Personal finance

A “Now Hiring” sign is seen at a FedEx location on Broadway on June 07, 2024 in New York City. Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images The U.S. job market is cooling at a worrisome rate but not to an extent that warrants panic — at least, not yet, according to economists. Their concern lies

Democratic presidential candidate US Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally at Enmarket Arena during a two-day campaign bus tour in Savannah, Georgia, on August 29, 2024. Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images As Vice President Kamala Harris outlines her economic agenda, the Democratic presidential nominee has called for higher taxes on

Thomas Barwick You’d think earning more would make it easier to boost retirement savings. But high earners may find it tricky to access tax breaks in individual retirement accounts. U.S. tax law imposes income limits on breaks related to certain tax-preferred accounts like Roth and traditional (i.e., pretax) IRAs. Those rules may pose a challenge

College still pays off, but the return on investment largely depends on your choice of major. College graduates earn 37% more than those with only a high school diploma, according to a new report by Payscale. But as the cost of a degree rises, it is increasingly important to consider both your area of concentration and future earnings

Afternoon commuters sit in traffic on southbound Interstate 5 near downtown San Diego on March 12, 2024. Kevin Carter | Getty Images “Rush” hour isn’t what it used to be. As more commuters settle into flexible working arrangements, fewer workers are making early morning or early evening trips compared to pre-pandemic traffic patterns The traditional

Cooper Union’s Foundational Building, left, and 41 Cooper Square facility, right, in New York’s Greenwich Village. Image source: Mario Morgado In a move years in the making, the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science announced Tuesday a return to full-tuition scholarships for all graduating seniors. The New York City-based private college, founded in 1859,

The U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C. Caroline Brehman | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images Seven Republican-led states have sued the U.S. Department of Education to block the Biden administration from carrying out its sweeping new student loan forgiveness plan. In the lawsuit, the states — Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, North Dakota

Thomas Barwick Molly Richardson, 35, regularly contributes to her 401(k) plan, but the structural engineer says she isn’t too worried about retirement yet. “It’s always something I felt like I could wait until I’m 50 to figure out,” she said. Like many other working adults, Richardson says she has more pressing expenses for now, such

President Joe Biden announces a new plan for federal student loan relief at Madison Area Technical College Truax Campus, in Madison, Wisconsin, on April 8, 2024. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters President Joe Biden may try to forgive student debt again as early as next month, in a sweeping redo effort that could impact tens of

Hero Images | Getty Images Since most Americans aren’t eligible for Medicare before age 65, many younger retirees rely on Marketplace health insurance, which offers lower monthly premiums through the end of 2025 thanks to boosted tax breaks. But retirees can face a costly tax surprise without proper planning, experts say. As of open enrollment

Ascentxmedia | E+ | Getty Images With the Federal Reserve poised to start cutting interest rates, experts are divided on what’s ahead for the U.S. economy. While some worry the economy could be in for a broad decline, or recession, others hope the central bank can effectively avoid a downturn and execute a “soft landing.”

Vm | E+ | Getty Images Owning isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. For many reasons — including affordability — more Americans are choosing to rent everything from cars and apartments to clothing and furniture these days, according to a report by Intuit Credit Karma. Far beyond the traditional tuxedo, the rental industry

The Good Brigade | Digitalvision | Getty Images Despite being a hallmark of the American Dream, buying a home is less affordable for many these days. Higher mortgage rates and a shortage of houses on the market relative to demand have kept prices elevated and created a financial crunch for many would-be buyers. The median

Morsa Images | Digitalvision | Getty Images Retirees who are worried about the high costs of prescription drugs are set to get new relief starting in 2025. Starting in January, Medicare drug plan enrollees will have their annual out-of-pocket drug costs capped at $2,000. Between 2025 and 2029, on average, about 1.4 million participants in

Jamie Grill | Getty Images It may not be the season’s new hot toy, but gifting a child money toward college could have a more lasting impact. Daniel Trujillo, 39, a certified public accountant in Albuquerque, New Mexico, said he was blown away when his friend suggested putting money into a college savings account in

Piranka | E+ | Getty Images The season of fall foliage and pumpkin spice lattes is approaching. Meanwhile, the job market might also turning over a new leaf. A “September surge,” or the idea that more job postings become available after Labor Day, is tied to an end of a summer slowdown as job recruiters

Xavier Lorenzo | Moment | Getty Images A lack of attention to taxes may be costing investors big bucks. Many investors are probably familiar with the concept of asset allocation, which entails selecting the right mix of stocks and bonds (say, 60/40) to balance investment risk and return. But where those assets are held —

Getty Images When cracks start to show in the labor market, young adults are often the first to feel it. To that point, about 16% of 18- to 24-year-olds are not employed and not enrolled in high school or college, according to a recent report by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, which refers

The U.S. Department of Education announced additional details about the rollout of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid for the upcoming year, which may address some of the issues that plagued last year’s college aid application cycle. The 2025-26 FAFSA will be available to limited groups of students in a series of beta

Images By Tang Ming Tung | Digitalvision | Getty Images Employers are increasingly putting workers’ 401(k) plan savings on autopilot. But the positive impact of automated retirement savings is more muted than initially thought, new research finds. Previously “underexamined” factors — like workers cashing out 401(k) balances when they leave a job — “meaningfully reduce”