Personal finance

Izusek | E+ | Getty Images Exchange-traded funds are generally known for passive strategies. But there has been a surge in actively managed ETFs as investors seek lower costs and more precision, experts say. Active ETFs represented just more than 2% of the U.S. ETF market at the beginning of 2019. But these funds have

Voters work on their ballot at a polling station at the Elena Bozeman Government Center in Arlington, Virginia, on September 20, 2024. – | Afp | Getty Images Many investors worry about how the outcome of the presidential election will impact their investments. But there’s another risk financial advisors are focused on — public debt,

Twenty47studio | Moment | Getty Images Millions of Social Security beneficiaries will benefit from the 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment for 2025, set to take effect in January. With that increase, the maximum Social Security benefit for a worker retiring at full retirement age will jump to $4,018 per month, up from $3,822 per month this year,

Former President Donald Trump departs following an address to the Detroit Economic Club on Oct. 10, 2024. Sarah Rice/Bloomberg via Getty Images Former President Donald Trump proposed a new tax deduction last week for car owners who pay interest on an auto loan, one of many tax breaks he has floated on the presidential campaign

David Hester inspects damages of his house after Hurricane Helene made landfall in Horseshoe Beach, Florida, on September 28, 2024.  Chandan Khanna | Afp | Getty Images After a natural disaster, some victims may be eligible for tax relief — but qualifying can be tricky, tax experts say. In late September, Hurricane Helene ravaged parts

Many colleges are under financial pressure, and the cracks are starting to show. At least 20 colleges closed in 2024, and more are set to shut down after the current academic year, according to the latest tally by Implan, an economic software and analysis company. Altogether, more than 40 colleges have closed since 2020, according to

Urbazon | E+ | Getty Images The tax extension deadline has arrived and there are options if you still can’t pay your balance, tax experts say. About 19 million U.S. taxpayers filed for an extension by the April 15 tax deadline, which bumped the filing due date to Oct. 15. But taxpayers affected by natural

Mixetto | E+ | Getty Images The U.S. retirement system doesn’t get high marks relative to other nations. In fact, the U.S. got a C+ grade and ranked No. 29 out of 48 global pension systems in 2024, according to the annual Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index, released Tuesday. It analyzed both public and

Americans often splurge on gifts during the holidays. This year, holiday spending from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31 is expected to increase to a record total of $979.5 billion to $989 billion, according to the National Retail Federation. Even as credit card debt tops $1.14 trillion, holiday shoppers expect to spend, on average, $1,778, up 8% compared to

Aire Images | Moment | Getty Images Many Americans face a retirement savings shortfall. However, setting aside more money could get easier for some older workers in 2025. Enacted by Congress in 2022, the Secure Act 2.0 ushered in several retirement system improvements, including updates to 401(k) plans, required withdrawals, 529 college savings plans and

Morsa Images | Digitalvision | Getty Images Medicare open enrollment for 2025 is set to begin on Tuesday. Beneficiaries have from Oct. 15 until Dec. 7 to evaluate their Medicare coverage options and select new plans for next year. Experts say it’s an important opportunity retirees should not ignore. However, just 30% of people on

About 165 million Americans rely on employer-sponsored health insurance and yet, workers may still not get the coverage they want — particularly when it comes to drugs like Wegovy and Novo Nordisk’s diabetes drug Ozempic. One in three employees are looking for more resources to combat obesity, according to a recent report by consulting firm Gallagher.

Momo Productions | Stone | Getty Images Once you’ve decided that opening a Roth individual retirement account for your child is a great idea, now comes the hard part: convincing the child to save for a far-off retirement instead of spending that hard-earned money.  I have some ideas for making the case to your child. 

Peopleimages | Istock | Getty Images As investors revisit bonds amid falling interest rates, some are encountering longer waits to transfer certain assets purchased via TreasuryDirect, a platform run by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.   TreasuryDirect, which sells government-backed assets, experienced a surge in demand in recent years as investors flooded into Series I

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump attends a rally at the site of the July assassination attempt against him, in Butler, Pennsylvania, Oct. 5, 2024. Brian Snyder | Reuters As 2025 approaches, top-ranked advisors are bracing for a looming tax cliff when trillions of dollars in tax breaks are scheduled to expire. Enacted by

Women in their mid-30s to mid-40s make up about 46% of total employment, which means they are slightly less likely to work than men that age, according to a recent analysis by the Federal Reserve. Their employment rate is also slightly lower than women in their early 20s. “This smaller share reflects the fact that,

Jeff Greenberg | Universal Images Group | Getty Images Inflation has eased gradually across the broad U.S. economy — and some areas of consumer spending, like furniture and gasoline, have even deflated over the past year. Deflation is when prices decline for goods and services. It’s rare for prices to fall from their current levels

Hispanolistic | E+ | Getty Images In 2025, millions of retired Americans will see a 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment for benefit payments, according to the Social Security Administration. But a lesser-known tax change will also impact higher-income workers. The Social Security Administration on Oct. 10 unveiled a higher threshold for earnings subject to Social Security payroll

United Parcel Service (UPS) driver pushes a dolly of packages towards a delivery van on a street in New York. Victor J. Blue | Bloomberg | Getty Images As much as consumers love shopping online, most hate to shell out for shipping charges. Paying for return shipping is even worse. These days, 77% of shoppers

Lordhenrivoton | E+ | Getty Images The Social Security Administration on Thursday announced that the cost-of-living adjustment will be 2.5% in 2025. When that increase goes into effect, it will be the lowest adjustment to benefits that beneficiaries have seen since 2021, when the cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, was 1.3%. The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment