Personal finance

Getty Images The idea of making a budget may make your eyes glaze over. Yet it is fundamental to achieving financial wellness. “It’s really hard to make any plan or progress if you don’t know where your money is going,” said Chris Browning, creator and host of the podcast Popcorn Finance. In his short-form podcast,

The value of Bitcoin (BTC) has exceeded the threshold of 66,895 dollars for the first time in his history. Chesnot | Getty Images This week marked a milestone for cryptocurrency as investors started trading the first U.S. bitcoin futures exchange-traded fund, exceeding other ETF launches, and another followed Friday.  These funds invest in bitcoin futures

The pause on federal student loan repayments ends in January. And, on Feb. 1, interest will start to accrue again. Those monthly repayments may come as a shock for many Americans, including older borrowers. While more than one-third of student loan borrowers are in their 20s and 30s, about 7% of those with student debt

Dorie Clark, author of “The Long Game: How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World.” We spend our days replying to emails, going to meetings, checking off to-do lists and, as our careers zip by, sometimes we wonder if we picked the right profession, or if our lives wouldn’t have been better spent

As employers reimagine the workplace post-Covid, a four-day work week may become a new perk. Last month, technology company Bolt became one of the latest companies to jump on board. Earlier this year, New York-based crowdfunding platform Kickstarter announced it would pilot a four-day workweek. There’s a campaign now underway from 4 Day Week Global

XiFotos | E+ | Getty Images After the Social Security Administration announced a record-high cost-of-living adjustment for 2022, many beneficiaries are asking, “How much bigger will my monthly checks be?” People who receive Social Security or Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, benefits will get a 5.9% boost to their payments next year. That is that

In this article TREE Why pay now when you can pay later? Whether it’s holiday gifts or groceries, it’s easier than ever to postpone payments on purchases. “Buy now, pay later,” or BNPL, lets shoppers break their purchases into equal installment payments, often interest-free, which can make even the biggest-ticket items seem affordable and the

Getty Images The enhanced child tax credit has sent monthly checks to millions of American families since July. Now, it’s one of the programs on the chopping block as Democrats slim down President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better agenda. Lawmakers are proposing to extend the benefit for only one year. Previously, the Biden Administration proposed

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., speaks outside of the U.S. Capitol on Oct. 20, 2021. Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images As Democrats wrestle over their spending package, key lawmakers are still fighting to change the $10,000 cap on the federal deduction for state and local taxes. The measure, known as SALT, is a

RainStar | E+ | Getty Images For anyone nearing age 65 who gets health insurance through the public marketplace, it’s almost time to make the move to Medicare. Generally speaking, you must sign up when you reach that age unless you have qualifying coverage elsewhere. And health plans through the exchanges, whether federal or state,

In this article AMZN Karl Tapales | Moment | Getty Images Con artists pretending to be Amazon employees scammed Americans out of $27 million from July 2020 through June 2021, the Federal Trade Commission said Wednesday. These fraudsters were part of a “business impersonator” scam. Criminals pose as someone the consumer trusts — in this

Bitcoin on display. Chesnot | Getty Images Investors who are bullish on cryptocurrencies are betting more on the digital assets than stocks. In September, crypto investors put an average of $263 into accounts dedicated to coins, more than the average $250 they put in traditional brokerages during the month, according to a recent survey from

In this article COIN Coinbase signage in New York’s Times Square during the company’s initial public offering on the Nasdaq on April 14, 2021. Robert Nickelsberg | Getty Images Investing consistently in cryptocurrency just got a lot easier. In September, Coinbase announced that its users will soon be able to set up direct deposit with

Justin Sullivan | Getty Images You may want to get used to higher prices at the pump, at least for now. As of Monday, the average cost of a gallon of gas was $3.30, up 7.5 cents from a month ago and $1.08 higher than a year ago, according to fuel savings app GasBuddy. By

VALERIE MACON | AFP | Getty Images When the Covid-19 pandemic prompted a dramatic drop in wages, that also sparked concerns that one particular cohort would see lower Social Security benefits as a result. Those concerns, however, have abated, according to new data from the Social Security Administration. The reason comes down to the national

Photo by Mike Kline (notkalvin) | Moment | Getty Images House Democrats proposed a rule to forbid Roth conversions for the wealthy as part of a broad package of tax increases on affluent Americans. But there’s an irony in the proposal, according to tax experts. A Roth conversion is a mechanism that allows taxpayers to

Bitcoin on display. Chesnot | Getty Images The first U.S. bitcoin futures exchange-traded fund will launch on Tuesday, a milestone for the cryptocurrency industry, and others may soon follow. The long-awaited ProShares ETF will offer exposure to bitcoin futures contracts — agreements to buy or sell the asset later for an agreed-upon price — rather

fizkes | iStock | Getty Images For Medicare beneficiaries who want to join an Advantage Plan, now is the time to do it. Just be sure you know what the plan covers and what your potential costs will be — and how long you have to change your mind. During the annual fall open enrollment

AJ_Watt | E+ | Getty Images There are a lot of “firsts” for new parents — and measures to shore up household finances are among them. Expenses for a new baby are often higher than parents expect, according to financial advisors. The average middle-income married couple spends $12,350 to $13,900 a year to raise a

In this article MORN BraunS | E+ | Getty Images Many Hispanic Americans aren’t saving enough — or at all — for retirement. More than two-third of Hispanic households aren’t putting aside anything through workplace savings vehicles such as 401(k) plans, a Morningstar report found. Private retirement plans like individual retirement accounts aren’t filling the