Personal finance

President Donald J. Trump signs the Tax Cut and Reform Bill in the Oval Office at The White House in Washington, DC on December 22, 2017. Brendan Smialowski | AFP via Getty Images There’s tax uncertainty heading into 2025 as Congress prepares to negotiate President-elect Donald Trump‘s economic agenda. But there could be lessons for

The Federal Reserve is expected to lower interest rates by another quarter point at the end of its two-day meeting on Dec. 18. That would mark the third rate cut in a row — altogether shaving a full percentage point off the federal funds rate since September. So far, the central bank has moved slowly as they recalibrate policy after

Eleganza | E+ | Getty Images If you’re considering a Roth individual retirement account conversion, your tax bracket could help you decide whether the move makes sense. Roth conversions transfer pretax or nondeductible IRA funds to a Roth IRA, which can begin tax-free growth. The trade-off is paying upfront taxes on the converted balance —

Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics, testifies during the Senate Budget Committee hearing titled “The Default on America Act: Blackmail, Brinkmanship, and Billionaire Backroom Deals,” in Dirksen Building on Thursday, May 4, 2023.  Tom Williams | Cq-roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images The economy is doing “exceptionally well” as President-elect Donald Trump gets ready

A customer walks by a display of fresh eggs at a grocery store on Sept. 25, 2024 in San Anselmo, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images It’s déjà vu for grocery shoppers, as the price of those Grade A eggs has spiked in recent months, just two years after egg prices soared to record highs.

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

Sdi Productions | E+ | Getty Images A number of factors can get your mortgage application denied. So-called “unverifiable income” is one of them.  Mortgage lenders want to know if you’re financially capable of paying back the loan. One way they’ll do that is by requesting documents like your federal income tax returns, W-2 and

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

Ljubaphoto | E+ | Getty Images If you’re in the market for a used car, the best time of the year to buy one is fast approaching. New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are the best days of the year to buy a used car because there are 47.9% more deals than average, according

An exterior view of the New York Stock Exchange on September 18, 2024 in New York City.  Stephanie Keith | Getty Images As the calendar turns to a New Year and a new presidential administration, many investors are wondering where they can earn above-average returns. The current outlook is positive, with continued interest rate cuts

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

Close-up of unrecognizable black woman opening mail containing new credit card Grace Cary | Moment | Getty Images Most credit cards have a variable rate with a direct connection to the Federal Reserve‘s benchmark. It follows that credit card rates spiked along with the Fed’s string of 11 rate hikes starting in March 2022. The average annual percentage rate

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

Miniseries | E+ | Getty Images Housing is not cheap — whether you’re buying or renting.  In October, the median sales price for a single-family home in the U.S. was $437,300, up from $426,800 a month prior, according to the latest data by the U.S. Census.  Meanwhile, the median rent price in the U.S. was

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

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

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

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

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