Personal finance

Getty Images Given record-high interest rates, now is not the time to be taking on more credit card debt. The Federal Reserve is expected to further hike interest rates before the end of the year, and the average credit card interest rate is already at an all-time high. The average rate for existing accounts is

Shoppers along the Magnificent Mile shopping district in Chicago on Aug. 15, 2023. Jamie Kelter Davis | Bloomberg | Getty Images A recession has been in the forecast for much of 2023. Yet an economic downturn — formally defined as two consecutive quarters of declining GDP growth — has yet to happen. “A recession is

Aldomurillo | E+ | Getty Images Over a year ago, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 case that paved the right to abortion, leaving millions of women grappling with the fallout — and Latinas are particularly likely to be affected. Lea este artículo en español aquí. More than three million Latinas who

Sonoma State University Courtesy: Sonoma State University To help make college a reality, Sonoma State University is trying a relatively new approach: High school students who have completed the requisite coursework and have a minimum 2.5 high school GPA are now “guaranteed admission” to the Rohnert Park, California-based school. “We really wanted to provide a more

Luis Alvarez | Digitalvision | Getty Images Some lawmakers and regulators are calling for interest rate caps and lower fees on credit cards as debt levels march higher. Total credit card debt topped $1 trillion in the second quarter of 2023 for the first time ever. The average interest rate for all cardholders jumped to

Justin Sullivan | Getty The Powerball jackpot has climbed to an estimated $1.55 billion after no one matched the winning numbers Saturday night — and there were some dramatic swings in the cash prize leading up to that drawing. The winner has two payout options: a lump sum worth $679.8 million or an annuity valued

Drivers fill up at a Shell gas station in Alhambra, California, on Oct. 2, 2023. Frederic J. Brown | Afp | Getty Images Oil prices jumped more than 3% after members of the militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel from the Gaza Strip last weekend.  However, neither Gaza nor Israel produce much

Maskot | Maskot | Getty Images A new proposal by the U.S. Department of the Treasury would make it easier for consumers to get a tax credit when buying a new or used electric vehicle, according to tax and energy experts. Its proposed rules, issued Friday, would let car dealers offer the EV tax break

Spencer Platt | Getty Images The new war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas has brought more uncertainty to the markets. While stocks shook off the conflict in Monday afternoon trading, financial experts say investors should stay the course amid elevated volatility risks. “Stay calm, think long term and look for some bargains,” said

Marjorie Bloom was the victim of a “tech support” scam. She lost $661,000 in the fraud. Marjorie Bloom In the spring of 2021, Marjorie Bloom waited for a phone call that would never come. Over the course of the previous month, the retiree had wired hundreds of thousands of dollars into cryptocurrency per the suggestion

Astra Taylor Courtesy: Astra Taylor Early on in Astra Taylor’s new book, “The Age of Insecurity: Coming Together as Things Fall Apart,” she tells a story set in the Brooklyn café where her sister worked until recently. On a quiet day, one of the baristas was talking with a regular customer, a specialist in medieval history,

The U.S. Department of Labor building in Washington, D.C. The Washington Post | The Washington Post | Getty Images The U.S. Department of Labor is poised to issue a rule in coming weeks that’s likely to raise protections for investors who roll money from a 401(k) plan into an individual retirement account, according to attorneys

The Powerball jackpot soared to an estimated $1.4 billion as of Oct. 6, 2023, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association. Justin Sullivan | Getty The Powerball jackpot has soared to an estimated $1.4 billion ahead of Saturday night’s drawing — and financial experts have tips for the lucky winner. As the third largest prize in

In this article TGT AMZN Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Amazon‘s Prime Big Deal Days, kicks off Oct. 10, but competitor sales are already underway. This year, other big-name retailers are getting a head start by launching their own holiday sales earlier than ever, according to Katie Roberts, consumer analyst with DealNews.com. Consider it “the

Wand_prapan | Istock | Getty Images The trust funds that Social Security relies on to pay benefits are “rapidly heading to zero,” according to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. Those funds, which are typically invested in Treasury securities, are projected to run out in 2034, at which point just 80% of benefits

David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images The end of the year doesn’t just bring autumn leaves and jack-o’-lanterns, then mistletoe and the chance of snow — it can also bring on financial distress. Nearly half of all consumers say their financial standing fluctuates seasonally, and December is the most cited month for experiencing

Brian Snyder | Reuters With competition at an all-time high and admissions practices increasingly unclear, it’s not an easy time for college applicants. As colleges are being forced to rethink their policies in the wake of the Supreme Court‘s ruling against affirmative action, more schools are also choosing to end legacy preferences, adding uncertainty to the process. “There’s

President Joe Biden holds a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Oct. 2, 2023. Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that he’d approve $9 billion in student loan forgiveness for 125,000 Americans. The relief is a result of his administration’s fixes to a number of programs, including the income-driven

An activist at the offices of Rep. Michelle Park Steel in Cypress, California, on Feb. 24, 2023 Araya Doheny | Getty Images Social Security is essential to older Americans’ financial security, yet there always seems to be a new headline about how the benefits are at risk. Douglas Boneparth, a certified financial planner and president

In this article ZIP Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Hinterhaus Productions | The Image Bank | Getty Images The job market remains strong despite gradual cooling from pandemic-era highs, according to labor economists — but workers don’t seem to share that outlook. Employee confidence fell last month to its lowest level since 2016, according