Josephine Flood | CNBC How to read this guide Follow along from start to finish, or jump to the section(s) you want to learn more about. Introduction Saving for retirement is the gnarliest of delayed gratification challenges. Tucking money away today in retirement accounts with the intention you won’t touch it for decades is not
Personal finance
U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden answer a question during the second and final presidential debate at the Curb Event Center at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, October 22, 2020. Morry Gash | Pool | Reuters During the pandemic, federal student loan borrowers have been given a break
Courtney Keating | E+ | Getty Images The U.S. stock market has had a volatile year, and choppy swings up and down show no sign of subsiding anytime soon. The roller-coaster ride can be worrying for those saving for, in or near retirement, yet financial advisors say that people with investment portfolios should stick with
People line up for early voting at the Jackson Heights branch of the Queens Public Library in New York on Oct. 24, 2020. Stephanie Keith | Getty Images Before you head into the voting booth next Tuesday, get to know where the presidential candidates stand on your taxes. Democrat Joe Biden is calling for tax
A banner on a controlled rent building in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 9, 2020. ERIC BARADAT | AFP | Getty Images Millions of jobless Americans are poised to lose their unemployment benefits at the end of the year without action from Congress to extend temporary aid programs. A federal program paying benefits to gig workers
Student loan borrowers may see more relief still in the pandemic. ViT Postman | iStock | Getty Images Student loan borrowers benefitting from a pause in repaying their loans are hoping it will continue. If the moratorium isn’t extended, they’ll have to reach for their checkbooks come January. In March, the U.S. Department of Education
Ariel Skelley | DigitalVision | Getty Images Nearly anyone can hang out a shingle and just call themselves a financial advisor. To be sure, the terminology in the financial services industry can be very confusing to investors. There are advisors, brokers, broker-dealers, certified financial planners, chartered financial analysts and certified investment management analysts, investment advisors,
The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images A new bipartisan retirement bill has perks for seniors and savers shouldering student debt. The legislation, proposed by House lawmakers on Tuesday, would raise the age at which seniors must start drawing money from their 401(k) plans and individual retirement accounts to 75. Under
House Ways and Means Committee ChairmanRep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., (left) and ranking member Kevin Brady, R-Texas. Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images News | Getty Images Bipartisanship is not what most of us would expect in a divisive election year. Yet that is what we saw when Democratic and Republican House members came together and introduced
SelectStock | Getty Images When asked whether they want a second $1,200 stimulus check, most Americans will say yes. But Washington lawmakers aren’t so sure. The fate of those payments and other additional coronavirus stimulus aid — namely additional enhanced federal unemployment benefits and loans for small businesses — has been up in the air
2021 marginal income tax rates Individual Income Tax Rates Single Married Filing Jointly Head of Household 10% 0 to $9 950 0 to $19 12% $9 951 to $40 525 22% $40 526 to $86 375 24% $86 376 to $164 925 32% $164 926 to $209 425 35% $209 426 to $523 600 37%
Former Vice President and presidential nominee Joe Biden gives remarks at UA Plumbers Local 27 Erie Training Center in Erie, PA on October 10, 2020. Demetrius Freeman | The Washington Post | Getty Images A “blue wave” of Democrat victories in elections next month could upend the normal incentives for tax planning this year. Typically,
filadendron Social media isn’t just for selfies and connecting with your coworkers and family anymore — it can also be a great place to learn about managing your money and even find a financial advisor. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram have surged in popularity in the last decade as places to socialize
Cocoa the dog with Sarah O’Brien the personal finance reporter Cameron O’Brien You might think that a person who covers personal finance would be naturally smart about money in her personal life. Er, no. Not at all. Grownup financial stuff? My mistakes have been plentiful. How long has this been going on? I’m closer to
Amid coronavirus and an economic crisis, saving for college may no longer be a priority — or even a necessity. With many families struggling to stay afloat, regular contributions to a 529 college savings plan could take a back seat to paying more pressing bills or daily expenses. At the same time, market volatility as
An employee stands on a social distancing marker in an elevator at an office in Dallas, Texas. Dylan Hollingsworth/Bloomberg via Getty Images The number of workers receiving and applying for unemployment benefits declined significantly last week, according to Labor Department figures issued Thursday. That’s good news for workers and the U.S. economy — thousands of
President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden during the final presidential debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, on Oct. 22. Jim Watson and Brendan Smialowski | AFP | Getty Images President Donald Trump isn’t the only one who’s “prepaid” his taxes. Millions of other Americans have, as well. At least that’s the
Carson Noel, right, has been unemployed since March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Carson Noel Carson Noel is running out of options. When the coronavirus pandemic hit in early March, two full months of work he’d lined up as a freelance journeyman in live events disappeared. “For the past seven months, I’ve been living off
US President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential candidate and former US Vice President Joe Biden are seen during the first presidential debate on a YouTube video displayed on a screen of a smartphone. United States presidential election scheduled on November 3, 2020. Pavlo Conchar | LightRocket | Getty Images Don’t let the bitterness of the
Getty Images Under almost any circumstance, tapping your retirement plan savings for cash is a bad idea. Tax professionals and financial advisors will almost universally tell you to use all other sources of liquidity before you hit your tax-advantaged retirement accounts. “Certain IRAs and qualified plans are protected from creditors,” said Ryan Losi, a CPA