Personal finance

Getty Images For students and their families, this could be the most expensive back-to-school season to date. This year’s total back-to-school spending, including for college students, is expected to reach a record $41.5 billion, up from $36.9 billion last year and the previous high of $37.1 billion in 2021, according to the National Retail Federation. Families

Moyo Studio | E+ | Getty Images Social Security benefits provide retirement income for millions of Americans. Because the timing of your claim may impact the size of the benefits you receive, it’s a high-stakes decision. And the results may also affect your spouse or dependents. But sifting through Social Security’s claiming rules may make

Ascentxmedia | Istock | Getty Images Social Security beneficiaries may get a much lower cost-of-living adjustment in 2024 as inflation subsides. But with two months before the COLA for next year is officially announced, there’s one unusual factor that may push the adjustment higher: hurricanes. The Social Security COLA for 2024 may be 3%, The

Thanks to “tipflation,” a 20% gratuity isn’t what it used to be. With more opportunities to tip and pre-determined point-of-sale options that now range from 15% to 35% for each transaction, tip expectations are growing, whether consumers like it or not. And most don’t: Two-thirds of Americans have a negative view about tipping, according to

The average sticker price for college, or published costs for tuition and fees, has been rising — but most families don’t pay full price. Tuition, fees and room and board — plus books and supplies, transportation and personal expenses — total an average $27,940 at a four-year, in-state public college for the 2022-23 school year,

Peopleimages | Istock | Getty Images While many young couples may hope to tie the knot one day, some are spooked by high costs.  Some three-quarters, or 75%, of Gen Z and millennial couples said it’s too expensive to get married in the current economy, according to a survey by the Thriving Center of Psychology. The

Koron | Moment | Getty Images Samantha Costanza went on a first date with a man she’d met on a dating app in January 2022. They got to know each other as they both sipped on hot cider because of the cold at the Brooklyn, New York, bar where they’d agreed to meet. When it

As a new college application season gets underway, the price tag for higher education is in the spotlight. Now, above all else, students and families are concerned about the rising cost and the student debt that often goes along with it — without considering the schools with the most generous aid packages. To that end,

Donated clothes for those affected by the Maui fires are stored at Honokawai Beach Park in western Maui, Hawaii, on Aug. 14, 2023. Yuki Iwamura | Afp | Getty Images As the Hawaiian island of Maui struggles to recover from the deadliest wildfire in modern U.S. history, many Americans are asking, “How can I help?”

dowell | Moment | Getty Images If you’re sitting on profitable assets, there’s a lesser-known tax-gain harvesting strategy, which can help rebalance your portfolio or trim future taxes. While tax-loss harvesting can be popular during a stock market downturn, tax-gain harvesting — or strategically selling appreciated brokerage account assets — can also be beneficial, depending

Zamrznutitonovi | Istock | Getty Images Many Gen Z and millennial couples are moving in together before tying the knot to save money, but that doesn’t often mean a 50-50 split when it comes to expenses. Roughly 3 in 5 unmarried couples in the U.S. live with their partners, according to a report by the

Gatot Adriansyah | Istock | Getty Images The share of federal education debt going to graduate students is at its highest point in history, a new report by the U.S. Department of Education finds. Alarmingly, as graduate school borrowing increases, wages for those with an advanced degree haven’t risen nearly as much. “A closer look

Hawaiians are still reeling from the deadliest U.S. fire in over a century. The extent of the losses in life and property in Maui are still unknown. Early estimates from the Pacific Disaster Center and the Federal Emergency Management Agency report that more than 2,200 structures have been damaged or destroyed, 86% of which were residential.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act into law on Aug. 14, 1935. FPG | Archive Photos | Getty Images Social Security has reached a milestone — its 88th birthday. On Aug. 14, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law. With that law, a social insurance program to

The Biden administration released new guidance Monday on how colleges can “lawfully achieve a diverse student body” in the wake of the Supreme Court‘s ruling striking down affirmative action. In a “Dear Colleague” letter and a questions and answers page, the U.S. Department of Education outlined what policies and practices for promoting a diverse student body remain

Franckreporter | E+ | Getty Images People can easily fall into “false financial comparisons,” a scenario in which we believe we can afford the same lifestyles people we perceive as “just like us” have, said author Manisha Thakor in her new book, “MoneyZen: The Secret to Finding Your ‘Enough.'” A certified financial planner, Thakor noticed

Rome ranked second on a recent list of best travel destinations for a digital detox. Piola666 | E+ | Getty Images Despite inflation, Gen Z and millennials are determined to travel this summer, even if it means spending a bit more. While almost two-thirds, or 73%, of people are willing to pay extra fees for

As Americans increasingly lean on credit to make ends meet, new reports show signs of potential problems ahead. Total credit card debt surpassed $1 trillion for the first time ever, the New York Federal Reserve reported Tuesday. Credit card balances are up almost 20% from a year ago, according to a separate quarterly credit industry insights

By nearly every measure, Americans are financially strained. Yet, we’re coming up with new ways to justify expensive purchases. The latest way, coined “girl math,” breaks down the price of an item by the cost per wear. If you use an expensive handbag every day for a year, for example, then it might only set

Astra Taylor Source: Isabella De Maddalena In 2014, Astra Taylor co-founded the Debt Collective, the first union for debtors. Since then, one of her main goals has been to get student debt canceled. The last year or so has been bittersweet: First, in what felt like a major victory, President Joe Biden announced that he’d