaling its intent to issue a formal regulation that would redefine how employers

vitapix | E+ | Getty Images Your credit score can make or break your ability to open a credit card or buy a new car or home at attractive interest rates. To boost your score, you need to know where you need to improve. Keeping tabs on your credit report — which outlines your debts,

Zinkevych | iStock | Getty Images If you inherited a retirement account in 2020 or 2021, the IRS is waiving penalties for some heirs who needed to start taking required minimum distributions right away, according to a notice issued Friday. The new rule won’t apply until 2023. Typically, there’s a 50% penalty when you skip

Tom Brenner | Reuters There’s still a decent chance that changes to the U.S. retirement system will be enacted before the end of the year. Despite there being just a few months left before the next Congress convenes Jan. 3 — the midterm elections will be Nov. 8 — the push to improve Americans’ ability

Sollina Images | Tetra Images | Getty Images Retirees who are confronting higher prices due to record high inflation may get some welcome news this week when the Social Security Administration announces the cost-of-living adjustment for 2023. The bump to benefits is slated to be announced Thursday along with new consumer price index data for

Luminola | E+ | Getty Images It’s natural to fixate on portfolio losses, especially with the S&P 500 down more than 20% for the year. But you may still have gains after years of growth, and the profits could qualify for a 0% tax rate, depending on your earnings. The thresholds may be higher than

In this article TGT AMZN Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Amazon‘s two-day “Prime Early Access Sale” starts soon, spurring a number of holiday deals coming earlier than ever before. “October is really going to be the month of unprecedented deals,” said Deborah Weinswig, the founder and CEO of Coresight Research. Indigenous People’s Day or Columbus

Parents and caregivers with the Economic Security Project gather outside the White House to advocate for the Child Tax Credit in advance of the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health on Sept. 20 in Washington, DC. Larry French | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images When Natacha Chavez began receiving monthly child tax

The Good Brigade | DigitalVision | Getty Images Up to 23 million California residents are about to receive tax refunds of as much as $1,050, thanks to one-time stimulus payments the Golden State began deploying Friday. The payments, which will total $9.5 billion, mark the largest program of its kind in the state’s history. The