Personal finance

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 —

Martin-dm | E+ | Getty Images Gen Zers are cutting back on spending. More than half — 53% — say a high cost of living is a barrier to their financial success, according to a new survey from Bank America. Nearly 3 in 4 young adults surveyed — 73% — have changed their spending habits

Without the promise of broad-based student loan forgiveness, there’s another option for eliminating higher-education debt before it balloons. Through dual enrollment, high school students can complete college-level coursework and even receive an associate’s degree by the time they graduate. That can shave years off the cost of a bachelor’s degree, in some cases cutting the

Peter Cade | Stone | Getty Images Plenty of people feel like they are behind on their retirement savings. But what exactly does “behind” mean? More than half, 56%, of American adults in the workforce say they are behind where they should be when it comes to saving for their retirement, including 37% who reported

D3sign | Moment | Getty Images If you have yet to purchase your fall and winter holiday travel and are hoping for a bargain airfare, time is running out. While ticket prices have plateaued in the last two weeks, travel experts expect them to spike soon. “Travelers are going to miss out on the opportunity

Synthetic-exposition | Istock | Getty Images The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B will increase by $9.80 per month in 2024, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. That means the standard monthly premium will go up to $174.70 in 2024, an increase from $164.90 in 2023. The new rate is in

Without broad-based student loan forgiveness, some colleges have a new strategy to keep students from drowning in debt.   Roughly two dozen schools have introduced “no-loan” policies, which means they are eliminating student loans altogether from their financial aid packages. “College is expensive — we have to make sure we keep it accessible,” said Nicole

Inverse Couple Images | Moment | Getty Images Consumers have been hearing a lot about inflation in the U.S. economy since early 2021, and rightfully so. At their pandemic-era peak, consumer prices were rising faster than at any point in 40 years. But the dynamic seems to have shifted. Inflation has been declining gradually, which