Personal finance

Sdi Productions | E+ | Getty Images The student loan crisis has made it clear that many borrowers have gotten in over their heads, said Sheila Bair, who has served as both a bank regulator and college president. She blames the lack of transparency and confusion around this category of loan. About 44 million Americans

Justin Sullivan / Getty If you’re holding the winning ticket for Powerball’s $366.7 million jackpot, don’t forget about your silent partner: Uncle Sam. After rolling higher for about two months of three weekly drawings with no winner, the lottery game’s top prize was nabbed in Wednesday night’s drawing. The ticket was purchased in Vermont, which

Fotografia Inc. | E+ | Getty Images Nothing says Independence Day like a good, old-fashioned barbecue. In keeping with tradition, most Americans — roughly 60% — plan to grill this weekend, and 53% will get together with friends and family, according to a recent report by market research firm Numerator. “Consumers want to celebrate this summer

Ric Edelman, founder of the Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals. Heidi Gutman | CNBC Bitcoin’s recent rout — including its recent drop below $20,000 — has given some cryptocurrency naysayers an “I told you so” moment. “How do you make a million? Invest a billion in bitcoin,” one panelist joked at a conference for

Eakgrunge | Istock | Getty Images There’s been record demand for federal Series I savings bonds, an inflation-protected and nearly risk-free asset, offering an eye-popping 9.62% annual return through October. However, it’s not easy to buy I bonds through TreasuryDirect, a 20-year-old platform run by the U.S. Department of the Treasury, financial advisors say.  “It’s

In this article ZIP Ariel Skelley | Digitalvision | Getty Images Despite recession fears and headlines about layoffs, there’s no sign of trouble yet in the overall job market. Openings are still near all-time highs and unemployment claims remain low. That means job seekers have the upper hand as employers look to attract talent, according

AscentXmedia / Getty Record high inflation and gas prices have many Americans hoping for financial relief. And in California, that’s exactly what approximately 23 million residents stand to get, thanks to the state’s new budget deal, which is slated to give qualifying taxpayers new direct payments. Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic legislative leaders

Halfpoint Images | Moment | Getty Images At a macro level, the job market is still hot and companies aren’t yet shedding jobs in earnest. Layoffs were at a historic low in April, unemployment claims are around pre-pandemic levels and the unemployment rate is hovering near a five-decade low. But cracks are emerging. Recruiters think

In this article NFLX RDFN Holger Scheibe | The Image Bank | Getty Images While “Hiring Now” signs dot storefronts and highways across America, the job market may be starting to cool. The Federal Reserve’s decision to bring down inflation by raising interest rates has some projecting a slowing economy — and slower sales —

Dougal Waters | Getty Images Despite the economic and professional gains made by women over the last 50 years, gender gaps persist — and not just in rate of pay. Retirement readiness and financial know-how are key areas with notable gaps, according to two studies recently released by the TIAA Institute. For example, among workers

Getty Images Americans are increasingly turning to side hustles to make more money amid economic uncertainty and persistent high inflation. Some 44% of Americans are working at least one extra job to make ends meet each month, according to survey from Insuranks, a small business insurance marketplace. The online survey of more than 1,000 adults

Photo by Mike Kline (notkalvin) | Moment | Getty Images Just three years after the Secure Act ushered in the first major changes to the U.S. retirement system in more than a decade, a slew of additional modifications could be on its way. With recent committee approval of proposals in the Senate and an already-passed

d3sign There has been a lot of chatter recently about the possibility of a recession. Yet what exactly does that mean — and what would a potential downturn look like? A recession is defined as “a significant decline in economic activity that is spread across the economy and that lasts more than a few months,”

Sporrer/Rupp | Image Source | Getty Images The biggest piece of advice that people in retirement would pass along to their younger selves is simple: start saving earlier for the end of your career. Roughly 70% of retirees said that changing their habits to save or invest more and earlier is the top advice they’d

A Social Security Administration office in San Francisco. Getty Images A new Social Security trustees report points to a slightly longer time horizon for the program’s trust funds. But even with a new depletion date of 2035 — a year later than projected last year — the program still faces a 75-year deficit. A one-year

President Joe Biden remarks on efforts to lower high gas prices at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C. on June 22, 2022. Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images President Joe Biden has called on Congress to put a three-month federal gas tax holiday in place to help ease the financial pain drivers

Abortion rights activists hoist their signs near the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on June 24, 2022. Olivier Douliery | AFP | Getty Images The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade on Friday may cause financial hardship for many women, especially those already facing economic instability, research shows. The court’s decision, ending 50

In this article GS There’s a silver lining to higher interest rates: Stashing some cash finally pays. Soaring inflation, which pushed the Federal Reserve into hiking its benchmark rate, is having an effect on the return savers stand to get on their money, at long last. While the Fed has no direct influence on deposit rates, they

Samuel Corum/Bloomberg The Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday unanimously approved a series of proposals that make full congressional passage of a retirement-improvement package more likely this year. Called the Enhancing American Retirement Now (EARN) Act, the measure contains some provisions that are the same or similar to those proposed in the House, which passed the

If there is one investment every person should have right now, it is a series I bond, according to personal finance expert Suze Orman. The bond’s variable interest rate is based on inflation, which means the asset currently has a high yield. The Consumer Price Index rose 8.6% in May, the highest rate since 1981.