Advisors

Jose Luis Pelaez Inc. | Getty Images Markets endured a rough January, with the S&P 500 Index suffering its worst monthly performance in nearly two years. Technology was responsible for much of the carnage, as investors became spooked by some notable earnings misses and the prospect of four interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve

fizkes | iStock | Getty Images Getting married, having a baby, changing jobs and unemployment may affect your taxes, and it’s better to adjust withholdings early, financial experts say. The IRS expects a slice of every dollar you earn — taken from your paycheck, withheld from other income or sent quarterly. While overpaying may spark

10’000 Hours | DigitalVision | Getty Images Bonds take on a bigger role in retirement, as investors take chips off the table to protect their nest egg. Unfortunately, it’s easy to get tripped up — namely, by chasing returns and taking too much risk, according to financial advisors. “Bonds are the single biggest mistake I

Witthaya Prasongsin | Moment | Getty Images Interest rates may be going up in 2022 — and a bond ladder is one way for investors to manage the risk. Prices for existing bonds generally fall as interest rates (or yields) rise, since the yields on new bonds look more attractive by comparison. That dynamic played

Cabania | iStock | Getty Images Plus You can start filing individual income tax returns on Jan. 24, but there may be refund delays as the IRS combats a backlog and limited staffing, according to Treasury officials.  However, there may be ways to get your money faster, financial experts say. Although refunds are typically sent

Marko Geber | DigitalVision | Getty Images Many retirees rely on bonds for income, lower risk and portfolio growth. However, as the Federal Reserve prepares to raise interest rates, some worry about the effects on their nest egg. The cost of living has swelled for months, with the Consumer Price Index, the key measure of

Tara Moore | Getty Images Anyone facing required minimum withdrawals from retirement accounts should note there’s been a change to calculating those amounts. Starting this year, new IRS life expectancy tables — which are used to determine required minimum distributions, or RMDs — are in effect. While using the modified tables should be generally straightforward

MoMo Productions | DigitalVision | Getty Images If you bought or “exercised” company stock options in 2021, you need to watch for tax pitfalls when filing, according to financial experts.  A stock option is the chance to buy stock in the company that employs you at a specific price, with profit potential if the value

“Taxes” engraved at IRS headquarters in Washington, D.C. Andrew Kelly | Reuters Next week may be the last chance for some filers to avoid a tax penalty and reduce their bill in April.   The deadline for fourth-quarter estimated tax payments is Jan. 18, applying to income from self-employment, small businesses, gig economy work, investments and

FatCamera | E+ | Getty Images Last year’s child-care expenses may be worth more at tax time than you realize. The child and dependent care tax credit, as it’s called, was expanded in several ways for 2021 alongside other tax changes. This means many families will get a bigger tax break and the credit could

lisegagne | E+ | Getty Images If you received monthly advance child tax credit payments in 2021, there may be a costly surprise when filing your return. The American Rescue Plan, enacted in last March, increased the tax break to $3,000 from $2,000 per child under age 17, with $600 more for kids under age

A woman looks at an NFT titled “CURIO CARDS (EST. 2017)” on Sept. 28, 2021, at Christie’s auction house in New York. TIMOTHY A. CLARY | AFP | Getty Images In the digital realm, all taxes aren’t necessarily equal. Amid a cryptocurrency and non-fungible token (NFT) boom, wealthy owners may pay a different tax rate

The crypto ecosystem has expanded significantly in recent years. While institutions such as the IMF are starting to embrace its innovation, they are also calling for investors to exercise caution. Jakub Porzycki | NurPhoto via Getty Images After a record-breaking year for cryptocurrency in 2021, many investors may soon face a hefty tax bill for

Westend61 If you’re eager to save more, you may consider maxing out 2022 individual retirement account contributions early rather than waiting until the tax-filing deadline in 2023. But there are mixed opinions about lump-sum investing versus spreading out deposits at set intervals, known as dollar-cost averaging. The IRA contribution limits for 2022 are the lesser

NicolasMcComber | E+ | Getty Images Tax season is fast approaching — and recipients of unemployment benefits in 2021 don’t appear to be getting a tax break like they did for 2020. Unemployment benefits generally count as taxable income. The American Rescue Plan Act, a relief law Democrats passed in March last year, authorized a

Bill Oxford | E+ | Getty Images If you’re banking on a tax refund, it may be smaller, or you may owe money this season, according to financial experts. Typically, you get a federal tax refund when you’ve paid or withheld more than the amount you owe, based on taxable income.   The IRS subtracts the

Investors saw it all in 2021. Next year promises a little more upside, according to two top strategists. “Aside from the latest variant, and Covid in general, the underlying economy is quite strong,” Stephanie Link, chief investment strategist and portfolio manager at Hightower, said during CNBC’s Financial Advisor Summit Wednesday. “You have above-trend inflation, not runaway inflation,” she told

Inflation is too high and the central bank needs to move quicker to get it under control by raising interest rates, said Gilbert Garcia, a managing partner at Garcia Hamilton & Associates in Houston. “I wished we’d retire the word ‘transitory,'” Garcia said, at the CNBC Financial Advisor Summit on Wednesday, speaking of predictions that

Financial advisors may want to view cybersecurity as a critical issue on more than one level. While protecting client data should be a priority, cyber attacks also could affect the investments they make on behalf of their clients. Basically, some companies may be more prone to costly cyber attacks than others. “The sectors that I

Getty Images This January not only marks the start of a new year. It is also the two-year anniversary of the first identified case of Covid-19 in the U.S. At the time, the pandemic caught most people by surprise. Now, many of our lives do not look the same as they did before Covid-19. People

vitapix | E+ | Getty Images It’s a small but growing focus in the environmental, social and governance investing movement: gender equity.  So-called gender-lens investing prioritizes companies with higher representation of women on their boards and in management positions, as well as those that score well on pay equity and other workplace policies that especially

Fizkes | Getty Images Another year of grappling with coronavirus has led to significant tax law changes for the 2021 season. While year-end tax planning is always important, recent adjustments — and the possibility of more on the horizon — may offer unique benefits along with potential pitfalls. Here are some of the biggest changes

Camille Tokerud Photography Inc. | Stone | Getty Images Your elderly mother is getting forgetful and confused. What do you do now? “Waiting until a senior’s decline is evident may already be too late,” said certified financial planner Ralph Bender, founder of Enduring Wealth Advisors in Temecula, California. When is the right time for adult

A Social Security Administration office in San Francisco. Getty Images One of the most immediate effects at the onset of the Covid-19 outbreak early last year was an upheaval in the workforce. Now, almost two years later, data suggests only one cohort of older workers accelerated their retirement plans — those ages 70 and up.

JGI/Jamie Grill | Tetra images | Getty Images Before starting any planning around money, newlyweds should take a hard look at who they are and what they want out of life, financial advisors say. “It’s important for you to sit down together and discuss your values — both as individuals, and then as a couple,”

PeopleImages.com | Getty Images Since early 2020, most of us have obviously focused our energy and attention on the global pandemic. As we emerge from this perilous time, it’s important to remember that the last 20 months have had a profound impact on charitable giving. It has been widely reported that small charities nationwide have

Simon Smith | E+ | Getty Images With U.S. markets slipping on Friday amid fears of a new Covid variant, you may be tempted to take some money off the table. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 900 points for the day, or 2.5%. The S&P 500, meanwhile, has slid 1.8%.  However, while selling

Holger Hill | fStop | Getty Images A college degree is still the ticket to better earnings and a more successful career. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics continues to support the traditional idea that college is the path to a better life, but fewer Americans seem to be buying into it these

Anuchit Sirikangwan / EyeEm | EyeEm | Getty Images You’ve experienced an incredible loss. Now it’s time to think about protecting your future. Losing a spouse could be one of the most difficult things someone will ever face. However, despite the emotional hardship, a widow can emerge from the loss stronger than ever and more

katleho Seisa Despite the biggest cost-of-living adjustment in decades, Social Security beneficiaries may still find it challenging to make their monthly checks stretch farther next year. The reasons: Inflation is continuing to drive up consumer prices, while standard Medicare Part B premiums will rise by 14.5% in 2022 in a bigger-than-expected jump. The Consumer Price