Personal finance

Gift buying and gift returning typically go hand in hand. On average, retailers expect about 18%, or $158 billion, of merchandise sold during the holiday shopping season to be returned, according to the National Retail Federation’s most recent data. For 2021 overall, the return rate was about 16.6% of total U.S. retail sales, or $761

Getty Images As Americans head to the polls, several key personal finance issues are weighing on voters’ minds and wallets. This week, the Federal Reserve enacted its fourth consecutive 0.75 percentage point interest rate increase to fight inflation, triggering further stock market losses. Meanwhile, recession fears are growing, with 84% of Americans worrying how a

In this article UAL AAL TSLA NFLX SHOP-CA LYFT Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Wanan Yossingkum | Istock | Getty Images The labor market is still strong, but layoffs are picking up. This year Peloton, Netflix, Shopify, Lyft, and, most recently, Twitter, all announced significant staff reductions. Meanwhile, executive outplacement firm Challenger, Gray &

Supreme Court nominee and U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Amy Coney Barrett on Capitol Hill in Washington, October 21, 2020. Ken Cedeno | Reuters The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a second request to block the Biden administration’s student loan debt relief program. Justice Amy Coney Barrett denied an emergency application to block the program

dowell | Moment | Getty Images As the year-end approaches, you may be looking for ways to lower your 2022 tax bill — and certain tax-saving moves have rules you must follow in order to qualify. One option, adding money to your pretax individual retirement account, may be attractive if you make too much for

Despite growing economic uncertainty, employers are still waging a war for talent, and employees are coming out ahead. Now, more businesses are expanding their benefit offerings with free college programs to attract and retain workers. Most recently, Fidelity Investments said it will offer fully funded undergraduate degrees to 18,000 employees, including entry-level customer service phone representatives.

Tim Boyle | Bloomberg | Getty Images Although prices for new cars are moderating a bit, financing a vehicle purchase hasn’t been getting any cheaper. With the Federal Reserve’s latest interest rate hike — the sixth this year — auto loans are poised to become even more expensive. The Fed’s move has a ripple effect,

SKLA | iStock | Getty Images Close to 26 million Americans have applied for student loan forgiveness, and the Biden administration has already approved 16 million of the requests, the White House said Thursday. Yet its entire loan cancellation plan could be in jeopardy due to the legal challenges brought by Republicans, it warned. “If

Martin Barraud | Caiaimage | Getty Images After another 0.75 percentage interest rate hike from the Federal Reserve, financial experts have tips for investors amid volatility in the stock and bond markets.   Continuing to fight inflation, the central bank on Wednesday announced its fourth consecutive three-quarters of a percentage point interest rate increase.  The

FatCamera | E+ | Getty Images For some Medicare beneficiaries, an Advantage Plan ends up not being a good fit. If you’re in this situation and are thinking about dropping your plan to return to basic Medicare — Part A (hospital coverage) and Part B (outpatient services) — there are some things to consider before

The Federal Reserve raised the target federal funds rate by 0.75 percentage point for the fourth time in a row on Wednesday, marking an unprecedented pace of rate hikes. The U.S. central bank has raised the benchmark short-term borrowing rate a total of six times this year, including 75 basis point increases in June, July and

The U.S. Department of the Treasury on Tuesday announced Series I bonds will pay 6.89% annual interest through April 2023, down from the 9.62% yearly rate offered since May. It’s the third-highest rate since I bonds were introduced in 1998, and investors may lock in this rate for six months by purchasing anytime before the end of

The U.S. Treasury Department in Washington. Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images Investors purchased Series I bonds in record numbers from the U.S. Department of the Treasury on Friday, just beating a key deadline to lock in a historically high rate of return. I bonds are a nearly risk-free asset tied to the rate of inflation.

Skynesher | E+ | Getty Images As inflation has pushed the cost of living higher, those eligible for Social Security retirement benefits may be tempted to claim benefits sooner than they had planned. Social Security beneficiaries stand to get a record 8.7% cost-of-living adjustment in 2023 that will help them contend with higher costs. But

In this article .RUT Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT marekuliasz | iStock | Getty Images Some big names suffered large stock losses last week as they reported earnings. Four companies — Google parent Alphabet, Amazon, Facebook parent Meta and Microsoft — collectively shed more than $350 billion from their market cap, the measure of

Voters file down the hall as early voting begins for the midterm elections at the Citizens Service Center in Columbus, Georgia, on Oct. 17, 2022. Cheney Orr | Reuters Investment advisers say it’s not wise to try to time the market, but it does make sense to periodically adjust your portfolio. So with the midterm

Lauren Bates | Moment | Getty Images If history is a guide, insurance claims for unexplained disappearances will jump this Halloween. Renters and homeowners insurance claims related to a “mysterious disappearance” increased by 5% on Halloween and 3% on Mischief Night, which is the night before Halloween, according to Travelers Insurance claims data from 2011

Fg Trade | E+ | Getty Images A key federal program providing benefits to elderly, blind and disabled people — Supplemental Security Income — is turning 50 years old. The program, which currently serves nearly 8 million beneficiaries, was created by legislation signed by President Richard Nixon on Oct. 30, 1972. But even as Supplemental

Soaring prices are making it hard for many Americans to afford expenses each month. Costs are rising for nearly every major expense from housing and food to medical care. Employee wages aren’t keeping up. Having the money that’s coming in each month going out just as fast is becoming increasingly common.  Due to high inflation,

amriphoto Amid the nationwide flurry of tax cuts, two states are voting on whether to enact a “millionaire tax” on top earners in November. In California, Proposition 30 would add a 1.75% levy on annual income of more than $2 million, in addition to the state’s top income tax rate of 13.3%, beginning Jan. 1.