Personal finance

The Federal Reserve‘s decision to cut interest rates by a quarter point for the third time this year is meant to bolster the economy. Everyday Americans may lose some ground. On the one hand, lower rates often mean cheaper loans, which can impact your mortgage, home equity loan, credit card, student loan tab and car

If you hate paying taxes, at least it’s a reason to pretend you’re glad you never win big in the lottery. So far this year, the 12 winners who have hit Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots — worth an advertised $3.3 billion in all — have collectively fed roughly $505.5 million to the IRS. And

Move over, pumpkin spice latte. You’re no longer the only budget-crusher in town. Unconscious spending is the next Starbucks-like personal finance cliché, says Chris Kampitsis, a certified financial planner at the Barnum Financial Group in Elmsford, New York. “An overuse or overreliance on subscriptions, everything from Netflix to different delivery services, like monthly boxes, all

If Valentine’s Day is a Hallmark holiday, Halloween was made for Instagram. When it comes to spending, nearly half, or 48%, of millennials said they purchased items strictly for the social media posts, compared to less than a third of those in Generation X, according to a new report from CompareCards by LendingTree. About 4

Medicare beneficiaries would get dental, vision and hearing coverage if several bills now before Congress pass. In addition, the government would get authority to negotiate prices with drugmakers and create a cap for Medicare out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs. All have cleared the necessary committees over the last couple of weeks and now await full

Getty Images ‘Tis the season to spend a lot of money. Between buying gifts, booking travel and attending holiday parties, there are plenty of ways to splurge in the months ahead, regardless of whether Americans can afford it. The National Retail Federation said it expects holiday retail sales to rise between 3.8% and 4.2% over

100 years old birthday cake to old woman elderly celebration funny humor MEDITERRANEAN | E+ | Getty Images You can never be too old for a surprise tax bill from the IRS. Whether you’re a business owner or an individual with an elaborate estate, you may use cash value life insurance to solve any complex

Camille Wood walks dogs as a side hustle. Source: Camille Wood Camille Wood is a personal assistant, dog sitter and host at The Second City, a comedy club in Chicago. “During a typical week, I’m doing something for pay pretty much every day,” she said. “I needed the extra money for student loans and city

A long-running index shows that financial happiness in the U.S. is slipping, despite continued economic strength. The American Institute of CPA’s quarterly Personal Financial Satisfaction Index, released Thursday, shows a 3.6% decline from the previous reading — which also had posted a slight dip. At the same time, however, the latest reading of 37.3 remains

If you’re going to make Medicare coverage changes that include dropping or buying a supplemental plan — aka, Medigap — make sure you know the rules that come along with it. Medicare’s annual open enrollment period — now underway through Dec. 7 — allows you to switch various parts of your coverage for next year.

Erica Yungen Ostergren, 51, admits to a very casual password system: an old school catalogue envelope with cross-outs and coffee rings. Source: Erica Yungen Ostergren Erica Yungen Ostergren keeps important financial information, such as website passwords and logins, in one handy place. “Hilariously, it is all on the back of a yellow envelope that I

CNBC | Jaden Urbi Big changes could be coming down the pipeline for the 44 million Americans with student debt. Presidential campaign proposals and recently introduced legislation aim to rewrite the rules around student loan interest, repayment and refinancing. Some of the plans would reduce — or altogether erase — people’s balances. More from Personal

Kenneth Fisher, chief executive officer of Fisher Investments, attends the Forbes Global CEO Conference in Sydney, Australia, on Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2010. Gillianne Tedder | Bloomberg | Getty Images The Employees Retirement System of Texas announced on Friday that it would end its relationship with Fisher Investments, yanking $350 million from the asset manager. “Texas

A. Wayne Johnson Mirco Lazzari gp | Getty Images A senior government official appointed by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos resigned on Thursday, saying the current student loan system is “fundamentally broken” and calling for billions of dollars in debt to be forgiven. A. Wayne Johnson was hired as the chief operating officer of the Office

Goldman Sachs has joined the flight of institutional investors from Fisher Investments. The giant investment bank is pulling $234 million from Camas, Washington-based Fisher, according to a source close to the matter. However, the end tally could be even greater, a source told CNBC. Goldman Sachs and Fisher Investments both declined to comment. In all,

Hill Street Studios | Getty Images Even if you’re still deciding how you’re going to vote next Election Day, you could already be taking political sides with your investments. New research examines whether mutual fund managers put more money in companies that are led by executives who share their political ideologies or party affiliations. And

MoMo Productions | Taxi | Getty Images Forget rent. Cash-strapped millennials who are starting families have a new cost on the horizon: child care. In 30 states and Washington, D.C., the annual cost of sending an infant to a child care center exceeds the annual in-state tuition and fees at a public college, according to

Steve Debenport | E+ | Getty Images Here’s something to remember amid college financial aid season: The IRS might want its piece of your scholarship. Sources of “free money,” including scholarships, assistantships and grants, are instrumental in helping families afford the growing cost of college. The average annual price tag for in-state students at a

From left, Utah Valley University students Colton Peck, Doug Macdonald and McKenna Jacobsen. Together, they took first place in the Financial Planning Challenge at the Financial Planning Association’s annual conference in Minneapolis last week. Utah Valley University When Colton Peck started school at Utah Valley University, he was set on being an accountant. But after

If you’re on Medicare, now’s the time to closely evaluate your 2020 prescription drug coverage. The program’s annual open enrollment period, when you can make changes that take effect Jan. 1, is under way and closes Dec. 7. With plans varying from year to year — including the drugs they cover and the amount you