Personal finance

Getty Images The idea of making a budget may make your eyes glaze over. Yet it is fundamental to achieving financial wellness. “It’s really hard to make any plan or progress if you don’t know where your money is going,” said Chris Browning, creator and host of the podcast Popcorn Finance. In his short-form podcast,

The pause on federal student loan repayments ends in January. And, on Feb. 1, interest will start to accrue again. Those monthly repayments may come as a shock for many Americans, including older borrowers. While more than one-third of student loan borrowers are in their 20s and 30s, about 7% of those with student debt

The value of Bitcoin (BTC) has exceeded the threshold of 66,895 dollars for the first time in his history. Chesnot | Getty Images This week marked a milestone for cryptocurrency as investors started trading the first U.S. bitcoin futures exchange-traded fund, exceeding other ETF launches, and another followed Friday.  These funds invest in bitcoin futures

In this article BAC andresr/Getty Images Even as prices for homes soar, the American Dream of owning a home is still alive and well. Yet that can be a high hurdle for first-time home buyers to reach. New data from the National Association of Realtors shows sales of previously owned homes rose by 7% in

In this article TREE Why pay now when you can pay later? Whether it’s holiday gifts or groceries, it’s easier than ever to postpone payments on purchases. “Buy now, pay later,” or BNPL, lets shoppers break their purchases into equal installment payments, often interest-free, which can make even the biggest-ticket items seem affordable and the

Dorie Clark, author of “The Long Game: How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World.” We spend our days replying to emails, going to meetings, checking off to-do lists and, as our careers zip by, sometimes we wonder if we picked the right profession, or if our lives wouldn’t have been better spent

As employers reimagine the workplace post-Covid, a four-day work week may become a new perk. Last month, technology company Bolt became one of the latest companies to jump on board. Earlier this year, New York-based crowdfunding platform Kickstarter announced it would pilot a four-day workweek. There’s a campaign now underway from 4 Day Week Global

XiFotos | E+ | Getty Images After the Social Security Administration announced a record-high cost-of-living adjustment for 2022, many beneficiaries are asking, “How much bigger will my monthly checks be?” People who receive Social Security or Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, benefits will get a 5.9% boost to their payments next year. That is that

Most Americans see college as excessively expensive, but it wasn’t always that way. Over the last decade, the cost of attending a four-year public college or university has grown significantly faster than income. Deep cuts in state funding for higher education contributed to substantial tuition increases and pushed more of the costs of college onto students, according

Getty Images The enhanced child tax credit has sent monthly checks to millions of American families since July. Now, it’s one of the programs on the chopping block as Democrats slim down President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better agenda. Lawmakers are proposing to extend the benefit for only one year. Previously, the Biden Administration proposed

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., speaks outside of the U.S. Capitol on Oct. 20, 2021. Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images As Democrats wrestle over their spending package, key lawmakers are still fighting to change the $10,000 cap on the federal deduction for state and local taxes. The measure, known as SALT, is a

Pedestrians carry Nike shopping bags in San Francisco on Sept. 16, 2021. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Nearly 1 in 3 Americans expect to take on debt this holiday shopping season, a survey from Credit Karma found. The Covid-19 pandemic took a toll on many people’s finances, leaving them financially unprepared for

RainStar | E+ | Getty Images For anyone nearing age 65 who gets health insurance through the public marketplace, it’s almost time to make the move to Medicare. Generally speaking, you must sign up when you reach that age unless you have qualifying coverage elsewhere. And health plans through the exchanges, whether federal or state,

Bitcoin on display. Chesnot | Getty Images Investors who are bullish on cryptocurrencies are betting more on the digital assets than stocks. In September, crypto investors put an average of $263 into accounts dedicated to coins, more than the average $250 they put in traditional brokerages during the month, according to a recent survey from

Even before the pandemic, families were starting to question the value of a college degree. Now, high schoolers are putting more emphasis on schools that will offer the best returns. “What is going to be the return on investment?,” said Robert Franek, editor in chief of The Princeton Review. “It is the question that students

Justin Sullivan | Getty Images You may want to get used to higher prices at the pump, at least for now. As of Monday, the average cost of a gallon of gas was $3.30, up 7.5 cents from a month ago and $1.08 higher than a year ago, according to fuel savings app GasBuddy. By

VALERIE MACON | AFP | Getty Images When the Covid-19 pandemic prompted a dramatic drop in wages, that also sparked concerns that one particular cohort would see lower Social Security benefits as a result. Those concerns, however, have abated, according to new data from the Social Security Administration. The reason comes down to the national

In this article MS Pekic | E+ | Getty Images American workers are financially stressed and employers are starting to listen. Whether it is a response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the threat of losing employees during the Great Resignation or something else that has long been brewing, there has been an uptick in financial wellness

Bitcoin on display. Chesnot | Getty Images The first U.S. bitcoin futures exchange-traded fund will launch on Tuesday, a milestone for the cryptocurrency industry, and others may soon follow. The long-awaited ProShares ETF will offer exposure to bitcoin futures contracts — agreements to buy or sell the asset later for an agreed-upon price — rather

fizkes | iStock | Getty Images For Medicare beneficiaries who want to join an Advantage Plan, now is the time to do it. Just be sure you know what the plan covers and what your potential costs will be — and how long you have to change your mind. During the annual fall open enrollment