Personal finance

Joe Raedle | Getty Images News | Getty Images Social Security beneficiaries could see another record cost-of-living adjustment in 2023, based on the latest government data showing persistent high inflation. But that increase may not be enough to pare the loss in buying power recipients have experienced over the years, according to a new analysis

Sarote Pruksachat | Moment | Getty Images The stock market has been off to a rough start this year. The S&P 500 Index is currently down more than 16% year to date through Monday’s close. That’s sparked worry for some investors. Some 43% said they’re too nervous to invest in the market right now, according

Hero Images | Getty Images Deciding when to claim Social Security retirement benefits is a complicated decision. But when two people are in the mix — particularly a couple where one spouse is the primary breadwinner — the decision may be even more complex. New research from Lafayette College takes a look at how Social

Athima Tongloom | Moment | Getty Images The share of job ads that require candidates to have a Covid-19 vaccine seems to be on the decline. About 6.7% of U.S. job listings cited vaccination as a necessity for applicants as of April 29, according to a new analysis by AnnElizabeth Konkel, an economist at Indeed,

PM Images | Getty Images Amid rising prices and a changing economy, many Americans question their ability to meet long-term financial goals, according to Country Financial’s Security Index. The survey polled 1,023 U.S. adults from March 18 to March 20, and more than half believe swelling costs may have a “big negative impact” on plans

Sam Edwards | Getty Images Those annoying required minimum withdrawals from retirement accounts that kick in at age 72 may come with a silver lining: helping you make your money last through your lifetime. Generally speaking, if you were to take only your yearly RMDs it would mean those accounts wouldn’t be depleted in your

fizkes | iStock | Getty Images For anyone getting started with adulthood, the financial stuff can be among the trickiest aspects to navigate. That can be the case even for those who go on to be financial advisors. For these professionals, some advice they regularly give clients now — after years of extra education and

Nirat | Istock | Getty Images It’s no secret the Covid-19 pandemic has been tough on millions of moms. Trying to juggle work amid ongoing child care uncertainties has left many mothers frustrated into the third year of the pandemic. While tough choices between work and parenting were a shock for middle- and upper-income women,

Jeff Farschman, 72, is a serial cruiser from Delaware who spends months at sea in retirement. Jeff Farschman For nearly two decades, Jeff Farschman, 72, has spent his golden years like many other adventurous retirees — enjoying leisure cruises to exotic ports of call. But unlike many of his fellow cruise passengers, Farschman basically lives

For decades now, the country’s outstanding student loan debt balance has only trended in one direction: Up. Today, around 44 million Americans owe a combined $1.7 trillion for their education. But it didn’t have to be this way. Legislation like the GI Bill, the National Defense Education Act, and Higher Education Act of 1965 paved the way for

Bymuratdeniz | E+ | Getty Images Workers continue to see pay increases at a fast clip, but there are signs of a slowdown ahead. Average earnings for all workers grew by 0.3% in April, to $31.85 an hour, the Labor Department said Friday. That’s a modest reduction from the 0.4% pace in March. It also

Guido Mieth | DigitalVision | Getty Images Banks are starting to pay a higher return on your cash — good news for savers who’ve seen their stockpiles languishing from a gruesome combination of low interest rates and high inflation. However, some banks are moving faster than others. Some, particularly traditional brick-and-mortar shops, may not budge

The Federal Reserve is among Western central banks fighting stubbornly high inflation. Xinhua News Agency | Xinhua News Agency | Getty Images For the first time in years, Americans are in a period of rising interest rates. The Federal Reserve on Wednesday raised its benchmark rate a half-point, to cool down inflation that’s the highest

Tom Werner | DigitalVision | Getty Images The IRS may have the ability to automate nearly half of tax returns, according to a working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research. The agency could correctly auto-fill an estimated 62 million to 73 million returns with information it already has, covering 41% to 48% of

Prasit photo | Moment | Getty Images U.S. stocks have a case of whiplash. Stocks slumped Thursday in one of the worst sessions seen so far this year. During intraday trading, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell more than 1,000 points or 3%, while the S&P 500 lost 4% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite slipped

A customer purchases lemons at a supermarket on April 12, 2022 in San Mateo County, California. Liu Guanguan | China News Service | Getty Images Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell may have said it best when he addressed the public at a Wednesday press event following the Federal Open Market Committee’s half-point rate hike. “Inflation

Parents and children participate in a demonstration organized by the ParentsTogether Foundation in support of the child tax credit portion of the Build Back Better bill outside of the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 13, 2021. Sarah Silbiger | Bloomberg | Getty Images Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., took to the Senate floor Wednesday to decry the

After a career in corporate America, IyaSokoya Karade turned her love of gymnastics and her retirement savings into a new enterprise: opening a youth fitness center in her local community. She soon learned that having a passion wasn’t enough to create a sustainable business. One of her earliest mistakes, she said, was not paying herself

Tim Kitchen | The Image Bank | Getty Images It’s becoming harder to afford a home. Prices are up almost 20% year over year, and mortgage rates are soaring. The rate for a 30-year fixed loan is now 5.57%, according to Mortgage News Daily, up from 3.29% at the start of the year. At the

Guido Mieth | DigitalVision | Getty Images Catch-up contributions for retirement savers could get more generous for certain savers, if legislation proposed in Congress becomes law. But the benefits of the increased limits will likely be concentrated among higher-income plan participants. Today, preretirees ages 50 and up can put away an extra $6,500 toward retirement