Personal finance

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

In this article MORN BraunS | E+ | Getty Images Many Hispanic Americans aren’t saving enough — or at all — for retirement. More than two-third of Hispanic households aren’t putting aside anything through workplace savings vehicles such as 401(k) plans, a Morningstar report found. Private retirement plans like individual retirement accounts aren’t filling the

Don Bayley | Vetta | Getty Images This week’s announcement of the highest Social Security cost-of-living adjustment since 1982 was welcome news for retirees. It will help alleviate the financial pinch many are feeling. Beneficiaries in 2022 will receive a 5.9% boost to their checks. That’s up from a 1.3% benefit increase for 2021. Even

VALERIE MACON | AFP | Getty Images People who collect Social Security are about to see bigger checks. The cost-of-living adjustment in 2022 will be 5.9%, the Social Security Administration said Wednesday. The bump, which will help beneficiaries keep up with rising costs due to inflation, is the largest increase in about 40 years. The

Geber86 | E+ | Getty Images It happens to the best of us — after setting a budget, somehow spending goes off the rails. “It’s so easy to do,” said certified financial planner Diahann Lassus, managing principal at Peapack Private Wealth Management, based in New Providence, New Jersey. The coronavirus pandemic, economic recession and subsequent recovery

designer491 | iStock | Getty Images Retirement savers could start seeing annuities in their 401(k) plans. While allowing them in workplace retirement savings plans is not new, the 2019 Secure Act aimed to eliminate companies’ fear of legal liability if the annuity provider were to fail or otherwise not meet its obligations. Now, insurance companies,

In this article COIN Grandbrothers | iStock Editorial | Getty Images Kenny Schachter, an art dealer, columnist for Artnet and self-proclaimed nonfungible tokens evangelist, believes that the digital works could eclipse the traditional art market within five years. This month cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase and the auction house Sotheby’s, which has been around since 1744, both

Fizkes | Getty Images The Department of Labor wants to reverse a Trump-era policy that restricts 401(k) plans and other retirement savings vehicles from offering environmental, social and governance-focused assets, known as ESG, investing options. Values-based assets have become increasingly popular, with investors funneling $51.1 billion of net new money into ESG funds in 2020,

When Haaziq Kazi was in the fourth grade, he was rocked to the core when he found out about the impact of plastic waste on marine life. He decided to do something about it, designing a prototype of a ship that sucks the waste from the ocean. “There’s this saying that we haven’t inherited this