Personal finance

Getty Images Americans spent more on travel, dining out and other gatherings as the country reopened this summer. And now, many women are worried about upcoming holiday expenses as the season approaches. Some 38% of women are anxious about holiday costs, according to an Ellevest survey on financial wellness. While the summer’s extra spending may

Westend61 The Covid-19 pandemic has been a financial boon for some and a catastrophe for others. Now those effects are showing up in one more place: anticipated retirement dates. The pandemic has prompted 35% of Americans to change the age when they anticipate retiring, a recent survey from Northwestern Mutual found. More from Personal Finance:If

In this article HOOD BLK AsiaVision | E+ | Getty Images Despite the high demand for values-driven investing, few individual shareholders participate in corporate decisions. But some companies and funds are making it easier for investors to voice concerns through a proxy voting process. When someone buys a stock, they become part-owner of the company

Luis Alvarez | E+ | Getty Images After 18 months, Americans are still dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and struggling economic recovery. Job openings and hiring fell in August, all while the number of workers who quit their jobs hit the highest level in more than two decades, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Georgijevic | E+ | Getty Images Although many women lack investing confidence, their portfolios still outperform their male counterparts, according to Fidelity Investments’ 2021 Women and Investing Study.  On average, women investors achieve positive returns and surpass men by 40 basis points, or 0.4%, an analysis of annual performance across 5.2 million accounts from January

Kieferpix | iStock | Getty Images Time out of work — either planned or not — can have a major impact on your retirement savings. In September, there were still 2.7 million Americans who had been unemployed for 27 weeks or more, according to the latest jobs report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

MoMo Productions | DigitalVision | Getty Images Everyone wants their kids to be happy and successful. Teaching them about personal finance and economics can help make that happen. In fact, the lack of that education can be devastating. It can lead to credit card and student loan debt, living paycheck to paycheck and not saving

For decades, adults have increasingly shunned the idea of tying the knot. Although more people are cohabitating, it has not been enough to offset the steady decline in marriage, leaving more people uncoupled overall, according to a recent Pew Research Center analysis of the latest census data. Now, a record number of adults between the

McBride Inlet in Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park, which ParkSleepFly rated as America’s most underrated national park. Andrew Peacock | Stone | Getty Images Ever since Covid-19 first made social distancing a thing, Americans looking to escape lockdown boredom and work-from-home isolation have sought out open spaces at the country’s 63 national parks — and

@lelia_milaya via Twenty20 In the last few months, millions of American families with eligible children have received the first half of six advance child tax credit payments. For those who are eligible but haven’t yet signed up, generally because they don’t traditionally file a tax return, time is running out to claim the advance payments.

PeopleImages | E+ | Getty Images American families grappling with the cost of higher education may consider a 529 college savings plan to lessen the financial burden. But there are several things to weigh when picking a plan. A 529 plan is an investment account offering tax-free growth, as long as the beneficiary uses the money for

Female doctor working with senior patient in a modern office clinic / hospital momcilog | E+ | Getty Images Sure, there are probably more entertaining things to do than review your Medicare coverage. Nevertheless, it’s about that time of year. Open enrollment, which starts Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7, is when you can

quavondo | E+ | Getty Images For lower-income Hispanic and Latina mothers, affordable and accessible child care would be a lifeline. As the country celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month, it looks like that may soon become a reality. Democrats have set a deadline of Oct. 31 to enact President Joe Biden‘s economic agenda, which includes

Two women sit at the Capitol Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 26, 2021. Samuel Corum | Getty Images Congress is hard at work on a deal to keep the U.S. government from defaulting on its debt this month. But the short-term agreement, which was passed by the Senate and is expected to go

Damir Khabirov | iStock | Getty Images The expansion of the child tax credit is aimed at lifting millions of American families out of poverty. Yet an omission in its legislative language may leave behind a group that would most benefit from it: struggling student loan borrowers. The American Rescue Plan, the $1.9 trillion stimulus

AsiaVision | E+ | Getty Images A third of working Americans saw their health-care costs rise this year, according to a survey published Thursday by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Those expenses led some employees to decrease retirement plan contributions, delay going to the doctor, increase credit card debt or use up all or most

A Social Security Administration office in San Francisco. Getty Images The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2022 could be the biggest in decades. However, that increase to monthly checks will not be enough, according to The Senior Citizens League, a nonpartisan advocacy group. Now, in a letter sent to members of both the House of

Youth march along Pennsylvania Avenue to the U.S. Capitol Building as part of the Global Climate Strike protests on Sept. 20, 2019 in Washington, D.C. Samuel Corum | Getty Images With the clock ticking, who will solve the problems of climate change and global warming? Most U.S. teens believe that everyone should help. Nearly 70%

Getty Images As the coronavirus pandemic drags on, many Americans have learned to cope with the new normal. Saving for emergencies and long-term goals, such as retirement, is still a top concern, however. More than 60% of Americans said in June they were either extremely concerned or somewhat concerned about the state of their finances,

Alexandra Lashner of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, became frustrated after attempting to buy a house this year and decided to postpone homeownership. Source: Alexandra Lashner Alexandra Lashner and her husband were excited to buy their first home earlier this year. They saved up enough for a 20% down payment and had no debt. Yet they still couldn’t