Personal Finance

designer491 | iStock | Getty Images Retirement savers could start seeing annuities in their 401(k) plans. While allowing them in workplace retirement savings plans is not new, the 2019 Secure Act aimed to eliminate companies’ fear of legal liability if the annuity provider were to fail or otherwise not meet its obligations. Now, insurance companies,

In this article COIN Grandbrothers | iStock Editorial | Getty Images Kenny Schachter, an art dealer, columnist for Artnet and self-proclaimed nonfungible tokens evangelist, believes that the digital works could eclipse the traditional art market within five years. This month cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase and the auction house Sotheby’s, which has been around since 1744, both

Fizkes | Getty Images The Department of Labor wants to reverse a Trump-era policy that restricts 401(k) plans and other retirement savings vehicles from offering environmental, social and governance-focused assets, known as ESG, investing options. Values-based assets have become increasingly popular, with investors funneling $51.1 billion of net new money into ESG funds in 2020,

When Haaziq Kazi was in the fourth grade, he was rocked to the core when he found out about the impact of plastic waste on marine life. He decided to do something about it, designing a prototype of a ship that sucks the waste from the ocean. “There’s this saying that we haven’t inherited this

People receive information as they attend a job fair at SoFi Stadium on Sept. 9, 2021, in Inglewood, California. PATRICK T. FALLON | AFP | Getty Images More than a third of jobless Americans are still long-term unemployed, and federal benefits for these workers ended more than a month ago.   However, the number of

Peter Cade | Getty Images Federal Reserve officials are worried that inflation could last longer than they had anticipated, according to minutes from a recent meeting released this week. Now, a survey from Global Atlantic Financial Group shows that retirement age investors ages 59 to 75 are concerned inflation could wreak havoc on their investments.

Greg Abbott, governor of Texas, speaks during a news conference in Mission, Texas, on Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021. Sergio Flores | Bloomberg | Getty Images U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said that he disagrees with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s move to ban nearly any coronavirus vaccine mandates in the state. That’s because the move will

There’s a growing push for students to get personal financial education in high school. But, according to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, that might not be early enough. “When I talk to students now, they talk about the need for financial literacy learning in a practical sense — how to look at debt and

Westend61 The Covid-19 pandemic has been a financial boon for some and a catastrophe for others. Now those effects are showing up in one more place: anticipated retirement dates. The pandemic has prompted 35% of Americans to change the age when they anticipate retiring, a recent survey from Northwestern Mutual found. More from Personal Finance:If

In this article HOOD BLK AsiaVision | E+ | Getty Images Despite the high demand for values-driven investing, few individual shareholders participate in corporate decisions. But some companies and funds are making it easier for investors to voice concerns through a proxy voting process. When someone buys a stock, they become part-owner of the company

Georgijevic | E+ | Getty Images Although many women lack investing confidence, their portfolios still outperform their male counterparts, according to Fidelity Investments’ 2021 Women and Investing Study.  On average, women investors achieve positive returns and surpass men by 40 basis points, or 0.4%, an analysis of annual performance across 5.2 million accounts from January

Kieferpix | iStock | Getty Images Time out of work — either planned or not — can have a major impact on your retirement savings. In September, there were still 2.7 million Americans who had been unemployed for 27 weeks or more, according to the latest jobs report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

@lelia_milaya via Twenty20 In the last few months, millions of American families with eligible children have received the first half of six advance child tax credit payments. For those who are eligible but haven’t yet signed up, generally because they don’t traditionally file a tax return, time is running out to claim the advance payments.

McBride Inlet in Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park, which ParkSleepFly rated as America’s most underrated national park. Andrew Peacock | Stone | Getty Images Ever since Covid-19 first made social distancing a thing, Americans looking to escape lockdown boredom and work-from-home isolation have sought out open spaces at the country’s 63 national parks — and

PeopleImages | E+ | Getty Images American families grappling with the cost of higher education may consider a 529 college savings plan to lessen the financial burden. But there are several things to weigh when picking a plan. A 529 plan is an investment account offering tax-free growth, as long as the beneficiary uses the money for

Female doctor working with senior patient in a modern office clinic / hospital momcilog | E+ | Getty Images Sure, there are probably more entertaining things to do than review your Medicare coverage. Nevertheless, it’s about that time of year. Open enrollment, which starts Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7, is when you can

quavondo | E+ | Getty Images For lower-income Hispanic and Latina mothers, affordable and accessible child care would be a lifeline. As the country celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month, it looks like that may soon become a reality. Democrats have set a deadline of Oct. 31 to enact President Joe Biden‘s economic agenda, which includes

Two women sit at the Capitol Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 26, 2021. Samuel Corum | Getty Images Congress is hard at work on a deal to keep the U.S. government from defaulting on its debt this month. But the short-term agreement, which was passed by the Senate and is expected to go

AsiaVision | E+ | Getty Images A third of working Americans saw their health-care costs rise this year, according to a survey published Thursday by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Those expenses led some employees to decrease retirement plan contributions, delay going to the doctor, increase credit card debt or use up all or most

A Social Security Administration office in San Francisco. Getty Images The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2022 could be the biggest in decades. However, that increase to monthly checks will not be enough, according to The Senior Citizens League, a nonpartisan advocacy group. Now, in a letter sent to members of both the House of

Getty Images As the coronavirus pandemic drags on, many Americans have learned to cope with the new normal. Saving for emergencies and long-term goals, such as retirement, is still a top concern, however. More than 60% of Americans said in June they were either extremely concerned or somewhat concerned about the state of their finances,

Alexandra Lashner of Bensalem, Pennsylvania, became frustrated after attempting to buy a house this year and decided to postpone homeownership. Source: Alexandra Lashner Alexandra Lashner and her husband were excited to buy their first home earlier this year. They saved up enough for a 20% down payment and had no debt. Yet they still couldn’t

In this article UAL AAL LUV DAL A patient receives a Covid-19 vaccine booster shot at a Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination clinic in Southfield, Michigan, on Sept. 29, 2021. Emily Elconin | Reuters Some people are still holding off getting vaccinated against Covid-19, even as mandates increase for the immunization. Those who aren’t yet vaccinated have been

Workers with Patriot Environmental Services mop up oil on the surface of the water at Talbert Marsh in Huntington Beach, CA on Monday, October 4, 2021. Paul Bersebach | MediaNews Group | Getty Images A massive oil spill off the coast of southern California this past weekend has clean-up crews racing to prevent an ecological

Americans have been hammered by life changes since the start of the pandemic, and it’s taken a big mental and financial toll. In just the last year and a half, many Americans either left a job, moved or changed their relationship status, for better or for worse — or even all of the above. Finances

kate_sept2004 | E+ | Getty Images The recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic has been slower than a lot of people expected. For many Americans, that means their incomes are not yet back on track or may have suffered again during the onset of the delta variant. Data shows that hiring is still slow. Weekly initial

For some college students, the Covid vaccine is a price they are not willing to pay for a degree. Justin Mishler, a 29-year-old junior at Northern Illinois University, is one of them. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, Mishler enrolled in the state school in 2016 through the GI Bill, which helps cover the

In this article EXPE Mike Coppola | Getty Images Online travel powerhouse Expedia Group plans to unify and expand customer loyalty program offerings across its portfolio of brands. The move will result in “the most complete travel rewards offering in the industry,” according to the Seattle-based firm, with member discounts and reward earning and redemption

Photo by Mike Kline (notkalvin) | Moment | Getty Images Life insurance planning for wealthy Americans may be upended by a proposal in Democrats’ tax reform package. The House Ways and Means Committee passed measures on Sept. 15 that would raise an estimated $2.1 trillion in taxes from corporations and the rich, to help finance

FatCamera | E+ | Getty Images A sweeping new legislative proposal on Capitol Hill could give Congress a rare opportunity to address an issue that has long been on the backburner – paid family leave. Today, only some workers have access to paid time off to care for their loved ones or their own medical