Personal finance

PeopleImages Federal regulators on Wednesday adopted rule changes intended to make it easier for consumers to understand what they’re invested in and how much it’s costing them. Under amendments approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission, investment company ads will need to promote “transparent and balanced presentations” of fees and expenses. Additionally, shareholder reports from

Ascentxmedia | E+ | Getty Images Add this to the list of challenging questions for retirement savers: Should I contribute to a pre-tax or Roth account? You may not know if you made a wise choice until decades have passed. Fortunately, there are some key factors to help make the decision easier, and situations in

Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images A monthly gauge of what could lie ahead for the U.S. economy is flashing a recession warning sign. The Leading Economic Index dipped by 0.4% in September from August and is down 2.8% since March, according to the Conference Board, an independent group that publishes the index. The latest

Mstudioimages | E+ | Getty Images Americans now expect they will need $1.25 million to retire comfortably, according to a new study from Northwestern Mutual. That figure represents a 20% increase from the $1.05 million respondents cited last year. That’s not necessarily good news for individuals who have seen their retirement savings decline in the

Nicoletaionescu | Istock | Getty Images As it has become more difficult to stretch a dollar at the grocery store and gas pump, some Americans are pulling back on one key long-term goal: retirement savings. More than half of workers — 55% — said they feel they are behind on their retirement savings, a new

Porquenostudios | Istock | Getty Images For those with student debt, the last few months may have given you whiplash. First, President Joe Biden said in August that he’d be forgiving up to $20,000 for millions of borrowers. But before much celebrating could happen, Republicans brought a slew of challenges to the policy, leaving it

BartekSzewczyk | Getty If you’ve already maxed out 401(k) plan contributions for 2022 and you’re eager to save more for retirement, some plans have an under-the-radar option, experts say. For 2022, you can defer $20,500 into a 401(k), plus an extra $6,500 for investors 50 and older. But the total plan limit is $61,000 per

Sarah O’Brien hard at work writing about personal finance. Salvatore Agostino One of the best benefits of being a personal finance reporter is my keen ability to recognize the many money mistakes I’ve made in my life. I’ve already divulged a few in the first iteration of this confessional two years ago. While some of

miodrag ignjatovic The nation’s youngest workers appear to be taking the save-for-retirement message to heart, research suggests. Defined as workers ages 18 to 25, Generation Z is saving an average of 14% of their income for their golden years, according to new study from BlackRock. Among millennials (ages 26-42), Gen Xers (ages 43-55) and baby

When it comes to getting into college, every little bit helps. Often college hopefuls turn to applying early to their top school to gain that edge. By demonstrating a preference to a particular college, studies have shown, an early application can give you a leg up, which goes a long way in the hyper-competitive world

Families don’t like to skimp when it comes to the holidays, under any conditions. But with rising prices and fears of a recession, holiday shoppers are feeling less generous this season. Many consumers are planning to make fewer purchases — and at a discount, according to a recent holiday retail report by Deloitte. Still, households

Caroline Purser | The Image Bank | Getty Images The Biden administration could start discharging millions of Americans’ student debt as soon as Sunday. This is possible as some of the legal challenges brought against the sweeping policy by critics have failed in courts. A taxpayers group in Wisconsin earlier this week requested that the

Xavierarnau | E+ | Getty Images Social Security benefits will go up by more than $140 per month on average in 2023, as a record 8.7% cost-of-living adjustment kicks in. Exactly how much of an increase the approximately 70 million Americans who rely on the program for income will see will vary. More than 65

Stefani Reynolds | Afp | Getty Images The U.S. Department of Education’s application for student loan forgiveness, which officially went live earlier this week, is surprisingly easy to fill out. Borrowers just need to provide some basic contact information and their Social Security number. That’s it. Well, for some. More from Personal Finance:How to save

Getty Images If you’re planning to sell investments or rebalance your taxable portfolio, you may be less likely to trigger a tax bill in 2023, experts say. This week, the IRS released dozens of inflation adjustments for 2023, including higher income tax brackets, increased standard deductions, bigger estate tax exclusions and more.  The agency also

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 Wednesday was asked to block the Biden administration’s student loan debt relief program, which is set to take effect this weekend. The request by the Brown County

Bernd Vogel | Getty Images Ultra-wealthy Americans can soon protect more assets from federal estate taxes, the IRS announced this week.  Starting in 2023, individuals can transfer up to $12.92 million to heirs, during life or at death, without triggering a federal estate-tax bill, up from $12.06 million in 2022.  Since married couples may share

Rising costs have chipped away at most Americans’ standard of living. As inflation pressures continue, two-thirds of working adults said they are worse off financially than they were a year ago, according to a recent report by Salary Finance. To make ends meet, many are dipping into their cash reserves or going into debt. Nearly three-quarters, or

Workers are pushing for greater pay transparency, whether employers like it or not. Such conversations around income expectations used to be “the elephant in the room,” said Vicki Salemi, career expert at Monster.com. Now, 33% of job seekers said they would not even go to a job interview without first knowing the salary the employer

Mike Mergen | Bloomberg | Getty Images If you’re a Medicare beneficiary, now’s the time to evaluate your prescription drug coverage for 2023. In addition to checking during Medicare’s annual fall open enrollment whether you can get a more cost-effective plan, you should be aware of some legislative changes taking effect next year that may