Personal finance

brightstars | E+ | Getty Images Small businesses are facing an onslaught of ads, phone calls and emails to help them claim a pandemic-era tax credit. However, experts urge business owners to review eligibility with a qualified tax professional. The tax break — known as the employee retention credit, or ERC — was enacted in

Westend61 | Getty As interest rates have climbed, homebuyers have been confronted with higher borrowing costs. That has led more home purchasers to opt for one strategy, purchasing mortgage points, as a way to defray higher monthly payments. Mortgage points let buyers pay an upfront fee to lower the interest rate on their loans. In

Simon2579 | E+ | Getty Images Auto insurance premiums have been among the fastest-rising prices for consumers over the past year, according to federal data — a dynamic that might seem at odds with car prices, which are broadly trending lower. So, what’s going on? In short: Auto insurance prices generally track those in the

The United States Supreme Court Building Geoff Livingston | Moment | Getty Images The Supreme Court is expected to issue a ruling on the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness plan this month. That decision will play a role in shaping the the financial future of 40 million Americans. If the justices greenlight President Joe Biden’s

swissmediavision | E+ | Getty Images For those who hit the road to travel this summer, there is good news: Gas prices are substantially lower than they were last year. “What a difference a year makes,” said Andrew Gross, a spokesperson for AAA, the motoring and leisure travel membership organization. As of Friday, the national

Richard Newstead | Moment | Getty Images Housing is perhaps the most consequential category in the consumer price index, a key inflation barometer. As the largest expense for an average U.S. household, shelter accounts for more than a third of the CPI weighting, the most of any other consumer good or service. That gives housing

D3sign | Moment | Getty Images Human psychology and money don’t mix well. Left unchecked, our psyches can easily sabotage financial decision-making, behavioral experts said during a panel discussion at CNBC’s Financial Advisor Summit.   “We’re all crazy when it comes to money,” said Brad Klontz, managing principal of YMW Advisors in Boulder, Colorado, and

Moyo Studio | E+ | Getty Images Saving enough money to comfortably retire later in life may seem like a daunting, out-of-reach goal. But some are challenging themselves to reach that goal even sooner than usual. The FIRE movement — which stands for Financial Independence, Retire Early — is built on the idea that handling

Couple talking to financial advisor at home Fg Trade | E+ | Getty Images After an interest rate pause from the Federal Reserve and predictions of future hikes, advisors are weighing bond allocation changes and portfolio opportunities. The central bank on Wednesday announced a break from raising interest rates, following rate increases during the last

After more than a year of steady rate hikes, the Federal Reserve held its target federal funds rate steady Wednesday. For households, however, that offers little relief from record-high borrowing costs. “It’s not like rates will go down,” said Tomas Philipson, University of Chicago economist and a former chair of the White House Council of Economic

View Press | Corbis News | Getty Images Rent prices in the U.S. are now out of reach for many low-wage earners. A full-time worker in the U.S. needs to make $28.58 an hour, on average, to afford the rent on a modest two-bedroom apartment in their area. In California, Hawaii, Massachusetts and New York,

People shop at Lincoln Market on June 12, 2023 in the Prospect Lefferts Gardens neighborhood in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images News | Getty Images Inflation slowed in May to the lowest rate in two years, largely on the back of declining prices for energy like gasoline

Lucigerma | Istock | Getty Images Retirement confidence may be dropping due to the economy. But for retirement savers and retirees alike, there’s one worry that stands out above the rest — the possibility they may outlive their assets, according to new research from research and consulting firm Cerulli Associates. That worry looms large for

Djordje Krstic | Istock | Getty Images New government data shows the annual rate of inflation dipped to the lowest level in about two years as of May. But that may be bittersweet news for Social Security beneficiaries, as they may receive a much lower cost-of-living adjustment in 2024 than they did this year. The

Margaret Roesch, 67, and her wife Pat McAulay, 68, wanted to have a supportive community around them as they grew older. So they helped to create a cohousing development for LGBTQ+ seniors and allies, making it easier to offer support to one another.  “We said we don’t want to have to go back in the

Berk Ucak | Istock | Getty Images When federal student loan bills restart in September, millions of borrowers could be making their payments to a company they’ve never heard of. During the pause of more than three years on payments, several of the lenders that managed the debt for the government stopped doing so. Those

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow enters the courtroom for her trial in Park City, Utah, March 24, 2023. Rick Bowmer | Getty Images “I wish you well.” Gwyneth Paltrow may have had the last word at the conclusion of her ski accident trial in March, but it was her head-to-toe “old money” look that is still echoing

damircudic | E+ | Getty Images The Federal Reserve is likely to temporarily pause its aggressive interest rate hikes when it meets next week, experts predict. But consumers may not see any relief. The central bank has raised interest rates 10 times since last year — the fastest pace of tightening since the early 1980s — only

Yuliya Taba | E+ | Getty Images The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is warning that roughly 1 in 5 student loan borrowers have financial risk factors that could cause them to struggle when their payments resume in the fall. The bipartisan agreement to raise the federal debt ceiling signed into law earlier this month by

In this article LEVI BLK Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Levi’s has run a worker savings program since 2015 but in recent years has participated in BlackRock’s initiative. Pictured, a Levi’s display at a Kohl’s in San Rafael, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images When new employees get hired at the Levi’s store in