Personal finance

Pascal Broze | Onoky | Getty Images An 8.7% Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2023 means beneficiaries received on average $140 per month more starting in January. Now, new research from Bank of America Institute finds faster spending growth among older generations that receive Social Security income. For the week ending Feb. 18, individuals born

PeopleImages | Getty Images Contemplating your own death may not be on the list of things you’re eager to do. Yet for your family or other loved ones who would find themselves trying to sort out your affairs while also dealing with the emotional fallout from losing you, your having a so-called estate plan is

When it comes to college these days, students are more concerned about how they will pay the tab than they are about getting in, according to a recent survey of college-bound students and their families. Higher education already costs more than most families can afford, and college costs are still rising. Tuition and fees plus room and board

In this article EOCW RJF Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT sturti With expectations for a recession already in the forecast for 2023, the recent failures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank have further stoked fears that an economic downturn could be on the horizon. But it remains to be seen when a recession

In this article SBNY EFX Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Some consumers who tried to deposit an Equifax settlement check in recent days got a surprise: It bounced. The checks, a result of a legal settlement over the credit-reporting firm’s 2017 data breach, were written against an account

A protest sign outside the Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 28, 2023. The Washington Post | The Washington Post | Getty Images There’s no precedent in recent history for the sweeping federal student loan forgiveness policy President Joe Biden is trying to carry out. A look at the math of the program shows

Matthew Hatcher | Afp | Getty Images Retail egg prices retreated in February, according to federal data issued Tuesday, delivering relief to consumers who saw prices spike at the grocery store in recent months. Average egg prices fell almost 7% in February relative to January, according to the consumer price index, a key barometer of

Brandon Bell | Getty Images Timing is everything, especially when it comes to real estate. But finding the perfect time to sell your home — especially if it’s your first time — may be a challenge as the residential real estate market fluctuates. A recent survey from Zillow finds 84% of first-time home sellers wish

Viorel Kurnosov | Istock | Getty Images With roughly two more months before the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ends the three-year Covid public health emergency, more than 5 million of the nation’s households remain behind on their rent. All together, tenants continued to owe nearly $11 billion in rental debt during the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts (Photo: Bloomberg / Getty Images) With an acceptance rate of just under 4%, Massachusetts Institute of Technology is considered the ultimate dream school, according to a new survey of college-bound students and their families. However, it’s not only one of the hardest schools to get into

miodrag ignjatovic | E+ | Getty Images Some Medicare beneficiaries will begin paying less next month for 27 prescription drugs whose prices have increased at a rate that outpaces inflation, government officials announced Wednesday. Depending on their individual coverage, beneficiaries could save between $2 and $390 per average dose for these drugs starting April 1,

Luc MacGregor | Bloomberg | Getty Images The latest crypto rally may be good news for digital currency investors. But if you’re still recovering from last year’s losses, it may be possible to score a tax break on your 2022 return. The crypto market plunged by nearly $1.4 trillion in 2022 after a series of

It’s been a tough time for cryptocurrency but, despite volatility, you still need to know how the technology works, said Douglas Boneparth, a certified financial planner based in New York. The digital currency market dropped by nearly $1.4 trillion in 2022, following a cascade of bankruptcies and liquidity issues, including the high-profile collapse of crypto

Damircudic | Getty Images One of the ground rules for individual retirement account contributions is you must have “earned income,” such as wages or salary from a job or self-employment earnings. But there’s a special exception, known as a spousal IRA, which allows you to contribute based on your spouse’s earnings if you file taxes

A customer shops at a grocery store in Brooklyn on Feb. 14, 2023. Michael Nagle/Xinhua via Getty Images The annual inflation rate in February continued its gradual cooling trend, though it remained well above policymakers’ target. Inflation is a measure of how quickly prices are rising or falling in the U.S. economy. related investing news

Starting in community college and then transferring to a four-year school is a proven pathway to getting a degree for significantly less money. Yet fewer students are going this route. Transfer enrollment from two-year colleges to four-year schools dropped again in fall 2022 compared with the previous year, this time sinking nearly 8%. This continues

When markets hit a slump, investors are often tempted to head for the exits in search of safer places to put their money. There are always reasons investors may get spooked. In the latest example, the failure of Silicon Valley Bank rattled investors and sent stocks lower on Friday. Signature Bank was seized by regulators

In this article SBNY Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT A man walks by the headquarters of Silicon Valley Bank on March 10, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. Liu Guanguan | Getty Images The unexpected shutdowns of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank have prompted new questions about the level of protection for bank deposits

Grady Hendrix Albert Mitchell After Louise’s parents unexpectedly die in a car accident, she returns home to Charleston, where her plans to get her childhood home ready for sale are soon complicated. There’s her parents’ endless stuff, including the hundreds of dolls her mother owned. There’s her estranged brother, Matt, trying to cheat her out

Visualspace | E+ | Getty Images Small business owners today may feel they’re getting pulled in two directions: stuck between wanting to offer a retirement benefit to their workers but feeling unable to afford costs associated with a 401(k) plan. But entrepreneurs scared by the affordability of maintaining a 401(k) plan can instead consider an