Personal finance

Momo Productions | Stone | Getty Images Once you’ve decided that opening a Roth individual retirement account for your child is a great idea, now comes the hard part: convincing the child to save for a far-off retirement instead of spending that hard-earned money.  I have some ideas for making the case to your child. 

Peopleimages | Istock | Getty Images As investors revisit bonds amid falling interest rates, some are encountering longer waits to transfer certain assets purchased via TreasuryDirect, a platform run by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.   TreasuryDirect, which sells government-backed assets, experienced a surge in demand in recent years as investors flooded into Series I

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump attends a rally at the site of the July assassination attempt against him, in Butler, Pennsylvania, Oct. 5, 2024. Brian Snyder | Reuters As 2025 approaches, top-ranked advisors are bracing for a looming tax cliff when trillions of dollars in tax breaks are scheduled to expire. Enacted by

Women in their mid-30s to mid-40s make up about 46% of total employment, which means they are slightly less likely to work than men that age, according to a recent analysis by the Federal Reserve. Their employment rate is also slightly lower than women in their early 20s. “This smaller share reflects the fact that,

Jeff Greenberg | Universal Images Group | Getty Images Inflation has eased gradually across the broad U.S. economy — and some areas of consumer spending, like furniture and gasoline, have even deflated over the past year. Deflation is when prices decline for goods and services. It’s rare for prices to fall from their current levels

Hispanolistic | E+ | Getty Images In 2025, millions of retired Americans will see a 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment for benefit payments, according to the Social Security Administration. But a lesser-known tax change will also impact higher-income workers. The Social Security Administration on Oct. 10 unveiled a higher threshold for earnings subject to Social Security payroll

United Parcel Service (UPS) driver pushes a dolly of packages towards a delivery van on a street in New York. Victor J. Blue | Bloomberg | Getty Images As much as consumers love shopping online, most hate to shell out for shipping charges. Paying for return shipping is even worse. These days, 77% of shoppers

Lordhenrivoton | E+ | Getty Images The Social Security Administration on Thursday announced that the cost-of-living adjustment will be 2.5% in 2025. When that increase goes into effect, it will be the lowest adjustment to benefits that beneficiaries have seen since 2021, when the cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, was 1.3%. The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment

Portra | E+ | Getty Images More than 72.5 million Americans will see a 2.5% cost-of-living adjustment to benefit payments in 2025, the Social Security Administration announced on Thursday. With the change, Social Security retirement benefits will increase by about $50 per month on average starting in January, according to the agency. The Social Security

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images Inflation fell in September as lower gasoline prices combined with other waning price pressures in areas such as housing to bring relief to consumers’ wallets, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The consumer price index, a key inflation gauge, was up 2.4% last month from September 2023,

Lucy Lambriex | Stone | Getty Images As the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates, investors should review their bond portfolio, which could see a boost from dovish Fed policy. The central bank in September kicked off its first easing campaign in four years with a 50 basis point rate cut, which brought its benchmark rate

Tomml | E+ | Getty Images Social Security beneficiaries will soon know the size of their annual cost-of-living adjustment for 2025. They may be in for a disappointment because if current projections hold true, the increase to benefits could be the lowest since 2021. The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, could be 2.5% next

In the last year, credit card debt spiked to a record $1.14 trillion. But recent signs show consumers may now be pulling back. Revolving debt, which mostly includes credit card balances, fell 1.2% in August, compared to a year earlier, according to the Federal Reserve’s G.19 consumer credit report released on Monday. Nonrevolving debt, such as

About 19 million U.S. taxpayers requested an extension to file back in April, according to the IRS, giving them an extra six months to submit their 2023 federal income tax returns. For many of those taxpayers, the October 15 final deadline is fast approaching. Taxpayers in federally-declared disaster areas, which currently cover all or parts

Voters cast their ballots on the second day of early voting in the 2024 presidential election at the Board of Elections Loop Super Site in Chicago, Illinois, on October 4, 2024.  Kamil Krzaczynski | AFP | Getty Images There are few topics Americans would rather not talk about more than money. They would even rather

krisanapong detraphiphat | Moment | Getty Images Investors are at a heightened risk of cryptocurrency scams tied to fake relationships established over social media, dating apps and networking sites, federal officials warn. Such frauds occur when scammers use dating apps, social media platforms, professional networking sites or encrypted messaging apps to pose as a romantic

Josh Brown Photo: Duncan Hill Josh Brown once had this idea that in order to be a financial advisor, you needed to be buttoned up and fit a particular mold. Brown, a CNBC contributor who often takes a casual and accessible tack with investors for his commentary, has since learned that there’s more than meets

Angela Ramirez-Riojas, 18, is enrolled in Riverview High School’s construction academy. Courtesy: Riverview High School For Angela Ramirez-Riojas, 18, going to college was always plan B. Her grandfather works in construction, and that motivated Ramirez-Riojas to follow in his footsteps. “I’ve gone with him to work,” she said. “He frames houses and I really enjoyed

Jordi Mora Igual | Moment | Getty Images If you’re seeking refuge from market volatility, so-called buffer exchange-traded funds provide some downside protection. But these ETFs also limit upside potential and come with higher fees, experts say.   Buffer ETFs, also known as defined-outcome ETFs, use options contracts to offer investors a pre-defined range of outcomes

Damircudic | E+ | Getty Images Women have been making significant strides in their education and careers and working as much, if not more, than their male counterparts. Today, women who are just starting out, between the ages of 20-24, account for about 50% of total employment, which means that young women are just as