Personal finance

Aire Images | Moment | Getty Images The third-quarter estimated tax deadline for 2024 is Sept. 16, and skipping a payment could trigger a penalty, according to the IRS. Typically, you need estimated payments for any income without tax withholdings, such as earnings from self-employment, contract or gig economy work and investment or retirement income. 

Traders on the New York Stock Exchange floor on Sept. 9, 2024. Spencer Platt | Getty Images News | Getty Images September historically hasn’t been kind to stock investors. Since 1926, U.S. large-cap stocks have lost an average 0.9% in September, according to data from Morningstar Direct.   September is the only month during that

D3sign | Moment | Getty Images Inflation cooled in August and fell to its lowest level since February 2021, which was around the time the consumer price index began to climb during the pandemic era. This broad trend in the U.S. economy — a declining but still-positive rate of inflation — is known as “disinflation.”

Skynesher | E+ | Getty Images Rare bipartisan momentum is growing in the House of Representatives to force a vote on a bill that would address a topic Congress typically avoids — Social Security. The bill — the Social Security Fairness Act — would repeal two rules that reduce Social Security benefits for workers and

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., questions IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig at a Senate Finance Committee hearing. Tom Williams | Pool | Reuters With trillions in tax breaks scheduled to expire after 2025, lawmakers are debating policy priorities that could impact millions of families and small businesses. Enacted by former President Donald Trump in

Rgstudio | E+ | Getty Images Owning a home makes some people feel more confident about their prospects for retirement — but that may be misguided, some experts say. About 37% of polled workers — including those with part- or full-time jobs, or who are self-employed or business owners — say they are “ahead of

Former U.S. President and current Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks about the economy, inflation, and manufacturing during a campaign event at Alro Steel on August 29, 2024 in Potterville, Michigan.  Bill Pugliano | Getty Images Former President Donald Trump says that he wants to make in vitro fertilization treatments free of cost, either by

People watch the presidential debate between Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris at a watch party hosted by the New York Young Republican Club, in New York City, U.S., September 10, 2024.  Adam Gray | Reuters With fewer than 60 days until

Patchareeporn Sakoolchai | Moment | Getty Images Social Security beneficiaries have seen higher cost-of-living adjustments in recent years, prompted by record high inflation. Yet next year’s increase may not be as generous. Based on new government inflation data, beneficiaries may see just a 2.5% increase to benefits in 2025, estimates Mary Johnson, an independent Social

Terry Vine | Getty Images As “DormTok” social media posts entice college students to design elaborate dorm rooms — “the stakes of dorm decor have never been higher,” according to House Beautiful — parents may be wondering if they have the right insurance coverage to protect all those purchases. Enter: “dorm insurance.” Before signing up,

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. August 20, 2024 and former U.S. President Donald Trump in Bedminster, New Jersey, U.S., August 15, 2024 are seen in a combination of file photographs.  Marco Bello | Jeenah Moon | Reuters As the election ramps up, many investors are focused on capital gains taxes and

Raising kids is expensive. Of course, many believe that the rewards far outweigh the financial cost. However, others are opting for a life without children, largely because of affordability constraints. Now, nearly a quarter, or 23%, of millennials and Generation Z without children do not plan to become parents, primarily due to financial reasons, according

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks as he announces a new plan for federal student loan relief during a visit to Madison Area Technical College Truax Campus, in Madison, Wisconsin, U.S, April 8, 2024.  Kevin Lamarque | Reuters Earlier this summer, millions of federal student loan borrowers got a promising email. The Biden administration informed them that debt forgiveness

With the presidential election approaching, experts are sounding alarms about the upcoming expiration of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, or TCJA. Without action from Congress, trillions in tax breaks enacted by former President Donald Trump via the TCJA will expire after 2025. The outcome of the 2024 election will determine which political party

Photo By Rafa Elias | Moment | Getty Images The IRS is still working on plans to avoid increased audits on taxpayers making less than $400,000 — but certain particulars of your tax return can invite scrutiny, regardless of income level, experts say. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, or TIGTA, last week reported

George Kinder Kinder Institute George Kinder wants everyone to be free. At first blush, that concept of personal fulfillment or enlightenment may seem better suited to the realms of religion or spirituality than personal finance. But Kinder, who’s recognized as the father of the “life planning” branch of financial advice, has preached the interconnection of

Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris arrives at Portsmouth International Airport in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Sept. 4, 2024. Joseph Prezioso | AFP | Getty Images Vice President Kamala Harris is calling for a higher capital gains tax rate, and financial advisors have tips for top earners who could be affected. The Democratic presidential nominee

Carol Yepes | Moment | Getty Images In Stacey D’Erasmo’s new book, “The Long Run,” she interviews artists who are late in their careers. There’s dancer and performer Valda Setterfield, who performed through her 80s despite serious injuries from a car accident in her 40s. There’s writer Samuel Delany, now 82, who has published more

Coupons have come a long way from Sunday circulars. And for consumers stretching to make ends meet, they are as indispensable as ever. Now, with online codes, browser extensions and money-saving apps, there are more ways to find significant discounts at any time — but how good the deals are still depends on the day.

A “Now Hiring” sign is seen at a FedEx location on Broadway on June 07, 2024 in New York City. Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images The U.S. job market is cooling at a worrisome rate but not to an extent that warrants panic — at least, not yet, according to economists. Their concern lies