Personal finance

Bret Shuford and Stephen Hanna knew from early on in their relationship they wanted to raise a child together. But the married couple didn’t think a biological child was a possibility. As freelancers in the creative arts, income isn’t always steady for Shuford and Hanna, even when working on Broadway. The Houston-based couple, known as

Marko Klaric / EyeEm | EyeEm | Getty Images Americans are eager to travel this summer despite inflation-strapped budgets. “They’re booking flights, hotels, rental cars, vacation homes,” said Hopper economist Hayley Berg. “They are also exhibiting deal-seeking behavior.” The overall price of travel is up 16% from this time in 2019, according to the NerdWallet

Jonathan Raa | Nurphoto | Getty Images Bitcoin has rallied amid news about possible spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds and other big names entering the digital currency space — and financial experts have tips for investors who want a piece of the action. The price of bitcoin topped $30,000 on Wednesday as traders grew bullish about

The Washington Post | The Washington Post | Getty Images Within two weeks, the Supreme Court justices should break for their summer recess. And yet there’s been no ruling on President Joe Biden’s sweeping student loan forgiveness plan. For many borrowers, it’s been an anxious wait. “Waiting to hear whether or not it will pass

More than half of Tal Thompson’s 46 employees are teenagers. The owner of the Art Factory in Midlothian, Virginia, said this summer, more than ever, she’s been inundated with applications from high school and college students looking for work. The pay for jobs at the studio and coffee shop, which hosts art classes, summer camps,

D3sign | Moment | Getty Images The recent tax season was relatively smooth compared with last year’s. But national taxpayer advocate Erin Collins still sees room for improvement as the IRS rolls out funding plan changes. “Overall, the difference between the 2022 filing season and the 2023 filing season was like night and day,” Collins

Gilaxia | E+ | Getty Images Humans use mental shortcuts in everyday life to help process information and make speedy decisions. But they can lead to bad choices when it comes to personal finance. Some of those poor outcomes are the result of “anchoring bias,” which can undermine a consumer’s rational thinking. This cognitive bias

Daniel Grill | Tetra Images | Getty Images The start of the year was plagued by waves of layoffs: through the end of May, companies announced plans to cut 417,500 jobs, up 315% from the same period last year, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Big names like Disney, Google, Lyft and Meta were among

Erin M. Collins, National Taxpayer Advocate Source: IRS After a flood of business returns with a pandemic-era tax credit, the IRS is weighing guidance for those who wrongly claimed the tax break. The employee retention credit, or ERC, was created to support small businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic. There’s still time to amend returns and

The Manhattan skyline is shrouded in a smoky haze from Canadian wildfires as seen from the East River waterfront in Brooklyn, New York, June 6, 2023. Ed Jones | Afp | Getty Images Eight of the warmest years in history have all come since 2015. With an El Niño weather pattern developing, it could be

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