Personal finance

Peter Griffith You might have the know-how to strengthen your finances, yet odds are you’re still making bad decisions with your money. Three out of 4 people consider themselves to be financially savvy,  although more than half have admitted to making poor money choices in the past year, according to a survey from KeyBank. The

It’s becoming a common scenario: You’re creeping closer to your 65th birthday, which means you’ll be eligible for Medicare, yet you already have health insurance through work. Sound familiar? If so, you might have options. While workers at businesses with fewer than 20 employees generally must sign up for Medicare at age 65, people working

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) speaks to guests during a campaign stop at Fisher Elementary School on January 12, 2020 in Marshalltown, Iowa. Scott Olson | Getty Images Presidential contender Sen. Elizabeth Warren said on Tuesday that she would begin to forgive student loan debt on the first day of her administration, using

Sutthipong Kongtrakool Investors looking to impact society in a positive way, and hopefully turn a profit in the process, shoveled money into so-called sustainable funds in record amounts last year. Mutual funds and exchange-traded funds with a focus on sustainability raked in $20.6 billion of total new assets in 2019, according to Morningstar. Last year’s

Most people kick off the new year with a resolution to spend less and save more. Easier said than done. Despite steady income growth over the last decade, household spending has risen more, recent research shows. A CNBC survey found 21% of Americans say they’d increased their spending in the last year. The majority gave

Sam Edwards | Getty Images Retirement is often called the golden years. Many elderly Americans probably wouldn’t describe it that way. Recent research from the Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging at the University of Massachusetts Boston found that many older Americans don’t have enough money to get by. The report estimates that

Tony Elion, Jr. taught himself how to invest by utilizing free resources Tony Elion, Jr. When law student Tony Elion, Jr. decided he wanted to take on investing, he knew he could learn how to do it without spending a ton of money. In fact, a lot of what he came across he found for

Retirement is not what it used to be. Whether by choice of necessity, many Americans anticipate extending their working years, according to recent research from the Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies. A majority of workers said they expect to stop working sometime after age 65 or never retire at all, the research found. A separate

kate_sept2004 The legal and financial fortunes of gay and lesbian Americans have changed beyond recognition. That’s largely thanks to the legalization and rapid public acceptance of same-sex marriage and antidiscrimination protections, as well as other civil rights shifts, for LGBTQ people across the U.S. in recent years. Whereas same-sex couples, unable to marry, once had

SuperStock | Getty Images Finding someone to turn to for financial advice should be as easy as finding a doctor. But it turns out the credentials which financial professionals use to represent themselves are often not clear. And getting the wrong guidance can be costly. Misguided advice costs investors about $17 billion in wealth annually,

Halley Bondy and daughter Robin, 2 Halley Bondy Halley Bondy loves being a freelance writer. And the 35-year-old journalist, who lives in Brooklyn, New York, earns more working for herself than she did as a full-time employee. Now, a proposal in New York state that could require companies to classify more of their freelancers as

Older Americans heading toward retirement can face a conundrum: They’ll need income when they leave work, yet they want to delay taking Social Security for as long as possible so they can maximize those benefits. For clients who have other assets available, some advisors recommend that instead of gradually withdrawing from those accounts — i.e.,

The tween and early teen years can be a tricky time for kids. Not only are they encountering new social situations and gaining more responsibility, they are also forming a big part of their relationship with money. “Kids this age are old enough to really understand how money works,” said Chantel Bonneau, a wealth management

If you beat the odds stacked against hitting the Powerball jackpot, there’s an estimated $277 million waiting for you in Saturday night’s drawing. The top prize has been climbing for more than two months of twice weekly drawings with no ticket matching all six numbers. And while the chance of winning the jackpot is about

Retirees can boost their Social Security payments substantially by avoiding one costly, yet common, mistake. Americans can claim Social Security benefits as early as age 62. While it may be tempting to begin receiving that monthly income as soon as possible, retirees could leave a lot of money on the table by doing so. That’s

Peter Cade | Getty Images It’s the challenge many retirees face: How to turn lifetime savings into a steady income stream and not run out of money. To solve that dilemma, some financial experts suggest annuities, financial products that provide regular payments in return for one upfront lump sum. But the problem is that many

Michelle and Donald McCulloch bought a house using their ABLE savings. Michelle and Donald McCulloch Most people take being able to save money for granted. But for people with a disability, whether developmental or physical, a previous $2,000 limit meant not being able to plan and save for a house, a car or a vacation.

katleho Seisa The new year is just over a week old, but it’s almost time to get cracking on those 2019 tax returns. Proactive taxpayers can start submitting last year’s tax returns to the IRS as early as Jan. 27. As always, you have until April 15 to file your 2019 tax return. While you

Whether you have a side hustle or you’re running your own business, you’re a week away from a major tax deadline. Individuals who pay their estimated taxes every quarter — including independent contractors and members of partnerships — are expected to make their fourth and final payment for 2019 on Jan. 15. The quarterly deadlines

Fstop123 | E+ | Getty Images There are more ways than ever to buy things you shouldn’t. Described as the “new layaway,” companies like Affirm, Quadpay and Afterpay allow consumers to spread out their payments on a purchase over weeks or months. The offers are hard to refuse. That $140 plaid tunic from Anthropology could