Personal finance

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange at the opening bell Jan. 25, 2022. TIMOTHY A. CLARY | AFP | Getty Images The specter of rising interest rates is spooking the stock market. The Federal Reserve, the U.S. central bank, is expected to increase its benchmark rate several times this year

This image provided by Jeopardy Productions, Inc. shows game show champion Amy Schneider on the set of “Jeopardy!” Schneider is the first trans person to qualify for the show’s Tournament of Champions. Jeopardy Productions via AP Amy Schneider is out of “Jeopardy!.” She made history on the show nonetheless. Schneider, an Oakland, California-based software engineering

The Federal Reserve laid the groundwork for interest rate hikes Wednesday. At the conclusion of its two-day meeting, the central bank said it will aggressively unwind last year’s bond buying after a variety of inflation reports reached their highest levels in decades. Although interest rates will stay near zero for now, Fed officials set the stage

Marko Geber | DigitalVision | Getty Images The IRS has issued all third-round stimulus payments to eligible Americans, the agency said Wednesday. However, new parents and other recipients who added dependents in 2021 may still qualify for additional money. The payments, up to $1,400 a person, were authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act, a

Rohit Chopra, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Alex Edelman/Bloomberg via Getty Images The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Wednesday signaled a broad crackdown on hidden and excessive fees charged by banks, mortgage lenders and other financial entities. The federal agency, created in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, is seeking consumers’ input

Mihtiander | Getty Images The stock market’s wild ride this week may have you questioning your retirement investing strategy. On Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average shed more than1,100 points before rebounding to close slightly higher. However, Tuesday’s early market activity ushered in a new triple-digit drop before the index began to bounce back midday.

J. Kempin | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images The wild swings in the stock market may have you stressed about your investments. Yet if you took a page from self-made billionaire Warren Buffett, you shouldn’t be too concerned about daily market moves. “You’ve got to be prepared when you buy a stock to have

Tetra Images If you’re looking for a relatively safe, tax-friendly asset, you may be eyeing municipal bonds, known as muni bonds or “munis.” Demand soared in 2021 as investors fled from President Joe Biden‘s proposed tax increases, with a record $96.8 billion of net money pouring into U.S. muni mutual and exchange-traded funds, according to

People walk through the North American Bitcoin Conference held at the James L Knight Center on January 18, 2022 in Miami, Florida. Joe Raedle | Getty Images Bitcoin has had a difficult start to 2022. The top cryptocurrency fell below the $33,000 mark on Monday to its lowest point since July, before regaining some losses

US President Joe Biden speaks about the September jobs report from the South Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington, DC, on October 8, 2021. Olivier Douliery | AFP | Getty Images The U.S. government has sent an unprecedented amount of aid to Americans amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet the latest efforts to deploy

Hannah Kohr made a career change after quitting her job during the “Great Resignation.” Courtesy: Hannah Kohr Hannah Kohr started reassessing her career as a library assistant shortly after the Covid-19 pandemic hit. She had spent the majority of her time at the Cleveland Public Library helping families with basic needs such as food, housing

U.S. President Joe Biden holds a formal news conference in the East Room of the White House, in Washington, D.C., January 19, 2022. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters Important pieces of President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better agenda may have to come out of the bill. Children and college students will pay the price. “There’s two

Jen Cousins, center, with her husband, Matt and their children Noel, 13, Saffron, 12, Milo, 8 and Poppy, 6. Jen Cousins Without a January child tax credit payment, Jen Cousins will have to wait a few extra months to replace the brakes on her minivan, the only car her family of six owns. Cousins, 44,

This year’s tax filing season begins on January 24. Some new, younger investors may be in for a surprise.  Last year’s trading frenzy over “meme stocks,” such as AMC Entertainment and GameStop, could now have an unexpected impact on 2021 tax returns.  “Last year was a really interesting year in terms of investors, especially younger

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks alongside Intel CEO Patrick Gelsinger (L) and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo as he speaks about the ongoing supply chain problems in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on January 21, 2022 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images Some federal employees just got a

In this article NAVI jetcityimage There was a great deal of interest in the recent news that Navient, one of the largest student loan servicers, would be canceling the debt of 66,000 borrowers. The main question people had: Am I one of them? Probably not, is the short answer. Just around 0.15% of the country’s

Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference announcing the State and Local Taxes (SALT) Caucus outside the U.S. Capitol on April 15, 2021. Sarah Silbiger | Bloomberg | Getty Images Some House Democrats have threatened to block Build Back Better legislation if the broken-up package drops relief for the $10,000 limit on the

Anchiy | E+ | Getty Images For investors whose retirement is decades away, the stock market’s pullback should be of little concern — there’s plenty of time for your portfolio to recover before you need the money. Yet if you are a new retiree or on the verge of retiring, it’s worth considering what a

In this article ABT Leahannah Taylor graduated from Rutgers University with a master’s degree in biomedical sciences — and $59,000 in student debt — in 2019. She’s now debt-free. It took her less than two years to wipe out her student loan balances, she said, thanks to an enticing incentive offered by her employer. “My

A job seeker receives information from a recruiter during a job fair in Miami, Florida, on Dec. 16, 2021. Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images The number of people filing for unemployment benefits jumped last week to the highest level since October, the Labor Department said Thursday. That may signal a troubling rebound, after claims