Personal finance

Monty Rakusen | Digitalvision | Getty Images Commodities aren’t for everyone, as they can be tricky investments. But for individual investors willing to learn the basics and accept volatility, a judicious allocation can make sense. This can diversify traditional portfolios of stocks and bonds, hedge against geopolitical risk and protect against sustained inflation. Yet buying

Mario Tama | Getty Images Both jobseekers and policymakers can take solace in the current state of the U.S. job market, according to labor economists. Largely, that’s because it’s cooling gradually but remains strong — a sort of Goldilocks scenario whereby workers can find jobs with relative ease but the Federal Reserve likely won’t see

Bitcoin. Umit Turhan Coskun | Nurphoto | Getty Images Even as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission delays a decision on several applications for the first spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund, many in the crypto industry are still feeling optimistic for a future blessing from the agency. SEC filings dated Aug. 31 indicated the agency would

Close up upset businesswoman in glasses having problem with laptop, broken or discharged device, confused unhappy woman looking at computer screen, reading bad news, unexpected debt or spam Fizkes | Istock | Getty Images The interest on federal student loans has started accruing again. Since March 2020, the interest rate on most government-owned education debt

Jlco – Julia Amaral | Istock | Getty Images After a three-year pause, millions of Americans with federal student loans will receive their first bill in roughly a month. When borrowers get their bills in October, they’ll be interacting with a lending system that has undergone several changes since before the pandemic. Here are four

A shopper makes their way through a grocery store on July 12, 2023 in Miami, Florida. Joe Raedle | Getty Images News | Getty Images As high inflation persists, many workers may be struggling to come up with the cash to cover an unexpected emergency expense. To that point, 63% of employees are unable to

Source: Envato Elements Job openings and layoffs dropped slightly for another consecutive month in July, according to government data released on Tuesday. That slowdown is a sign the labor market is getting back to pre-pandemic patterns, economists say. The number of job openings edged down to 8.8 million in July, dropping from 9.58 million in June, reported

Artistgndphotography | E+ | Getty Images Most Americans see climate change as a major threat. But income level seems to guide one’s willingness or ability to live a greener lifestyle. Fifty-nine percent of high-income consumers always or often choose sustainable products, whereas that’s true for only 44% and 42% of mid- and low-income households, respectively,

The U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C. Caroline Brehman | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images The Biden administration announced on Wednesday it would forgive $72 million in student debt for more than 2,300 borrowers who attended Ashford University. The aid will go to students from the online for-profit school based in San Diego,

eclipse_images | E+ | Getty Images So-called junk fees can be tricky. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been scrutinizing some banking fees, including those for overdrafts and non-sufficient funds, that can catch customers by surprise — and are “likely unfair and unlawful,” according to the agency. The consumer watchdog proposed a rule prohibiting financial institutions from charging certain fees on

Francisco Javier Ortiz Marzo | Istock | Getty Images In a month or so, millions of Americans will have to adjust their budgets to once again put hundreds of dollars a month toward their student debt. Their retirement savings may suffer as a result, experts warn. “Workers are already facing obstacles to saving for retirement,

In this article CTRN AXP Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Violetastoimenova | E+ | Getty Images After making a big purchase with your credit card, you may log into to see your card balance and notice a new option to segment that purchase out and pay a lower interest rate on it over a

An estimated 48 million Americans are caring for someone over the age of 18. Many of them are family members caring for an elderly parent or older relative — and the value of that unpaid care is estimated at about $600 billion dollars a year, according to a recent report by AARP. Daphne Taylor, Debbie

Hero Images | Getty Images It’s getting harder to find new, cheap cars, according to auto experts. Consider this: In July, just one car model — the Mitsubishi Mirage — had an average new-vehicle transaction price below $20,000, according to Kelley Blue Book data. By comparison, there were a dozen vehicles that met that pricing

Terry Vine | Getty Images Higher earners who maximize retirement savings now have more time for pretax catch-up 401(k) contributions, thanks to new IRS guidance.  Currently, “catch-up contributions” allow savers 50 and older to funnel an extra $7,500 into 401(k) plans and other retirement plans beyond the $22,500 employee deferral limit for 2023. A change

For a growing number of families, financial aid is key when it comes to paying for college. With tuition on the rise, most college-bound students now rely on a combination of resources to make it work, including income and savings, free money from scholarships and grants, and, of course, student loans, according to education lender Sallie

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the Supreme Court’s decision on the Administration’s student debt relief program at the White House on June 30, 2023. The Washington Post | The Washington Post | Getty Images After the Supreme Court struck down the original White House federal student loan forgiveness plan earlier this year, legal historian

sturti Increased longevity is challenging people to rethink the traditional three-step life path of education, work and retirement. But one age group — individuals ages 40 to 59 — is more likely to struggle with this concept, according to new research from Transamerica and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology AgeLab. “That cohort based on the

Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images Nearly 1 in 3 investors would use artificial intelligence as their financial advisor, a new survey suggests — and that has the potential to lead to flawed advice, experts said.   Specifically, 31% of investors queried would be comfortable implementing financial advice from a generative AI program without first verifying

Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images Hoping to invest in artificial intelligence? Today’s “niche” companies and those seen as AI leaders are unlikely to be the biggest winners for long-term investors, said Barry Glassman, a certified financial planner and member of CNBC’s Advisor Council. “I’ve been through this enough to see that the niche players early