The recent run-up in gasoline prices is now being felt nearly across the board. The national average for a gallon of gas is currently $4.94 after topping $5 per gallon for the first time ever earlier this month, according to AAA. Last year at this time, the price was $3.07 per gallon. The increase has put a severe
Personal finance
Beyond highlighting the sky-high cost of college, the pandemic has also shed light on the overwhelming burden of student loan debt. Average college tuition and fees edged higher again in the 2021-2022 academic year, reaching $10,740 for in-state students at four-year public schools, according to the College Board, which tracks trends in college pricing and student aid. Tuition and fees at four-year
Rohit Chopra, director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, testifies during a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on April 26, 2022. Tom Williams | Cq-roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau signaled a crackdown on late fees charged by credit card companies on Wednesday, as inflation threatens to
Doucefleur Rising interest rates have pushed the annual percentage rates on credit cards to new highs. The average annual percentage rate on a new credit card is now more than 20%, according to LendingTree’s tracker. It’s the first time that rates have topped 20% since the tracker began in 2018. “When you factor in that
Beyoncé released a new single, “Break My Soul,” on Monday. The song references quitting a job and employee stress, alluding to the recent Great Resignation trend. Larry Busacca | PW18 | Getty Images The Great Resignation is part of the zeitgeist. If you need proof, just ask Beyoncé. The superstar singer’s new single, “Break My
Fuel prices at a Chevron gas station in San Francisco June 9, 2022. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images For months, drivers across the U.S. face have faced eye-popping prices when they fill up their gas tanks. Now, President Joe Biden is weighing a new remedy — a federal gas tax holiday. A gallon of
Sdi Productions | E+ | Getty Images When you’re nearing retirement and are due a pension, one of the trickiest decisions can be whether to take your benefits as a lump sum or as an annuity over time. For those leaning toward an upfront payment, the choice may be more complicated now due to rising
Washington, D.C.-area residents Cara Baldari and her 9-month-old daughter Evie (left) and Sarah Orrin-Vipond and her 8-month-old son Otto (right), join a rally in front of the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 13, 2021. Alex Wong | Getty Images Bringing back the enhanced child tax credit with monthly checks would help lift millions of children out
Elena Kurkutova | Istock | Getty Images Older Americans may have a number of different goals with their retirement savings. But usually their main goal is the same: to make it last. Unfortunately, many younger baby boomers and members of subsequent generations who don’t have access to a traditional pension could outlive the funds in
Fg Trade | Istock | Getty Images For consumers in search of an affordable new car, there’s little relief on the horizon. The monthly costs to finance a vehicle purchase have hit record highs. Consumers face monthly payments averaging $656 for a new car, financed at 5.1% over 70.5 months (nearly six years), according to
Ciydemimages | E+ | Getty Images For Denise Diaz, the benefits of pandemic-era stimulus checks went beyond everyday dollars and cents. They rewired how she thinks about money. Diaz, a mother of three who lives outside Orlando, Florida, received more than $10,000 from three rounds of “economic impact payments.” They were among the 472 million
Nosystem Images | E+ | Getty Images A college education was supposed to help close the wealth gap for Black Americans. Yet, researchers are finding the opposite is true, thanks to student loan debt. Black families’ median wealth is less than 15% of that of white families, according to the Federal Reserve’s 2019 Survey of
Thomas Barwick Finding a broker or financial advisor you can trust may, at times, seem a daunting task. That’s especially true when investors see sensational stories of brokers fleeing the police in an underwater getaway or faking their death in an airplane crash. Then there are the high-profile fraudsters such as Bernie Madoff, who masterminded
Students participate in the Global Climate Strike march in New York City. Johannes Eisele | Afp | Getty Images As the bull market flourished in 2021, many investors took a shine to investments that reflected their values. Environmental, social and corporate governance — or ESG — investments attracted record levels of new assets. Last year,
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer addresses the state during a speech in Lansing, Michigan on Oct. 8, 2020. Michigan Office of the Governor via AP Michigan is now officially the 14th state in the U.S. to guarantee that its students have access to a personal finance education course before high school graduation. On Thursday, Gov. Gretchen
Nosystem Images | E+ | Getty Images The latest stock market decline may be troublesome if you’re relying on a now-smaller 529 plan balance to cover college tuition this fall. But crafting a multi-year tax strategy may be one way to lighten the burden, experts say. The major stock market indexes have seen double-digit losses
MStudioImages | E+ | Getty Images For many older Americans, record high prices are jeopardizing their financial security just as they approach or live in retirement, according to a recent survey from The Senior Citizens League, a nonpartisan senior group. The online survey was conducted online in the first quarter and included 3,056 participants, 96%
Getty Images The first half of 2022 has been a whirlwind for investors and financial advisors amid high market volatility. As they brace themselves for the second half of the year, a key way for them to succeed will be rebalancing, Omar Aguilar, CEO and CIO at Schwab Asset Management said at the CNBC Financial
The Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board Building in Washington, D.C. Sarah Silbiger | Reuters The Federal Reserve on Wednesday hiked its benchmark interest rate by 0.75 percentage points, the largest increase in nearly three decades. It’s the latest move from the U.S. central bank to combat the highest inflation in roughly 40 years, which
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell speaks at a news conference following a Federal Open Market Committee meeting on May 4, 2022 in Washington, DC. Win McNamee | Getty Images The Federal Reserve looks set to raise its benchmark rate again today, and may even hand out the first three-quarter-point hike in 28 years. The central