Personal finance

Alistair Berg | Digitalvision | Getty Images Death and taxes are, as Benjamin Franklin famously declared, two of life’s certainties. Investment fees may be a worthy addition to that list in the modern era — though not all investors are aware of this near-universal fact. The fees financial services firms charge can be murky. One-fifth

Fg Trade Latin | E+ | Getty Images Families will soon find college acceptance letters in their mailboxes. As students weigh where to attend, making sure they won’t borrow too much is key, experts say. The consequences of taking on too much student debt can be severe. “If you borrow too much, you will have

Andrew Bret Wallis | The Image Bank | Getty Images For retirees, health-care costs can be among the most unpredictable expenses they face over the course of their golden years. While many of them worry about affording their monthly Medicare premiums, their bigger concern is their out-of-pocket costs, recent research from eHealth shows. Fully 75%

When it comes to the U.S. economy, confidence is key. But the banking crisis has threatened to upset how most people feel about their financial picture. “The bank problems are probably making a lot of people think twice,” said Diana Furchtgott-Roth, an economics professor at George Washington University and former chief economist at the U.S. Department of

The Good Brigade | DigitalVision | Getty Images A couple of Medicare enrollment periods are underway — and both end soon. First, if you didn’t enroll in Medicare when you should have and you don’t qualify for a special enrollment period, you can sign up until March 31. Second, if you are already on Medicare

Antonio_diaz | Istock | Getty Images Among the millions of Americans with past-due medical debt, there’s a decent chance they owe $1,000 or more, new research suggests. While 39% of that cohort said they owe less than $1,000, the remainder (61%) owe more, including 21% who owe at least $5,000, according to a new Urban

Recent bank woes and rising interest rates have prompted higher levels of economic uncertainty. When it comes to the markets, that means more volatility may be in the forecast. Volatility happens when the value of an investment “fluctuates wildly in a short period of time,” according to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. “In the months

Digital artist FEWOCiOUS auctions five NFT works of art, along with five physical paintings and drawings at Christie’s on June 28, 2021 in New York. Noam Galai | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images The IRS said it plans to tax some non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, as collectibles akin to art or gems — an

Prostock-studio | Istock | Getty Images It’s a strange time for people with federal student loan bills, which means that their experience with this year’s tax season will likely also be unusual. The Biden administration’s plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt for tens of millions of Americans is on hold until the

Photographer: Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images President Joe Biden used his first veto to preserve a recent U.S. Department of Labor rule about investment choice in 401(k) and other workplace retirement plans. The regulation, which took effect in January, applies to so-called “environmental, social and governance” funds. These ESG investments — also known as sustainable

Amid turmoil in the financial sector and uncertainty ahead, the Federal Reserve will likely approve a 0.25 percentage point increase at this week’s policy meeting.  That will mark one year since the central bank began the current rate-raising cycle.   Over the last 12 months, inflation spiked to a 40-year high and only recently started

Tetra Images | Tetra Images | Getty Images The recent banking crisis has fueled concern of a “credit crunch” and the resulting negative impact on households, businesses and the U.S. economy. But what is a credit crunch and how might you prepare? Loans would be tougher to get related investing news Demand for Fed help

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