Personal finance

David Zervos, Jefferies Scott Mlyn | CNBC The Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates by another quarter point at the conclusion of its two-day meeting next week. “Two years ago … three out of four economists were saying we’re going into a recession,” David Zervos, chief market strategist for Jefferies LLC, said during CNBC’s

Andersen Ross Photography Inc | Digitalvision | Getty Images Most people believe in the value of college and, for the most part, institutions of higher education have been able to weather significant financial challenges throughout history.   But now, the number of colleges set to close in the next five years is expected to spike, a

Hispanolistic | E+ | Getty Images Consumers saw inflation pick up slightly in November, as price increases in categories like groceries, gasoline and new cars outweighed a deceleration in others like shelter during the month. The consumer price index, a key inflation gauge, rose 2.7% last month relative to November 2023, the Bureau of Labor

Eclipse_images | E+ | Getty Images If you’re age 73 or older and retired, there’s a key annual deadline approaching for mandatory retirement plan withdrawals — and missing it could trigger a penalty, the IRS said on Tuesday. Generally, you must start so-called required minimum distributions by age 73. The first due date is April

Rudi_suardi | E+ | Getty Images The U.S. job market has been stagnant of late, a dynamic that contains both good and bad news for U.S. workers. On the one hand, businesses are holding on to their existing workforce, meaning employees are unlikely to lose their jobs, economists said. But it also may be hard

Former Representative Billy Long, a Republican from Missouri, speaks during a campaign event for former US President Donald Trump at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, US, on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024.  Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty Images President-elect Donald Trump has tapped former Missouri congressman Billy Long to lead the IRS, which has triggered

PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse, Color of the Year 2025. Courtesy: Pantone “Mocha Mousse” was dubbed 2025’s color of the year, according to the Pantone Color Institute, which it described as “a warming, brown hue imbued with richness.” Leatrice Eiseman, executive director Pantone Color Institute, described the shade as “sophisticated and lush, yet at the same

In this article FIS Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT As the markets tested record highs, retirement savers reaped the benefits. The average 401(k) plan balance ended the third quarter up 23% from a year earlier, at $132,300 — the highest average on record, according to a new report by Fidelity, the nation’s largest provider of

A driver for an independent contractor to FedEx delivers packages on Cyber Monday in New York, US, on Monday, Nov. 27, 2023. Stephanie Keith | Bloomberg | Getty Images Holiday shopping is expected to reach record levels this year. But a growing share of those purchases will be sent back. Returns in 2024 are expected to

Traders react after the closing bell on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., December 13, 2023.  Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters However you feel about the world these days, you’re likely happy with the stock market. The S&P 500 is up nearly 30% this year so far. But

Grace Cary | Moment | Getty Images After decades of building your nest egg, you will eventually have to start taking required minimum distributions, or RMDs, from pretax retirement accounts. The first RMD can be tricky, according to financial experts. Since 2023, most retirees must begin RMDs at age 73. The first deadline is April

Morsa Images | Digitalvision | Getty Images Companies can now offer their workers a “match” on their student loan payments in the form of a contribution to their 401(k) plan — and a small but growing number of employers are taking advantage. Traditionally, companies have only paid a 401(k) match to workers based on their

Richard Stephen | Istock | Getty Images New leadership has yet to be sworn in, in Washington, D.C. Yet Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, ignited a debate this week on the future of Social Security with a series of posts on social media platform X. The program, which provides monthly checks to more than 65 million

U.S. President Joe Biden is joined by Education Secretary Miguel Cardona (L) 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 on June 30, 2023 in Washington, DC.  Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images News | Getty Images

Brandon Bell | Getty Images News | Getty Images A Labor Department rule that shields retirement savers from getting harmful investment advice is at risk of being overturned during President-elect Donald Trump’s second term — an outcome that would have an element of déjà vu, said legal experts. The Biden-era regulation, issued in April, aims

Hinterhaus Productions | Getty Images As a historic wave of baby boomers reaches retirement age, finding affordable long-term care is a challenge. “We’re going to have a major storm coming in our country with all these folks that can’t take care of themselves,” Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-New York, said Thursday at the Employee Benefit Research

Medianews Group/orange County Register Via Getty Images | Medianews Group | Getty Images It’s easy to swipe your credit card or send a check when donating to charity. But you could score a bigger tax break by gifting another asset. Some 34 million U.S. adults gave $3.1 billion for Giving Tuesday 2023, up by 0.6%

The Good Brigade | DigitalVision | Getty Images Older Americans have just a few days left to evaluate their Medicare coverage for next year. Medicare’s annual open enrollment period for health plans and prescription drug coverage runs until Dec. 7. Experts say it’s worthwhile for Medicare’s 67.8 million beneficiaries to make sure they have the

U.S. President Joe Biden meets with President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., November 13, 2024.  Kevin Lamarque | Reuters Investors wondering if the presidential election may usher in a bad or good time for the stock market won’t find any easy answers looking at the past. One

A driver for an independent contractor to FedEx delivers packages on Cyber Monday in New York, US, on Monday, Nov. 27, 2023. Stephanie Keith | Bloomberg | Getty Images Consumers are increasingly concerned that their online orders may not arrive in time for the holiday — and rightfully so. More than half of shoppers —