Personal finance

Election workers open mail in ballots at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center in Phoenix on Nov. 11, 2022. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images It may take until December to know which political parties control both chambers of Congress after Tuesday’s midterm elections. But that does not mean your personal investment strategy should also

Srdjanpav | E+ | Getty Images Layoffs at tech giants Twitter and Meta this week have affected thousands — and they’re just the latest examples in a downsizing trend that was already taking place across the industry.  The news has put a spotlight on what rights employees have in mass layoff situations. While the laws

With grocery prices up sharply from a year ago, Thanksgiving is hitting households a lot harder this year.   Per-pound prices for turkey, the holiday’s biggest staple, are up 17% year over year, according to the latest inflation data. Turkey is forecast to be 23% pricier in the fourth quarter due to both inflation and

Gary John Norman If you make more than $1 million a year in Massachusetts, you may soon be subject to a “millionaire tax” approved by voters this week through a ballot initiative. The new law creates a 4% tax on annual income above $1 million, on top of the state’s current 5% flat income tax,

What you buy this holiday season is just as important as how you buy it. In fact, the payment method you choose at checkout can go a long way toward helping you stick to a budget, save money and stay out of debt. “The credit card is the gold standard in terms of rewards and

Charnsitr | Istock | Getty Images Certain tax credits were made temporarily more generous in 2021. For certain people, there still may be time to claim the money, which may add up to thousands of dollars — but some politicians aren’t happy the IRS just reminded Americans about the cash. The federal agency recently sent

Feverpitched | Istock | Getty Images You may know that it’s open enrollment time for Medicare. So do scammers. The Federal Trade Commission is warning that fraudsters could take advantage of this annual period to impersonate Medicare agents. The program’s open enrollment, which started Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7, is when Medicare beneficiaries

Inflation is weighing heavily on the holidays this year. Roughly half of shoppers will buy fewer things due to higher prices, and more than one-third said they will rely on coupons to cut down on the cost, according to a recent survey of more than 1,000 adults by RetailMeNot. Though the study found many consumers

Anadolu Agency | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images The $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot has a winner — well, two, if you count Uncle Sam. A single ticket sold in California matched all six numbers pulled in the delayed drawing, which was held Tuesday instead of Monday night due to one state needing additional time to

Luke Chan | E+ | Getty Images Cryptocurrency is starting to pop up as an alternative asset class in some 401(k) plans. Retirement savers may be wondering if it’s wise to invest. “Making it this easy and accessible has both pros and cons [for investors],” said Douglas Boneparth, a certified financial planner and founder of

Mark Ralston | Afp | Getty Images Whoever is the next jackpot winner in Powerball will be looking at the largest lottery prize ever awarded. The tax bill will also be pretty impressive. After no one hit all six numbers drawn Saturday, the Powerball jackpot headed higher. For Monday night’s drawing, it’s now an estimated

courtneyk | E+ | Getty Images After a rough year for the stock market, investors may not expect to receive a surprise tax bill from year-end actively managed mutual fund payouts, experts say. When a fund manager sells underlying assets at a profit without losses to offset it, those gains are passed along to investors.

New laws are making it easier than ever to know how much a given job pays. Pay transparency legislation is gaining momentum in cities and states across the country, from New York City to California and Washington state. Being armed with information about the salary range for a position you’re interested in can be the

In this article UAL AAL TSLA NFLX SHOP-CA LYFT Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Wanan Yossingkum | Istock | Getty Images The labor market is still strong, but layoffs are picking up. This year Peloton, Netflix, Shopify, Lyft, and, most recently, Twitter, all announced significant staff reductions. Meanwhile, executive outplacement firm Challenger, Gray &

Getty Images As Americans head to the polls, several key personal finance issues are weighing on voters’ minds and wallets. This week, the Federal Reserve enacted its fourth consecutive 0.75 percentage point interest rate increase to fight inflation, triggering further stock market losses. Meanwhile, recession fears are growing, with 84% of Americans worrying how a

dowell | Moment | Getty Images As the year-end approaches, you may be looking for ways to lower your 2022 tax bill — and certain tax-saving moves have rules you must follow in order to qualify. One option, adding money to your pretax individual retirement account, may be attractive if you make too much for

Supreme Court nominee and U.S. Court of Appeals Judge Amy Coney Barrett on Capitol Hill in Washington, October 21, 2020. Ken Cedeno | Reuters The Supreme Court on Friday rejected a second request to block the Biden administration’s student loan debt relief program. Justice Amy Coney Barrett denied an emergency application to block the program

Gift buying and gift returning typically go hand in hand. On average, retailers expect about 18%, or $158 billion, of merchandise sold during the holiday shopping season to be returned, according to the National Retail Federation’s most recent data. For 2021 overall, the return rate was about 16.6% of total U.S. retail sales, or $761

Despite growing economic uncertainty, employers are still waging a war for talent, and employees are coming out ahead. Now, more businesses are expanding their benefit offerings with free college programs to attract and retain workers. Most recently, Fidelity Investments said it will offer fully funded undergraduate degrees to 18,000 employees, including entry-level customer service phone representatives.

Tim Boyle | Bloomberg | Getty Images Although prices for new cars are moderating a bit, financing a vehicle purchase hasn’t been getting any cheaper. With the Federal Reserve’s latest interest rate hike — the sixth this year — auto loans are poised to become even more expensive. The Fed’s move has a ripple effect,