Personal Finance

Itza Villavicencio Urbieta | Istock | Getty Images As retirement legislation continues to evolve in Congress, some lawmakers are hoping to address what they view as a persistent problem: lack of access to a workplace plan among low- and middle-income workers. A bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers has started work on a bill to tackle

lisegagne | E+ | Getty Images Without the child tax credit, Stormy Johnson has been skipping her own meals so her kids can eat. Johnson, 45, works as a student support specialist in Preston County Schools in Kingwood, West Virginia. Before the monthly enhanced child tax credit payments lapsed in December, she received an additional

Sdi Productions | E+ | Getty Images There’s a chance your health insurance company owes you some cash. Depending on how you get your coverage, you may be one of the 8.2 million policyholders expected to get a piece of $1 billion in premium rebates this fall from various insurers, according to a preliminary analysis

Cheerful female entrepreneur watching movie on laptop. Beautiful young woman is spending leisure time at home. She is sitting with legs crossed on sofa. Morsa Images | Digitalvision | Getty Images As high inflation persists, many Americans are seeing their hard-earned incomes covering fewer of the essentials. For some, a side hustle may make a

Professionalstudioimages | Istock | Getty Images The clock is ticking for Congress when it comes to shoring up the Social Security trust funds, according to an annual report released on Thursday by the program’s trustees. Both Social Security and Medicare face long-term financing shortfalls, due to the fact that those programs will grow faster than

Teachers line up to enter Everest College, one of the Corinthian Colleges that closed, for a meeting and opportunity to collect their personal items, in City of Industry, Calif., April 27, 2015. Al Seib | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images The Biden administration plans to cancel all outstanding student loans for those who attended

A storefront in Montebello, California on Dec. 9, 2021. Frederic J. Brown | Afp | Getty Images Workers continue to benefit from a hot job market characterized by near-record demand for their labor, which has translated to ample choice and higher pay.   However, there are signs of a slowdown in some industries and Federal

Morsa Images | Digitalvision | Getty Images Employees who work remotely don’t look favorably on the notion of returning to the office. To that point, 45% of people who work from home said they’d be at least somewhat likely to look for a new job if required to return to work in person, according to

A customer pumps gas into their car at a gas station on May 18, 2022 in Petaluma, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images Americans’ finances are being squeezed as inflation pushes up prices on things such as rent, groceries and gasoline. As a result, one-quarter of Americans will have to delay their retirement, according to

Student loan borrowers gather near The White House to tell President Biden to cancel student debt – all of it with no means-testing on May 12, 2020 in Washington, DC.  Paul Morigi | Getty Images Advocates expressed anger and disappointment on Friday in response to news that the Biden administration is leaning toward forgiving $10,000

valentinrussanov | E+ | Getty Images The housing market is hot right now — if you’re a seller. Buyers, on the flip side, are having a harder time finding homes. Americans are aware of the struggles they face in buying a home. More than 70% of U.S. adults believe the housing market is currently in

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Xinhua News Agency | Xinhua News Agency | Getty Images Americans are dealing with a period of rapidly rising interest rates for the first time in years. The Federal Reserve on Wednesday released the minutes from its latest meeting, showing that the central bank plans to deliver more 50 basis

Fertnig | E+ | Getty Images Death and taxes are two certainties in life, as the saying goes. But many people may not realize their Social Security benefits they receive from the government are also subject to taxes. The way in which those levies are applied is unique. A recent MassMutual quiz found just 42%

Jake and Deborah Anderson-Bialis, pictured with their children, started fertility education site FertilityIQ after spending about $70,000 to have their children. Melissa Schmidt, FertilityIQ’ As employers try to entice new workers and keep the ones they have, more are turning to fertility benefits. In fact, the trend has been moving upward for the past couple

Prathanchorruangsak | Istock | Getty Images Whether you’re a current employee or changing jobs, you may need to choose between pre-tax and Roth 401(k) contributions, and it may be trickier than you expect. Here’s the difference: Pre-tax 401(k) deposits reduce your adjusted gross income, and the money grows tax-deferred, meaning you’ll pay levies on withdrawals.

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images One of the best car-shopping weekends pre-pandemic is more of a dud these days. Amid the auto industry’s manufacturing challenges due to persisting supply-chain issues, Memorial Day sales are generally minimal to nonexistent this year. “It’s looking pretty bleak, to be straightforward about it,” said Ivan Drury, senior manager

In this article BAC Ilkercelik | Istock | Getty Images The market volatility that’s gripped the markets for weeks has prompted some investors to ask, “Is this the bottom?” But waiting for the market low may prove elusive. “There’s no ‘the’ bottom,” said Chris Hyzy, chief investment officer at Merrill and Bank of America Private

President Joe Biden attends an Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity launch event at Izumi Garden Gallery in Tokyo on May 23, 2022. Jonathan Ernst | Reuters President Joe Biden has said that he’ll soon be making an announcement about student loan forgiveness. In the meantime, the White House is trying to figure out what shape

MoMo Productions | Taxi | Getty Images In the last decade, a surge in home prices has built considerable wealth for the middle class. Total housing wealth grew by $8.2 trillion between 2010 and 2020, according to a March report from the National Association of Realtors. The coronavirus pandemic’s housing boom added even more value

The Good Brigade | Digitalvision | Getty Images Health savings accounts can be a powerful way to build wealth and prepare for medical costs in old age — if they’re used the right way. HSAs carry a three-pronged tax benefit. Contributions and investment growth are tax-free, as are withdrawals if used for qualified health expenses.

Fotostorm | E+ | Getty Images Rising inflation has exacerbated an existing problem for millions of older Americans: They don’t have enough to live comfortably in retirement. Without enough savings, and the average Social Security check coming in at just over $1,500 a month, many retirees struggle to make ends meet. The good news is

President Joe Biden boards Air Force One on May 22, 2022. Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images At the pump, in the supermarket, with his landlord — all of Ryan Tucholski’s bills are going up lately. But there’s one expense he hopes will soon go down or maybe even disappear: his monthly student loan

PeopleImages | iStock | Getty Images For investors nearing retirement or already retired who need the certainty of cash but want to squeeze out a bit more yield, a certain investment in your 401(k) plan may fit the bill. It’s called a stable value fund (or something similar) and typically is available only through defined

In this article .VIX Thianchai Sitthikongsak | Moment | Getty Images The stock market’s roller-coaster ride isn’t inspiring confidence in investors. Still, a small portion do plan to take advantage of recent price dips. About 18% of Americans are willing to put more money into stock market investments this year, including retirement accounts, according to

Maria Teijeiro | OJO Images | Getty Images Tax breaks aren’t the primary incentive for philanthropy among the ultra-wealthy, according to BNY Mellon Wealth Management’s inaugural Charitable Giving Study.   The report, polling 200 individuals with wealth ranging from $5 million to more than $25 million, found the top three motivators were personal satisfaction, connection to

By nearly every measure, the U.S. economy made a stunning recovery after the coronavirus pandemic spurred mass shutdowns and layoffs nationwide. The labor market has added back millions of jobs and wages have gone up substantially, even among lower-paying positions. But soaring inflation and rapidly rising interest rates have most Americans worried that the good

Kool99 | Istock | Getty Images Earlier this month, President Joe Biden said that he was in the process of considering whether to forgive student debt, and that he’d have an answer in the next couple of weeks. Those weeks have passed and millions of borrowers are on edge — though they might not be

Phonlamaiphoto | Istock | Getty Images The S&P 500 Index fell into a so-called bear market on Friday. But just what does that mean? “Bear market” is a term used by investors to describe a steep and sustained market downturn. Technically, it’s a drop of 20% or more from recent highs. Investors commonly apply the

Michael Martinez wanted to be an airline pilot. But as he got older, Martinez, now 18, decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a professional welder instead. In fact, the senior at Brazoswood High School in Clute, Texas, has already landed a job that will start immediately after graduation. “My dad always wanted

Westend61 | Getty Images Side hustles have become an increasingly popular way to boost income. But are they necessary to reach financial freedom? “The answer is no,” said Gorick Ng, author of “The Unspoken Rules,” adding that there are plenty of people who don’t have side hustles and have achieved success. Still, Ng is in