Personal finance

As tuition costs soar, more students and their families are asking themselves if college is still worth it. Some experts say the value of a bachelor’s degree is fading. Starting salaries for new college graduates have grown less than 1% over the past two years, remaining at around $50,000. Worse yet: A decade after leaving

If you’re on Medicare, the cost of your coverage for doctor’s appointments and other outpatient services is about to rise. The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B will be $144.60 for 2020, up $9.10 from $135.50 in 2019, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced Friday. The annual deductible for Part B will

Holiday shoppers at the Time Warner Center in New York. Scott Mlyn | CNBC You’ve likely heard the pitch, “Would you like to apply for a store card?” as you’re making purchases. Many times, you should just say no to that offer, new research shows. That’s because many stores will try to lure customers with

There’s an expense lurking down the road for many retirees that is largely unpredictable but likely: long-term care. With premiums soaring on insurance policies designed to cover that cost, financial advisors are turning to a variety of other strategies to help clients prepare for a day when they might need help with daily living activities

alphaspirit | Getty Images For 137 million Americans, they can be the scariest bills to open. That’s the number of adults who have faced medical financial hardship in the past year, research shows. In fact, medical debt is the top reason that people, regardless of age, would consider cashing in their 401(k)s or other retirement

It’s not necessarily an easy transition from military life to a civilian one. You’ll have to find a job and a place to live, to start. “In a lot of ways, you are taken care of in the military. You get free medical and dental, and you just go to the local naval hospital for

Open enrollment season is underway for many workers. And as employees pick their health plans for the year ahead, they may be missing out on some valuable new offerings. Given record-low unemployment and competition to attract and keep top talent, more employers are upping the ante with voluntary benefits, according to William Ziebell, CEO of

Catherine Ledner | Taxi | Getty Images Before leaving active duty, there are several things that military service members should do to get ready for civilian life. Top of the list is being financially prepared for the transition and beyond. “It’s not just about changing your job, it’s about changing your way of life,” said

Tara and John Falcone. Tara launched her own financial education company, ReisUp, after her husband was restationed in Japan at the end of 2015. Source; Tara Falcone Holding a steady job may be tough if you are married to a member of the military. Since military families generally move every two to three years, the

Hero Images | Getty Images There’s a downside to this year’s stock market appreciation: Some investors are in line for a surprise tax bill. Mutual funds distribute capital gains to their investors close to the end of each year. By now, many investors have received notifications from their fund companies about that, and they can

Guido Mieth | DigitalVision | Getty Images It’s not just saving for retirement you need to worry about, but drawing down your money at the right time, too. The IRS requires savers to make withdrawals from their retirement accounts starting at the age of 70½. “They’ve allowed you to defer taxes, but they need to

cmannphoto | Getty Images Get out your pencils and calculators: The IRS has released a breakdown of what’s ahead for the 2020 tax year. Taxpayers who’ve been paying close attention will notice that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act overhauled the tax code. Those sweeping changes include a higher standard deduction — it’s now $12,400

College graduates will soon be hit with their first student loan bill aywan88 | E+ | Getty Images We’re heading into the season for turkey dinners, Christmas trees, presents and, for recent college graduates, their first student loan bill. Students who were handed their diplomas in May or June will find the half-a-year grace period

For some savers, the lure of moving assets to a Roth individual retirement account from a traditional IRA or 401(k) plan often boils down to the tax-free income it will deliver in their golden years. Yet there are some less obvious reasons for certain retirees or retirement savers to consider doing a so-called Roth conversion.

ferrantraite | E+ | Getty Images You may have the perfect plan for holiday season travel. Yet one wrong move and your carefully crafted budget could fly out the window. “The holidays are a really busy time and there are already so many things to do – from checking off wish lists to holiday functions,”

Advertising billboards seen in Times Square, New York City Brigitte Blättler | Moment | Getty Images If you’re living in the northeastern part of the country, chances are that you’re paying some hefty income taxes. New Yorkers paid the most in state income levies — $2,249 per capita during the 2017 fiscal year, according to

Hill Street Studios | Getty Images To get into an elite college, parents and students put a lot of emphasis on grades and test scores. However, in the wake of last year’s college admissions scandal, admissions directors are quietly turning their attention to something besides raw numbers. Today, “almost every institution is looking more carefully

People shop at the Macy’s flagship store on 34th St. on Black Friday on November 23, 2018 in New York City.  Stephanie Keith | Getty Images Black Friday is one of the biggest shopping events of the year — for a reason. “Everything will be on sale in some capacity,” said Julie Ramhold, a consumer

Photo by Hero Images via Getty Images If you’re planning on punching in at your job well into your 60s, pay close attention to your workplace benefits. That’s because if you mismanage them, it could cost you. The over-65 crowd is expected to become a growing share of the workplace in the future. The labor

This fall, resist the temptation to just re-elect all of last year’s workplace benefits. Employers are rolling out their benefits packages for 2020, and that means it’s time for you to choose your health-care, life insurance and disability coverage for the new year. Failure to pay attention means you could miss out on valuable opportunities