Glowimages | Glowimages | Getty Images It’s a good time to be an American traveling abroad. The value of the U.S. dollar has been at its strongest in years relative to many major global currencies of late— meaning travelers can buy more overseas than in the recent past. Put another way, Americans are effectively getting
Personal finance
Like many Americans, you may be worried we are heading into a recession. More than 6 out of 10 Americans — 62% — believe there will be a recession in the next year, according to the latest CNBC All America Economic survey conducted in early July. Older Americans in their late 50s and beyond feel
“My goal was to get money,” said Adekunle Adedeji, a former romance scammer from Nigeria who goes by the name Chris. While Adedeji, 23, did not pose as a “Nigerian prince,” he did tap another long running internet fraud: the romance scam. Using someone else’s photos found on Instagram and pretending to be an American
skynesher With the stock market flashing more red than green these days and economists warning that the chances of a recession are rising, some investors may be eyeing the exit sign. But by leaving now you risk missing the best days of the market, experts say. “High volatility doesn’t mean only downside volatility,” said Veronica
Prostock-Studio | Getty Images It only takes a quick scroll through Instagram to see how many people are on vacation right now, going to concerts and enjoying amazing meals out. To be sure, “revenge tourism” — and “revenge spending” more broadly — has been surging, at least as far as social media is concerned. At
Marko Geber | DigitalVision | Getty Images After battling downturns in the stock and bond markets, more financial advisors looking to further diversify their clients are turning to alternative investments, according to a recent survey from Cerulli Associates. Falling outside of traditional asset classes, alternative investments are typically added to portfolios for more diversification, income generation and
Kateryna Onyshchuk | iStock | Getty Images If your income is trending much higher this year than you anticipated, it’s likely a welcome shift. However, for anyone who gets their private health insurance through the public marketplace, that extra cash could mean an unexpected tax bill when they prepare their 2022 return next spring. A
Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images It’s no secret that used-car prices have skyrocketed over the last two years amid an industry turned upside down by supply-chain issues and reduced new-car inventory. But how much extra are consumers paying? An average of $10,046 more — 43% — than if typical depreciation expectations were in
Getty Images If your family has significant wealth, it’s now easier to avoid federal estate taxes, thanks to recent changes from the IRS. The IRS improved a strategy known as “portability,” used by high-net-worth married couples expecting to owe federal estate taxes when the second spouse dies. Here’s how it works: While a spouse may
In this article WFC Virojt Changyencham | Moment | Getty Images Nearly half of consumers holding a credit card with travel perks opened the card to chase the rewards — and a big share of them blew their budgets in the pursuit, according to a new survey. Specifically, 45% travel credit cardholders opened a card
Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images In response to reports that the Biden administration could soon move to forgive student debt, Republican leaders warned Wednesday of “the perils” of such action. “It’s a giveaway to highly educated college grads,” said Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, ranking member of the House Ways and
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., questions Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on May 10, 2022. Tom Williams | Reuters Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., along with 22 more Democratic lawmakers, want to save millions of Americans time and money by pushing the IRS to create its own free
MARK RALSTON | AFP | Getty Images So you didn’t win the $555 million Mega Millions jackpot Tuesday night. The glass half-full view? Phew! You dodged a huge tax bill. Of course, you get another shot in the next drawing to land a windfall — and then give a boatload of it to Uncle Sam.
Considering the impact of inflation, consumers are spending more on back-to-school supplies — and then some — as retailers pass along credit card fees in the form of higher prices. This year, total back-to-school spending is expected to match the 2021 record high of $37 billion, according to the National Retail Federation. The so-called swipe
Getty Images With increased fears of a possible recession, investors seeking steady income may turn to stocks paying quarterly dividends, which are part of company profits sent back to investors. Historically, dividends have significantly contributed to an asset’s total return, sometimes providing a boost during economic downturns. From 1973 to 2021, companies paying dividends earned
In this article DAL Tim Boyle | Getty Images News | Getty Images Air travel has been rocky this summer — and baggage problems factor among many other issues for travelers like flight cancellations and delays. Nearly 220,000 bags were “mishandled” by U.S. airlines in April 2022, meaning they were lost, damaged, delayed or stolen,
In this article PRI Images By Tang Ming Tung | Stone | Getty Images The reality of inflation and the specter of a recession appear to be weighing heavily on middle-class households. Among those whose income falls in the $30,000-to-$100,000 range, 75% say their earnings are falling behind the cost of living, and 77% think
Carol Yepes | Moment | Getty Images Most federal student loan borrowers who’ve been pursuing public service loan forgiveness have faced some confusion and frustration along the way. The program, which allows those who work for the government or specific nonprofits to get their debt canceled after 10 years, has been plagued by problems. Borrowers
Mikhail Druzhinin / Eyeem | Eyeem | Getty Images To keep up with rising prices, many Americans are falling back on their credit cards once again. Credit card balances rose year over year, reaching $841 billion in the first three months of 2022, according to the most recent data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New
David Sachs | The Image Bank | Getty Images It’s no secret that the first half of 2022 has ushered in a lot of expensive changes for consumers: The S&P 500 Index fell 20.6% in the largest first half decline since 1970, pulling down investors’ portfolios with it. The Federal Reserve in June approved a