Personal finance

Even though they’ve been around for decades, 529 college savings plans are still often misunderstood. The investment vehicles are a tax-advantaged way to save for college or other schooling. Earnings are free from federal tax and the funds aren’t taxed when taken out to pay for qualified expenses. Yet only 36% of Americans can correctly

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the price of higher education is an even bigger consideration for students and their families than usual. At the same time, the cost of a four-year college or university has never been higher. For the 2020-21 academic year, average tuition and fees increased 1.1% for in-state students at four-year public colleges, reaching $10,560,

U.S. President Joe Biden. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images President Joe Biden has a problem with broad student loan forgiveness. In a recent interview with New York Times columnist David Brooks, Biden said: “The idea that you go to Penn and you’re paying a total of 70,000 bucks a year and the public should

Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images Car shoppers hoping to cash in on Memorial Day weekend sales events may want to rein in their expectations. On top of reduced inventory due to a shortage of microchips — key parts needed for today’s autos to operate — and unrelenting consumer demand pushing prices higher, there

Drew Angerer | Getty Images News | Getty Images President Joe Biden proposed a 39.6% top tax rate on capital gains and dividends for millionaires when he released his fiscal 2022 budget request to Congress on Friday. That’s in line with the top rate the administration outlined in April as part of tax increases on

STR | NurPhoto | Getty Images Cryptocurrency has increasingly become a factor in divorce settlements as bitcoin, dogecoin and other types gain mainstream acceptance and values spike.  More than 20 million Americans may own cryptocurrency, industry groups estimate, and the digital currency market value rose to $2 trillion for the first time in April.  Whether

lisegagne | E+ | Getty Images Parents anxiously awaiting the July 15 start of the monthly child tax credit payments should start planning how they’ll use the extra money now. The child tax credit got a boost from the American Rescue Plan, signed into law by President Joe Biden in March. The new enhanced credit

People wait to visit a house for sale in Garden City, Nassau County, New York, on Sept. 6, 2020. Xinhua News Agency | Getty Images Mortgage interest rates are near historic lows. Yet if you want to take advantage of those rates, check your credit score first. That three-digit number determines whether you can get

Douglas Sacha | Moment | Getty Images Almost 60,000 stimulus checks sent to deceased individuals have been returned voluntarily, according to a Treasury Department report issued Thursday. The funds sent back totaled $72 million. The $1,200 Economic Impact Payments were issued to households as part of the CARES Act pandemic relief law passed in March

sturti | E+ | Getty Images A new batch of $1,400 stimulus has been sent, bringing the total number of payments almost 167 million, for a total of approximately $391 billion. Since the American Rescue Plan Act was passed by Congress in March, the IRS, Treasury Department and Bureau of the Fiscal Service have announced

Kmatta More than half of Americans support states’ move to end a $300 weekly supplement to unemployment benefits months before it officially expires, according to a Quinnipiac University poll issued Wednesday. At least 23 states have announced an early end to federal unemployment programs in recent weeks. Self-employed workers and the long-term unemployed will lose

Klaus Vedfelt | Getty Images The Covid-19 pandemic was an unprecedented shock for many older workers. Even so, most do not plan to delay their retirement dates as a result, according to a report from Pew Charitable Trusts. In April 2020, the unemployment rate for workers ages 65 and up climbed to 15.6%, the highest

FatCamera | E+ | Getty Images Working families who struggle to pay for child care may get some relief from 2021 changes to flexible spending accounts. The American Rescue Plan, President Joe Biden‘s $1.9 trillion stimulus package, boosted child-care assistance through temporary changes to dependent-care FSAs.  The law increased 2021 dependent-care FSA limits to $10,500

Kim Churches Courtesy of American Association of University Women It’s a statistic that prompts a double-take: Women owe two-thirds of the country’s $1.7 trillion outstanding student loan balance. On average, women borrow more than $31,000 to finance their education. Black women take out more than $41,000. Men, meanwhile, borrow around $29,000. But those differences are

In this article AMZN Pent-up consumer demand and a surge in online shopping due to the pandemic could make Amazon Prime Day even more popular. Which says a lot, considering it’s one of the most anticipated shopping events of the year. Prime Day, which is usually slated for July, typically includes discounts on more than

In this article BCH.CB= Dado Ruvic | Reuters Bitcoin‘s trademark rollercoaster ride is back — and doesn’t look to be letting up anytime soon. On Monday, bitcoin rebounded and traded up roughly 14% near the 38,000 level after slumping to less than $32,000 on Sunday. The choppy movement comes just days after bitcoin plunged 30%,

Martin Barraud | Getty Images If you’re retired and worried about how inflation could hit your wallet, there may be strategies you can employ to minimize the impact. One option could be to invest in Treasury inflation-protected securities, or TIPS. Like typical Treasury bonds, they are issued and backed by the U.S. government — which

fstop123 | E+ | Getty Images It’s a sure bet that no one — regardless of age — enjoys handing over any of their income to the IRS. In retirement, though, doing so can feel like even more of a sting. Assuming you’ve left work earnings entirely behind you, any amount owed to Uncle Sam

PeopleImages | E+ | Getty Images Prices are picking up faster than usual, and the threat more investors are talking about is inflation. Inflation presents challenges for investors in a number of ways, experts say. Most simply, as the cost of living goes up, your returns don’t go as far. That’s a particularly vexing problem

Demonstrators participate in a protest asking senators to support the continuation of unemployment benefits on July 16, 2020 in Miami Springs, Florida. Joe Raedle | Getty Images As Covid-19 restrictions loosen for businesses large and small, jobs are coming back. For people who are still out of work and collecting unemployment benefits, that could make