Personal finance

Getty Images After a tough year for the stock and bond markets in 2022, some advisors are turning to alternative investments, according to a new survey from the Financial Planning Association.  Nearly 30% of advisors are actively investing in or seeking alternative investments, or “alternatives,” for clients, the findings show. These assets typically fall outside

In this article LC Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT After leaning heavily on their paychecks as prices spiked over the last year, households are finally feeling some relief. As of May, 57% of consumers said they were living paycheck to paycheck, down from 61% the month earlier, according to a new LendingClub report. Workers last month saw their buying

The Publishers Clearing House offices in Jericho, New York on Jan. 30, 2019. Bill Perlman/Newsday RM via Getty Images) Publishers Clearing House will refund $18.5 million to customers and make changes to its online business practices as part of a settlement reached with the Federal Trade Commission, the agency said Monday. The FTC had sued

Antonio Suarez Vega | Istock | Getty Images When it comes to how much they will need to comfortably retire, Americans have a “magic number” in mind — $1.27 million, according to new research from Northwestern Mutual. That’s up from $1.25 million last year, the financial services firm found, based on an online survey of

A lot of financial planning is, of course, about the future. But people’s goals can backfire if they neglect themselves in the present, says Preston Cherry, a certified financial planner and founder and president of Concurrent Financial Planning in Green Bay, Wisconsin. “Starving your current self … could be discouraging,” said Cherry, who is also

Blackcat | E+ | Getty Images Having ample cash set aside can help prevent an unexpected emergency from turning into a financial catastrophe. But when it comes to emergency savings, more than half of Americans — 57% — are uncomfortable with the level of money they have set aside, according to a new Bankrate survey.

New York and London are some of the most desirable cities to live in due to the amount of job opportunities and the vibrant entertainment options — but residents are paying a premium. New York tied with Singapore as the most expensive cities in the world in 2022, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Worldwide

Jose Luis Pelaez Inc | Digitalvision | Getty Images Who’d think a little plastic rectangle could be associated with so much mystery and angst? When it comes to credit cards, 26% of Americans say they’re “dangerous” and another 9% call them “evil,” according to a NerdWallet poll. Credit card debt and interest rates are at

Bret Shuford and Stephen Hanna knew from early on in their relationship they wanted to raise a child together. But the married couple didn’t think a biological child was a possibility. As freelancers in the creative arts, income isn’t always steady for Shuford and Hanna, even when working on Broadway. The Houston-based couple, known as

Uber driver uses GPS navigation. Jaden Urbi | CNBC Workers have been picking up secondary jobs to help makes ends meet amid rampant inflation. That second stream of income can also be a smart move to help workers fill income gaps after they are laid off and looking for a new opportunity. “They pick up

Marko Geber | DigitalVision | Getty Images If you sell investments this year, it’s less likely to affect your 2023 tax bill next spring, experts say. Due to inflation adjustments from the IRS, there are larger brackets for long-term capital gains, which apply to investments owned for more than one year. The changes mean it

Marko Klaric / EyeEm | EyeEm | Getty Images Americans are eager to travel this summer despite inflation-strapped budgets. “They’re booking flights, hotels, rental cars, vacation homes,” said Hopper economist Hayley Berg. “They are also exhibiting deal-seeking behavior.” The overall price of travel is up 16% from this time in 2019, according to the NerdWallet

Jonathan Raa | Nurphoto | Getty Images Bitcoin has rallied amid news about possible spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds and other big names entering the digital currency space — and financial experts have tips for investors who want a piece of the action. The price of bitcoin topped $30,000 on Wednesday as traders grew bullish about

Images By Tang Ming Tung | Digitalvision | Getty Images Workers saw their buying power grow in May for the first time in two years, as inflation continues to fall from its pandemic-era peak. If the trend continues, it’d be welcome news for households, who could lean more on their paychecks instead of their savings

The Washington Post | The Washington Post | Getty Images Within two weeks, the Supreme Court justices should break for their summer recess. And yet there’s been no ruling on President Joe Biden’s sweeping student loan forgiveness plan. For many borrowers, it’s been an anxious wait. “Waiting to hear whether or not it will pass

More than half of Tal Thompson’s 46 employees are teenagers. The owner of the Art Factory in Midlothian, Virginia, said this summer, more than ever, she’s been inundated with applications from high school and college students looking for work. The pay for jobs at the studio and coffee shop, which hosts art classes, summer camps,

D3sign | Moment | Getty Images The recent tax season was relatively smooth compared with last year’s. But national taxpayer advocate Erin Collins still sees room for improvement as the IRS rolls out funding plan changes. “Overall, the difference between the 2022 filing season and the 2023 filing season was like night and day,” Collins

Daniel Grill | Tetra Images | Getty Images The start of the year was plagued by waves of layoffs: through the end of May, companies announced plans to cut 417,500 jobs, up 315% from the same period last year, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Big names like Disney, Google, Lyft and Meta were among

Erin M. Collins, National Taxpayer Advocate Source: IRS After a flood of business returns with a pandemic-era tax credit, the IRS is weighing guidance for those who wrongly claimed the tax break. The employee retention credit, or ERC, was created to support small businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic. There’s still time to amend returns and

The Federal Reserve may have paused its aggressive interest rate hikes for now, but that offers little relief for anyone with credit card debt. The central bank raised interest rates 10 times since last year — the fastest pace of tightening since the early 1980s — and that has caused credit card rates to hit an all-time high. “Even