Personal Finance

Jamie Grill | Getty Images In a competitive job market, equity compensation such as stock options — the chance to buy stock in the company that employs you at a specific price — can be an incentive to sign on and stick around. It can also be nerve-wracking when these assets underperform.  “Part of the

U.S. President Joe Biden returns to the White House on Jan. 24th, 2022. Alex Wong | Getty Images News | Getty Images More than a year into his first term, Loren Ewing is disappointed that President Joe Biden hasn’t moved to forgive student debt. She remembers his vow on the campaign trail to deliver “immediate

Getty Images Nearly one-third of undergraduates borrow money from the federal government to pay for college. That’s about 43 million Americans who owe a staggering total of nearly $1.6 trillion in outstanding student loans. A new survey found that 54% of federal student loan borrowers said taking on that debt was not worth it. Overall,

Kate Quick, 43, said that her student loan debt causes stress and anxiety for her and her family. Courtesy: Kate Quick When Kate Quick, 43, finished her master of fine arts degree at the University of Alaska Fairbanks 22 years ago, she had taken out about $30,000 in loans. Now, she owes nearly $48,000, even

Anna Mascall pictured in front of the Easton, Pa., home she recently purchased. “To be able to say I own a home, I kind of did the American dream,” she said. Courtesy: Anna Lee Mascall After years of renting, Anna Mascall, 30, decided she wanted to buy her own home. Then the Covid-19 pandemic hit,

US President Joe Biden speaks during a meeting with private sector CEOs in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on January 26, 2022. Nicholas Kamm | AFP | Getty Images The Biden administration has said that student loan payments will finally restart in May. Many people aren’t taking that message

urbazon | E+ | Getty Images An inflation gauge closely watched by the Federal Reserve has reached a record high. The core Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index climbed 4.9% from a year ago in December. The index measures the prices people pay in the U.S. for goods and services, excluding food and energy, which tend

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange at the opening bell Jan. 25, 2022. TIMOTHY A. CLARY | AFP | Getty Images The specter of rising interest rates is spooking the stock market. The Federal Reserve, the U.S. central bank, is expected to increase its benchmark rate several times this year

Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images The pandemic has upended millions of American lives, and for many has made them reconsider priorities around work. That’s prompted many to quit jobs amid the so-called Great Resignation. In November, a record 4.5 million workers left their jobs, according to data from the Labor Department. There are also

The Federal Reserve laid the groundwork for interest rate hikes Wednesday. At the conclusion of its two-day meeting, the central bank said it will aggressively unwind last year’s bond buying after a variety of inflation reports reached their highest levels in decades. Although interest rates will stay near zero for now, Fed officials set the stage

Marko Geber | DigitalVision | Getty Images The IRS has issued all third-round stimulus payments to eligible Americans, the agency said Wednesday. However, new parents and other recipients who added dependents in 2021 may still qualify for additional money. The payments, up to $1,400 a person, were authorized by the American Rescue Plan Act, a

J. Kempin | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images The wild swings in the stock market may have you stressed about your investments. Yet if you took a page from self-made billionaire Warren Buffett, you shouldn’t be too concerned about daily market moves. “You’ve got to be prepared when you buy a stock to have

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange at the opening bell January 25, 2022. TIMOTHY A. CLARY | AFP | Getty Images Stocks have taken a beating in January. The S&P 500 index, a widely cited barometer of U.S. equities, touched into “correction” territory for the first time since the pandemic-fueled

US President Joe Biden speaks about the September jobs report from the South Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington, DC, on October 8, 2021. Olivier Douliery | AFP | Getty Images The U.S. government has sent an unprecedented amount of aid to Americans amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet the latest efforts to deploy

FatCamera | E+ | Getty Images Sometimes, retirement doesn’t end up sticking. If the workforce is luring you back after you retired and you’re already on Medicare, you may be able to choose whether to drop your coverage in favor of an employer health plan and then re-enroll down the road. However, there are a

This year’s tax filing season begins on January 24. Some new, younger investors may be in for a surprise.  Last year’s trading frenzy over “meme stocks,” such as AMC Entertainment and GameStop, could now have an unexpected impact on 2021 tax returns.  “Last year was a really interesting year in terms of investors, especially younger

Jen Cousins, center, with her husband, Matt and their children Noel, 13, Saffron, 12, Milo, 8 and Poppy, 6. Jen Cousins Without a January child tax credit payment, Jen Cousins will have to wait a few extra months to replace the brakes on her minivan, the only car her family of six owns. Cousins, 44,

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks alongside Intel CEO Patrick Gelsinger (L) and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo as he speaks about the ongoing supply chain problems in the South Court Auditorium of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on January 21, 2022 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images Some federal employees just got a

In this article NAVI jetcityimage There was a great deal of interest in the recent news that Navient, one of the largest student loan servicers, would be canceling the debt of 66,000 borrowers. The main question people had: Am I one of them? Probably not, is the short answer. Just around 0.15% of the country’s

Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference announcing the State and Local Taxes (SALT) Caucus outside the U.S. Capitol on April 15, 2021. Sarah Silbiger | Bloomberg | Getty Images Some House Democrats have threatened to block Build Back Better legislation if the broken-up package drops relief for the $10,000 limit on the

Anchiy | E+ | Getty Images For investors whose retirement is decades away, the stock market’s pullback should be of little concern — there’s plenty of time for your portfolio to recover before you need the money. Yet if you are a new retiree or on the verge of retiring, it’s worth considering what a

Tetra Images | Tetra images | Getty Images This tax-filing season is expected to be difficult, as the IRS works through millions of unprocessed returns, according to a report from the National Taxpayer Advocate. An error-free return may avoid delays, and IRS transcripts can help, tax experts say. While most who file electronically and use direct deposit will

U.S. President Joe Biden holds a formal news conference in the East Room of the White House, in Washington, D.C., January 19, 2022. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters Important pieces of President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better agenda may have to come out of the bill. Children and college students will pay the price. “There’s two

Oscar Wong | Moment | Getty Images The stock market’s newest investors appear to like what they’ve seen so far. Among individuals who began investing last year, 86% plan to increase their stock holdings in 2022, according to a recent survey from Investing.com. This is despite fewer of them (67%) making a profit in 2021

GRECLAURENTIU | iStock | Getty Images Financial help is often available to families unable to afford the funeral and burial costs for a loved one, but they may not realize it. Although a number of states and counties have funds to assist residents with memorial expenses, the details of the resources can be buried on

freemixer | E+ | Getty Images If you’re like most Americans, you do not have a formal plan for what will happen to your assets when you die. Just 46% of Americans have made provisions for how their money and estate should be handled, a 2021 Gallup poll found. Those results have been more or

Margaret Bailey, pictured with her son, works hybrid, spending some time at home and some time in the office. Source: Margaret Bailey The ability to work remotely has been a lifeline for Margaret Bailey during the Covid-19 pandemic. Bailey, the mother of two young children, splits her time between home and the office as vice

The Dyrt co-founders Kevin Long and Sarah Smith work out of their camper van while traveling around the country. The Dyrt Sarah Smith and Kevin Long have taken remote work to a new level. Their office is a camper van. The location varies. The married couple, co-founders of camping app The Dyrt, ditched their Portland,

FluxFactory As you approach retirement, you may find that your ideal life no longer includes your current spouse. You’re not alone. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the percentage of people who have been divorced is highest among those ages 55 to 64. Even though you may want to end your marriage, there may be

Tips have improved during the Covid pandemic at Sugapeach Chicken & Fish Fry in North Liberty Iowa. Courtesy: Chad Simmons At Sugapeach Chicken & Fish Fry, a fast casual eatery in North Liberty, Iowa, customers are feeling a lot more generous since the pandemic put the squeeze on the restaurant industry. Before, people would tip