Personal finance

Kate_sept2004 | E+ | Getty Images The Social Security Administration is set to implement new rules to make it easier for beneficiaries to access certain benefits and increase the payments some may receive. The new changes affect Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, which provides more than 7 million Americans with monthly benefit checks. Those benefits

Geber86 | E+ | Getty Images The IRS has unveiled the 2025 contribution limits for health savings accounts, which are triple-tax advantaged for medical expenses. The new HSA contribution limit for 2025 will be $4,300 for self-only health coverage, up from $4,150 in 2024, based on inflation adjustments, the IRS announced Thursday. The contribution limit

Andresr | E+ | Getty Images There is $1 billion in unclaimed 2020 tax refunds up for grabs — but the last chance to file returns and collect the money is approaching. Nearly 940,000 taxpayers have until May 17 to file 2020 returns and claim their refund, the IRS said in a “final reminder” this

Shapecharge | E+ | Getty Images Contemplating your death may not warrant a spot at the top of your priority list — but writing your will does. About a third, 34%, of people have a will, according to a study by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. The survey polled 3,047 respondents ages

US President Joe Biden gestures after speaking about student loan debt relief at Madison Area Technical College in Madison, Wisconsin, April 8, 2024.  Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images President Joe Biden hopes to start forgiving the student loans of millions of Americans before the November presidential election. But first his administration will need

Morsa Images | Digitalvision | Getty Images It may soon be more expensive to borrow federal student loans. The government sets interest rates on its education loans once a year. The rate, which runs from July 1 to June 30 the following year, is based in part on the May auction of the 10-year Treasury

Laylabird | E+ | Getty Images Inherited individual retirement accounts can be a financial boost for heirs, but the windfall can trigger tax issues, experts say. Withdrawals from pretax inherited IRAs incur regular income taxes. Since 2020, certain heirs can no longer “stretch” retirement account distributions over their lifetime to reduce yearly taxes. Now, certain

There’s a massive wealth transfer underway. “It has started and it’s only going to accelerate,” said Liz Koehler, head of advisor engagement for BlackRock’s wealth advisory business. Baby boomers are set to pass more than $68 trillion on to their children. And yet, some millennials and Generation Z may not be inheriting as much as they think. Recent

NYPD officers in riot gear enter Columbia University’s encampment as they evict a building that had been barricaded by pro-Palestinian student protesters in Los Angeles, United States on April 30, 2024.  Shay Horse | Nurphoto | Getty Images Some college students protesting Israel’s war in Gaza have faced disciplinary action in recent weeks, with universities

Entry-level jobs are typically thought of as positions requiring little to no prior experience or skills. But it’s a longstanding gripe among job seekers on social media that job listings’ requirements are more ambitious. “When you apply for an entry level marketing job and they ask for: 2+ years of experience, a degree, experiences in

People leave a Social Security Administration building in Burbank, California.  Valerie Macon | Afp | Getty Images The trust funds the Social Security Administration relies on to pay benefits are now projected to run out in 2035, one year later than previously projected, according to the annual trustees’ report released on Monday. At the projected

Spending more to save more is an all-too common pitfall. The opportunities for so-called “spaving” are nearly everywhere, whether it’s the lure of a “limited-time deal” or “buy one, get one free” or tacking on additional items to get a bigger discount or simply to reach the free shipping threshold. But spending to save can lead

Rebekah Alstede Modery, left, and Sarah Alstede, sisters and co-owners of Alstede Farms in Chester, New Jersey. Courtesy: Alstede Farms Sisters Rebekah Alstede Modery and Sarah Alstede were raised on a New Jersey farm. This year, they decided to spend their careers there, too. Rebekah graduated in 2023 with a double major in agricultural business

Prasit photo | Moment | Getty Images As employers compete to attract and retain talent, equity compensation — or an ownership stake in the company — has become a key workplace benefit. Some 72% of companies offer some form of equity compensation to certain employees, a 2023 survey from Morgan Stanley found. That’s up from

In this article BRK.A Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Warren Buffett, chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, smiles as he plays bridge following the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting in Omaha, Nebraska, on May 5, 2019. Nati Harnik | AP Warren Buffett is widely praised for his investment acumen. But one of the biggest

Teacher teaching her students in art class at school. Fg Trade | E+ | Getty Images The popular Public Service Loan Forgiveness program began a partial processing pause on May 1, which will likely run through July, the U.S. Department of Education recently said. The temporary suspension comes as the Biden administration overhauls the once-troubled

JGI/Jamie Grill If you’ve opted into your employer’s matching 401(k) Roth contributions this year, it could trigger a tax surprise without proper planning, experts say.  Enacted in 2022, Secure 2.0 ushered in sweeping changes for retirement savers, including the option for employers to offer 401(k) matches in Roth accounts. These accounts are after-tax, meaning employees

The US Department of Education sign hangs over the entrance to the federal building housing the agency’s headquarters on February 9, 2024, in Washington, DC.  J. David Ake | Getty Images If your current federal student loan servicer is Mohela, or the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, the U.S. Department of Education said it will

Internal Revenue Commissioner Danny Werfel speaks during his swearing in ceremony at the IRS in Washington, D.C., on April 4, 2023. Bonnie Cash | Getty Images News | Getty Images The IRS has released an update on its strategic operating plan, which outlines “major accomplishments” in taxpayer service, technology and enforcement since its infusion of

The Federal Reserve held rates steady Wednesday — again deciding not to cut — which means anyone who carries a balance on their credit card isn’t getting a break from sky-high interest charges. “It is becoming clearer and clearer that the Fed isn’t going to lower interest rates anytime soon,” said Matt Schulz, chief credit