Personal finance

Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh speaks during a news conference at the White House in Washington, April 2, 2021. Erin Scott | Reuters Most American workers dream of a comfortable retirement. Yet many find their money falls short of meeting that goal when they reach their golden years. Much of the problem has to do

Tom Werner | DigitalVision | Getty Images After another year of tax law changes, there are significant updates for the 2022 season, with the possibility of a smaller refund or bigger bill for many taxpayers, experts say. With many Americans facing reduced tax breaks, it’s important to be proactive with year-end planning before the calendar

Americans are increasingly finding alternative ways to satisfy their holiday wish lists as they continue to grapple with high prices and inflation. In many cases, that means opting for flexible payment plans. On Black Friday through Cyber Monday, buy now, pay later payments through companies such as Klarna, Zip, Zilch, Affirm and Afterpay jumped 85% compared with

Momo Productions | Digitalvision | Getty Images Remote work surged in the pandemic era — but this trend, borne of necessity for public health, has now become a fixture of the U.S. job market, one that’s likely to remain entrenched, according to labor experts. Almost 10% of online job searches in September mentioned “remote work,”

10’000 Hours If you’re expecting a tax refund in 2023, it may be smaller than this year’s payment, according to the IRS.  Typically, you get a federal refund when you’ve overpaid yearly taxes or withheld more than the amount you owe. Your annual balance is based on taxable income, calculated by subtracting the greater of

Holger Scheibe | The Image Bank | Getty Images The rate of job cut announcements at U.S. employers in November was more than five times greater than a year ago, according to a report by Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Overall, U.S.-based firms announced 76,835 job cuts in November, led by the technology sector. So far this

Kemal Yildirim | E+ | Getty Images You’ve got about a month left to make sure you get it right when it comes to mandatory withdrawals from retirement accounts. Required minimum distributions, or RMDs as they’re called, are annual amounts that must be withdrawn beginning in the year you reach age 72 — up from age

Bill Oxford | E+ | Getty Images If your tax refund is still in limbo, there’s good news: Your balance may be accruing interest, and the rate increases to 7% from 6% on Jan. 1, according to the IRS. As of Nov. 18, there were 3.4 million unprocessed individual returns received in 2022, including filings

Sam Norpel and her family. Norpel, 48, second from the right, got Covid-19 in December 2021 and hasn’t recovered. This chronic illness, known as long Covid, impacts up to 23 million Americans. Kirstie Donohue Sam Norpel used to present regular financial updates to C-suite executives. Now, unpredictable bouts of broken, staccato speech make that impossible

Viktorcvetkovic | E+ | Getty Images A combination of high inflation and plentiful job openings may tempt some retirees into rejoining the workforce. But if you’re thinking about working, either part time or full time, and you’re already collecting Social Security retirement benefits, there are a few things you may want to know first. Social

Source: Getty Images After a volatile year for the stock and bond markets, it may be time to rebalance your portfolio by shifting assets back to match your original goals, according to experts.   As of Nov. 28, the S&P 500 Index was down roughly 17% year-to-date, and the U.S. bond market has dropped by around

Jose Luis Pelaez Inc | Digitalvision | Getty Images In between eating leftover turkey and hunting for bargains amid holiday sales, be sure to review your Medicare coverage, if you haven’t already. The program’s annual open enrollment period, which began Oct. 15 and ends Dec. 7, is when you can make changes, which will take

The BlockFi website on Nov. 17, 2022. Gabby Jones/Bloomberg via Getty Images Crypto firm BlockFi filed for bankruptcy Monday, the latest cryptocurrency domino to fall after the collapse of FTX two weeks ago threatened to destabilize companies in the broader crypto ecosystem. BlockFi offers a cryptocurrency trading exchange and interest-bearing custodial service for cryptocurrencies. The

It is thought the new U.K. government’s mini-budget may have made buying a house even more difficult. Photo by LanaStock via Getty Images Crypto firm BlockFi on Monday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, two weeks after the collapse of crypto exchange FTX, further complicating taxes for investors during a difficult year. BlockFi, which offers an

Vitapix | E+ | Getty Images While couples might sign a prenuptial agreement before they’re married and a “post-nup” after, it’s more than just the timing that differentiates these arrangements, experts say. “It’s a whole different ballgame once you’re married,” said Martin Shenkman, estate attorney with Shenkman Law in New York City. “With a pre-nup,

President Joe Biden and Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. The Washington Post | The Washington Post | Getty Images It’s been almost three years since people with federal student loans have had to make a payment on their debt, and the Biden administration recently announced that borrowers have even more time. In March 2020, when the

The Sweetly Bakery & Cafe in Battleground, Washington Source: Irina Sirotkina It’s the holiday season, yet Americans are feeling a little less generous. With inflation near record highs, cash-strapped consumers have started to tip less — especially when it comes to fast casual dining and carryout. “Tipping is that first sign towards reduced spending,” said Amanda

The holiday shopping season is always closely followed by a spike in gift returning. But this year, it may be harder to bring things back for free or at a low cost. Roughly 60% of retailers said they’re making changes to existing returns policies, with fewer promising free returns, according to a recent survey of

Thomas Barwick | Digitalvision | Getty Images Many families struggle to come up with the cash when faced with an unexpected $400 expense. That lack of emergency savings may force them to borrow money at high interest rates to pay for the surprise expense, putting their financial security at risk. Now Congress has a window

Where you live may have an impact on your credit rating. With Minnesota’s low poverty rate and high employment, its residents have a credit score of 724, on average, well above those of even wealthier states, such as California and New Jersey, according to a recent report by WalletHub based on TransUnion data. In fact,