Personal finance

In this article RDFN Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Thomas Barwick / Getty As home prices and interest rates rise, would-be home buyers need a salary of $114,627 to afford a median-priced house in the U.S., according to a recent report by real estate site Redfin. If you want to buy in one of the most

Daniel Grill | Getty Images These days, savers can get better returns on their cash than they have in nearly two decades. After a series of interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve, top-yielding online savings account rates are now more than 5%, according to Bankrate.com. “Moving your money to a high-yield savings account is the easiest money you are

Douglas Sacha | Moment | Getty Images When Covid-19 stimulus checks were deployed to millions of Americans, the government reassured Social Security and Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries they were eligible for payments. But some beneficiaries, who include retired and disabled Americans, may have gotten more than they bargained for — lost benefits. Some SSI recipients

Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona speaks during the National Action Network National Convention in New York, April 12, 2023. Jeenah Moon | Reuters The Biden administration announced on Tuesday a finalized plan to improve its oversight of higher education institutions and to bolster consumer protections for student loan borrowers. “We are raising the bar

In this article NRDS Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Hispanolistic | E+ | Getty Images As the average interest rate on retail store credit cards near 30%, many holiday shoppers could be in for even more financial strain this year if they carry a balance. The average annual percentage rate for merchant cards reached

Shapecharge | E+ | Getty Images The federal estate-tax exemption helps wealthy families avoid or reduce inheritance tax, but the clock is ticking on the size of this advantage. In 26 months, some families that pay no inheritance tax today face the potential for sizeable federal taxes unless benefactors act. Though few families have enough

Education Secretary Miguel Cardona, at rear, listens as Vice President Kamala Harris speaks in Washington, D.C., June 2, 2022. Olivier Douliery | Afp | Getty Images Amberlee McGaughey, a librarian in Pennsylvania, was not worried about the restart of student loan payments. She was done with her debt, or so she thought. In August, she

Dardespot | E+ | Getty Images Social Security beneficiaries stand to get a boost to their benefits next year, based on a 3.2% cost-of-living adjustment. But there are several thresholds workers should keep in mind, based on new numbers for 2024 that were recently announced by the Social Security Administration. If you’re a worker who

Kate_sept2004 | E+ | Getty Images If you’re itching to save more into your 401(k) for 2023, your plan may have a feature that allows you to bypass the yearly deferral limit. For 2023, you can funnel $22,500 into your 401(k), plus an extra $7,500 if you’re 50 or older. But so-called after-tax contributions can

Getty Images Your earnings potential largely depends on your choice of major in college, many studies show. And when it comes to the highest-paying bachelor’s degrees, engineering and other STEM-related fields of study continue to dominate. (STEM is shorthand for “science, technology, engineering and mathematics.”) Students are taking note, according to Eric Greenberg, president of Greenberg Educational Group, a

A woman planning a budget. Rockaa | E+ | Getty Images Federal student loan bills resumed this month after a pause of more than three years. Yet, some borrowers may not plan on making a payment for some time. That’s because the Biden administration has announced a 12-month “on-ramp” to repayment, during which borrowers will

Wand_prapan | Istock | Getty Images Social Security beneficiaries can expect to get official notice of the size of their 2024 benefit checks from the Social Security Administration. But if you want to know now about how much you are set to receive, you can calculate the figure on your own. Social Security benefits will

Oscar Wong | Moment | Getty Images American cardholders paid $163.89 billion in credit card interest and fees in 2022, according to a WalletHub analysis of data from the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council. From 2018 to 2020, such charges were roughly $120 billion per year, according to a report from the Consumer Financial Protection

President Joe Biden is joined by Education Secretary Miguel Cardona as he announces new actions to protect borrowers after the Supreme Court struck down his student loan forgiveness plan, in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., on June 30, 2023. Chip Somodevilla | Getty Nearly 40 million Americans stood to benefit

Andreswd | E+ | Getty Images Medicare beneficiaries have until Dec. 7 to change their Medicare health and prescription drug coverage for the coming year through open annual enrollment. This year, there’s even more reason to pay attention, as financial assistance for prescription drug coverage is set to expand starting Jan. 1, according to Meena

To be sure, women in corporate America have come along way in the last decade. While the overall gender pay gap has not changed much, it has narrowed among top executives. And, for the first time ever, women CEOs make up more than 10% among Fortune 500 companies. But CEOs are often recruited from among

Between the sky-high overall cost and hefty student loan tab, more students and their families are reconsidering the value of a college education. But ultimately, it’s the choice of major and type of degree that most affects your return on investment. Students who pursue a degree specifically in computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering or economics — mostly

IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel speaks at a Senate Finance Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on April 19, 2023. Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty Images The IRS on Tuesday unveiled more details about its direct filing pilot program launching for the 2024 tax season. Known as Direct File, the pilot will allow certain taxpayers to

Adam Gault | OJO Images | Getty Images Prices keep creeping higher for shoppers in the market for a new or used vehicle. Car prices and interest rates are higher, pushing up costs for drivers. Yet, pent-up demand has kept cars moving off lots, experts say, meaning dealers don’t have much reason to offer discounts.

Concerns about high inflation and a possible recession have not only impacted the financial lives of many American workers — they’re also now changing the type of workplace perks that employees say they’d value most. Some employers are taking notice and expanding their offerings.  More from Personal Finance:Here’s the inflation breakdown for September 2023 —