Personal finance

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

Aimstock | Getty Images Don’t overlook required minimum distributions from your retirement accounts this year. After being waived for 2020, those RMDs — amounts you must take each year from most retirement accounts once you reach a certain age — are again in force for 2021. That’s in addition to the RMD age changing to

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.

seksan Mongkhonkhamsao | Moment | Getty Images It’s a question millions of Americans would love the chance to ask: What should I do after my student loans are canceled? The Biden administration has already given more than 450,000 borrowers reason to think about that, after forgiving the debt for certain disabled borrowers and others who

Damir Khabirov | iStock | Getty Images The expansion of the child tax credit is aimed at lifting millions of American families out of poverty. Yet an omission in its legislative language may leave behind a group that would most benefit from it: struggling student loan borrowers. The American Rescue Plan, the $1.9 trillion stimulus

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

For decades, adults have increasingly shunned the idea of tying the knot. Although more people are cohabitating, it has not been enough to offset the steady decline in marriage, leaving more people uncoupled overall, according to a recent Pew Research Center analysis of the latest census data. Now, a record number of adults between the

@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.

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

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

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

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

Lawmakers agreed to a short-term increase of the U.S. debt ceiling to avoid a first-ever default, but everyday Americans are not entirely out of the woods. A debt limit extension into December took pressure off both parties to reach a compromise by Oct. 18, when the Treasury Department warned the U.S. would exhaust its emergency

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

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

Mark Mirsberger Source: Dana Investment Advisors On Tuesday, Sept. 27, stocks were in the red, and the S&P 500 was having its worst day in months. As Mark Mirsberger, CEO of Dana Investment Advisors, watched the market drop, he was calm. “It’s part of the journey,” Mirsberger, 59, said. “It shouldn’t go up every day.”

mediaphotos | E+ | Getty Images The tax extension deadline for 2020 returns is approaching, but there’s still time to avoid extra penalties and fees. Filers have until Oct. 15 to submit their extended return, originally due on May 17.  Those who filed for an extension can skip late penalties by sending in their return

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,

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