Personal finance

Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren gestures as she speaks during a campaign stop at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia on May 16, 2019. Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren isn’t waiting for the election to push forward her proposal to erase the majority of the country’s outstanding student

If you want to try paying less to your credit card company, go old school and make a phone call. While most cardholders have not requested a break on either interest rates or fees recently, the majority of those who did ask were successful, a recent survey shows. In a recent one-year period — a

DNY59 | iStock | 360 | Getty Images To save, or not to save? That question might not be yours to answer. A growing number of companies now direct money from their employees’ paychecks to a retirement account — even after a worker has said “no, thanks.” Auto-enrollment into retirement plans, of course, is not

With the Atlantic hurricane season underway, homeowners should be aware that inadequate insurance coverage can make recovering from a bad situation even worse. Whether damage from a storm comes from wind or water, homeowners whose coverage is insufficient have discovered the hard way that it makes recovery difficult and that their options for help are

The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department have issued final rules blocking certain states’ attempts to work around the new $10,000 cap for state and local tax deductions. After the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in 2017 imposed a $10,000 limit on state and local tax deductions that itemizers could claim on their federal

aldomurillo | E+ | Getty Images Spending your days with your toes in the sand may sound like the perfect way to spend your retirement. However, there’s a lot more to take into consideration when it comes to finding the ideal location. U.S. News & World Report recently analyzed the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas

Kelvin Murray | Getty Images Older workers could soon find it easier to prove they’ve run into age discrimination on the job. The House Education and Labor Committee voted on Tuesday to approve the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act (POWADA), introduced by Sens. Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa; and Bob Casey, a Democrat

When it comes to your resume, DIY may not be your best strategy. It’s never been easier to create your own resume. You’ve got word processing templates, examples on Pinterest and decent paper from the office supplies store. Turn it into a PDF and you’re good to go. Maybe not, though. A survey from TopResume,

ADragan | iStock | Getty Images Many people are in the dark about what makes their credit scores rise and fall. That’s the takeaway from a new survey by the Consumer Federation of America and VantageScore Solutions, which found that consumer knowledge about credit scores is at the lowest level in the past eight years.

You’ve probably heard before that baby boomers are to blame for Social Security’s money woes. Yet new research from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College suggests otherwise. Tetra Images | Getty Images The thinking typically goes that boomers, who were born between 1944 and 1964, have put undue pressure on the system because

If you’re thinking about having basic Medicare without any supplemental coverage, experts have a message for you: Don’t. With deductibles, copays, coinsurance and — this is a biggie — no out-of-pocket maximum, the program has a variety of costs that make having no backup insurance a huge financial risk. “All it takes is one big

Mick Jagger performs during the Rock in Rio Lisbon 2014 music festival, in Lisbon, Portugal on May 29, 2014. (Photo by Pedro Fiúza/NurPhoto via Getty Images) NurPhoto | NurPhoto | Getty Images If you’re attending a Rolling Stones concert this summer, you might notice something different. And no, it’s not Mick Jagger’s new moves. The

Tourists on the beach in San Diego HawaiiBlue | Moment | Getty Images There’s a new trend in travel: the microbreak. It is exactly as the name implies: a short, one- or two-night getaway — and it could be a good alternative to a more expensive, extended vacation. “Microbreaks are super, super quick and easy

Suppose $20,000 unexpectedly comes your way and the only requirement is that you put it toward retirement. Great, you say. But how do I do that? If you’re a teen or young adult, choosing the best place to put retirement money — before even getting to the point of deciding exactly how to invest it

Getty Images Got your first job at a start up? This workplace perk gives you a shot at a windfall — if you’re lucky. When offered as part of a compensation package, stock options give workers an opportunity to own a slice of the company. It can be an attractive perk. That’s because while smaller,

People think thank-you notes are about as relevant as mix tapes, and you definitely shouldn’t send one after an interview. Or you definitely should. Chloe Gershonson, 25, got her first job after graduating because she sent a thank-you note — on paper, handwritten — after her initial interview, conducted remotely, with her prospective employer. “They

Kelvin Murray | Getty Images There are many reasons that older Americans take on part-time work after leaving a full-time job behind — perhaps better financial security, a sense of purpose or a way to stay connected. It’s also becoming more common to work well into one’s 60s or 70s, or even 80s. By 2026,

A Quest Diagnostics Inc. requisition form is displayed for a photograph at Perry Memorial Hospital in Princeton, Illinois, U.S., on Wednesday, Oct. 11, 2017. Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images Medical identity theft like the recent breach involving nearly 12 million Quest Diagnostics patients can cost you lots of money. In 2018, there were

Oliver Rossi | The Image Bank | Getty Images Legislation that will help workers save for retirement could also have a chilling effect on a strategy to pass individual retirement accounts on to heirs. The bill, known as the Secure Act, sailed through the House on May 23. Legislators on both sides of the aisle

Chegg has a new plan to help its employees deal with their student loans. And its CEO wants other companies to follow Chegg’s lead. The student-connected learning platform announced a new program Thursday that will give its entry- through manager-level workers up to $5,000 a year, if they have been with the company at least