Personal finance

D3sign | Moment | Getty Images Inflation cooled in August and fell to its lowest level since February 2021, which was around the time the consumer price index began to climb during the pandemic era. This broad trend in the U.S. economy — a declining but still-positive rate of inflation — is known as “disinflation.”

Thanks to the run up in housing prices, homeowners now have more than $32 trillion in home equity as of the first quarter of 2024, according to the St. Louis Federal Reserve — an all-time high. “It’s one of the very few things we can say about today’s housing market that is, more or less, positive,” said

People watch the presidential debate between Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris at a watch party hosted by the New York Young Republican Club, in New York City, U.S., September 10, 2024.  Adam Gray | Reuters With fewer than 60 days until

Patchareeporn Sakoolchai | Moment | Getty Images Social Security beneficiaries have seen higher cost-of-living adjustments in recent years, prompted by record high inflation. Yet next year’s increase may not be as generous. Based on new government inflation data, beneficiaries may see just a 2.5% increase to benefits in 2025, estimates Mary Johnson, an independent Social

Terry Vine | Getty Images As “DormTok” social media posts entice college students to design elaborate dorm rooms — “the stakes of dorm decor have never been higher,” according to House Beautiful — parents may be wondering if they have the right insurance coverage to protect all those purchases. Enter: “dorm insurance.” Before signing up,

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. August 20, 2024 and former U.S. President Donald Trump in Bedminster, New Jersey, U.S., August 15, 2024 are seen in a combination of file photographs.  Marco Bello | Jeenah Moon | Reuters As the election ramps up, many investors are focused on capital gains taxes and

Raising kids is expensive. Of course, many believe that the rewards far outweigh the financial cost. However, others are opting for a life without children, largely because of affordability constraints. Now, nearly a quarter, or 23%, of millennials and Generation Z without children do not plan to become parents, primarily due to financial reasons, according

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks as he announces a new plan for federal student loan relief during a visit to Madison Area Technical College Truax Campus, in Madison, Wisconsin, U.S, April 8, 2024.  Kevin Lamarque | Reuters Earlier this summer, millions of federal student loan borrowers got a promising email. The Biden administration informed them that debt forgiveness

For months, economists have wrestled with the disconnect between how well the economy is doing and how badly people feel about their financial standing. Now, evidence suggests that the so-called “vibecession,” or that prolonged period of negative sentiment about the economy, appears to be ending, according to Michael Pearce, deputy chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economics.  As inflation cools

With the presidential election approaching, experts are sounding alarms about the upcoming expiration of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, or TCJA. Without action from Congress, trillions in tax breaks enacted by former President Donald Trump via the TCJA will expire after 2025. The outcome of the 2024 election will determine which political party

George Kinder Kinder Institute George Kinder wants everyone to be free. At first blush, that concept of personal fulfillment or enlightenment may seem better suited to the realms of religion or spirituality than personal finance. But Kinder, who’s recognized as the father of the “life planning” branch of financial advice, has preached the interconnection of

Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris arrives at Portsmouth International Airport in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Sept. 4, 2024. Joseph Prezioso | AFP | Getty Images Vice President Kamala Harris is calling for a higher capital gains tax rate, and financial advisors have tips for top earners who could be affected. The Democratic presidential nominee

Carol Yepes | Moment | Getty Images In Stacey D’Erasmo’s new book, “The Long Run,” she interviews artists who are late in their careers. There’s dancer and performer Valda Setterfield, who performed through her 80s despite serious injuries from a car accident in her 40s. There’s writer Samuel Delany, now 82, who has published more

Coupons have come a long way from Sunday circulars. And for consumers stretching to make ends meet, they are as indispensable as ever. Now, with online codes, browser extensions and money-saving apps, there are more ways to find significant discounts at any time — but how good the deals are still depends on the day.

A “Now Hiring” sign is seen at a FedEx location on Broadway on June 07, 2024 in New York City. Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images The U.S. job market is cooling at a worrisome rate but not to an extent that warrants panic — at least, not yet, according to economists. Their concern lies

Democratic presidential candidate US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally at Enmarket Arena during a two-day campaign bus tour in Savannah, Georgia, on August 29, 2024. Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images As Vice President Kamala Harris outlines her economic agenda, the Democratic presidential nominee has called for higher taxes on

Thomas Barwick You’d think earning more would make it easier to boost retirement savings. But high earners may find it tricky to access tax breaks in individual retirement accounts. U.S. tax law imposes income limits on breaks related to certain tax-preferred accounts like Roth and traditional (i.e., pretax) IRAs. Those rules may pose a challenge

College still pays off, but the return on investment largely depends on your choice of major. College graduates earn 37% more than those with only a high school diploma, according to a new report by Payscale. But as the cost of a degree rises, it is increasingly important to consider both your area of concentration and future earnings

Afternoon commuters sit in traffic on southbound Interstate 5 near downtown San Diego on March 12, 2024. Kevin Carter | Getty Images “Rush” hour isn’t what it used to be. As more commuters settle into flexible working arrangements, fewer workers are making early morning or early evening trips compared to pre-pandemic traffic patterns The traditional

Cooper Union’s Foundational Building, left, and 41 Cooper Square facility, right, in New York’s Greenwich Village. Image source: Mario Morgado In a move years in the making, the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science announced Tuesday a return to full-tuition scholarships for all graduating seniors. The New York City-based private college, founded in 1859,