Personal finance

Throughout our lives as students, we work hard to get a good education that will lead us to a solid job and fruitful career. But we aren’t prepared for what happens after graduation — responsibilities such as finding a place to live, getting that first job and paying rent and other bills. You can’t just

Sporrer/Rupp | Image Source | Getty Images How much do you think you’ll need to save for retirement? If you’re in one of these major cities, the answer will be at least $1 million to live an average lifestyle, according to MagnifyMoney. To find the amount needed to retire in each city, analysts used data

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images Inflation grew at its fastest clip in almost four decades last month — and rising costs are hitting the biggest areas of household budgets. Inflation measures changes in the price consumers pay for goods and services. It jumped 6.8% in the year through November 2021, the largest annual spike

RyanJLane | E+ | Getty Images With a rising cost of living, investors may be eyeing I bonds, an inflation-protected and nearly risk-free asset, paying a 7.12% annual rate through next April.  While I bonds have relatively low purchase limits, couples may leverage a year-end strategy to increase their holdings.    Annual inflation rose by 6.8% in

Nick Emery clears mountains of snow from his driveway on March 14, 2021 in Nederland, Colorado. Helen H. Richardson | Denver Post | Getty Images This winter could be especially cold and expensive. But there are a few ways to keep your wallet full and your family warm. People who heat their homes with natural

Rep. Bill Pascrell, D-N.J., speaks at 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 House Democrats’ $1.75 trillion spending package boosts the limit on the federal deduction for state and local taxes, known as SALT, to $80,000

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., outside the Senate Chambers of the Capitol on Dec. 7, 2021. Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images News | Getty Images The Senate will soon consider whether to implement a plan for a federal paid family and medical leave as part of the Build Back Better bill. Advocates are campaigning

andresr | E+ | Getty Images For many Medicare beneficiaries, a supplement plan — aka, Medigap — is an appealing way to cover some out-of-pocket costs. These policies at least partially cover the cost-sharing aspects of Medicare — deductibles, copays and coinsurance. However, there are limitations. For example, Medigap plans don’t cover costs associated with

Inflation is too high and the central bank needs to move quicker to get it under control by raising interest rates, said Gilbert Garcia, a managing partner at Garcia Hamilton & Associates in Houston. “I wished we’d retire the word ‘transitory,'” Garcia said, at the CNBC Financial Advisor Summit on Wednesday, speaking of predictions that

Financial advisors may want to view cybersecurity as a critical issue on more than one level. While protecting client data should be a priority, cyber attacks also could affect the investments they make on behalf of their clients. Basically, some companies may be more prone to costly cyber attacks than others. “The sectors that I

praetorianphoto | E+ | Getty Images With the holiday season comes a lot of gift-giving — and plenty of bills. That’s why it’s good to have a strategy now for how to tackle any debt you may incur, experts advise. “You actually can create a plan as opposed to just figuring it out on the

shapecharge | E+ | Getty Images It’d be surprising if you weren’t scared by recent headlines, yet how you responded to them as an investor will have major consequences for your long-term financial picture. Most recently, reports of a new Covid variant that could be more contagious and less affected by vaccines than other strains

Steven Heap / EyeEm | EyeEm | Getty Images It has been 39 years since Congress has taken action to change Social Security. Some House Democrats are hoping to change that with a bill to improve benefits that has been revamped and reintroduced in Congress. On Tuesday, a House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee

Getty Images A simple click or swipe on your laptop, tablet or smartphone to purchase a gift, buy sports and concert tickets, or book a trip may seem like the easiest way to shop this holiday season. Yet it’s important to protect your credit and your identity in the process.  Americans plan to spend just

Betsie Van Der Meer | Getty Images Struggling to find last-minute holiday gifts that won’t be delayed by supply chain issues? One simple way to help children or relatives start investing is to gift them stocks or other financial assets. “If you’re looking at it as a Christmas gift or a holiday gift for a

Petra Richli | iStock | Getty Images It’s a good time to make sure your house is ready for Old Man Winter to show up. Whether snow, ice, freezing or flooding, winter weather can cause a host of headaches for homeowners. And if you’re in a new house that you’re still getting to know, it’s

Maskot | Maskot | Getty Images For parents who have a child with special needs, planning for their loved one’s life after they themselves are gone can be overwhelming. Breaking the process down into manageable parts and working with specialized professionals and companies can help. “The three main structures a family should put in place

CandyRetriever | iStock | Getty Images Tens of millions of Americans should soon have access to free at-home Covid tests. The White House made the announcement amid fears of a new variant of the coronavirus. Cases of the variant, called omicron, have already popped up in California, Minnesota, Colorado and New York. Other countries have

Scarlet Poulet (right), pictured with wife Nadine Kujawa, before Poulet was diagnosed with cancer in 2019. Courtesy: Scarlet Poulet Medicare’s rules for signing up have put 68-year-old Scarlet Poulet in an unenviable situation. The New Orleans resident, who is recovering from cancer, has been enrolled in Medicare Part A (hospital coverage) since 2018 when she

Did your “Great Resignation” lead you to start a business or become your own boss this year? You may be able to write off the cost of your home office come tax time. “Knowing that you’re not a 9-to-5 [worker] anymore, you can now take advantage of the home-office deduction,” said Sheneya Wilson, CPA and