I’m a single female in my late 40s with no children. At 50 years old, my federal agency will allow me to retire with a full pension. I’m planning to, as I have a significant amount saved in my thrift ...
Tag: consumer products
‘I dug myself out of the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle’: Should I use my bonus to pay off my mortgage, put it in a savings account or Vanguard?
Dear Quentin, Over the last couple years I dug myself out of the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle, and I am making good money. I never learned about stocks, investing, etc. I do not have a 401(k) at work. M...
Democrats release six years of Trump’s tax returns, and CPAs have questions: ‘The personal tax return is just the tip of the iceberg.’
The nonpartisan committee’s findings also raised several red flags related to the filings, namely Trump’s carryover losses, loans to his children that may or may not also be considered taxable gifts, ...
The White House embraced debt forgiveness in 2022. Here’s what student-loan borrowers can expect in 2023.
This was the year the White House embraced the idea of mass student-loan forgiveness, but 2023 will likely be the year when borrowers will find out whether the policy will actually impact their wallet...
5 things not to buy in 2023
It’s been a year of contradictions. The recession drum beats on, interest rates are rising, and the stock market has taken a tumble, and yet retail sales have risen 6.5% in the last 12 months, trailin...
‘Auto makers are building more expensive vehicles’: Why you should not buy a new car in 2023
There are always good reasons for most people not to buy a new car. Such a purchase can set you back for years, as high monthly payments delay the buildup of savings and investments that will be neede...
With this simple year-end change to your retirement accounts, you can reap significant tax rewards
If you are a middle-income earner, you may be in a much better position tax-wise than you realize. That’s good news: You may be able to take advantage of that better position to strengthen your retire...
Are high-deductible health plans worth it? Here’s who can benefit the most.
Hello and welcome to Financial Face-off, a MarketWatch column where we help you weigh financial decisions. Our columnist will give her verdict. Tell us whether you think she’s right in the comments. A...
10 ways American finances actually improved in 2022, despite high interest rates and a slump in stocks
Many Americans are ending the year feeling gloomy about their finances, and you don’t need to be a psychiatrist to figure out why. Runaway inflation gnawed through household budgets as prices soared o...
IRS pauses rule requiring people to report PayPal, Venmo transactions over $600. Here’s what went wrong.
To avert taxpayer confusion in the upcoming tax season, the IRS is delaying a rule that would have required e-commerce sites and payment platforms like eBay EBAY, +0.12%, Etsy ETSY, -0.32% and PayPal ...
Moving into a retirement community, how to know when you have enough saved, the best RMD strategies and more retirement news
From MarketWatch Retirement: How much should you have saved for retirement? Aim for these age-related benchmarks as you save for retirement. These are the top 10 mistakes people make when planning fo...
My mom spent $90K on bitcoin and gifts in a romance scam. Can the tax code help her?
My mom went into debt to buy bitcoin for a scammer because she thought she was in a romantic relationship with him. She also racked up credit-card debt to mail computers and gift cards to the scammer....
Vanguard sees a recession in 2023 — and one ‘silver lining’ for investors
The last 12 months was a year of fast-rising inflation, fast-rising interest rates and fast-rising questions about a future recession. Prices went up while stock markets and savings account balances w...
One company could determine if U.S. corporate profits rise to a record next year
As Wall Street looks toward 2023, earnings growth for the companies that make up the S&P 500 index could hinge on just one of them: Amazon.com Inc. Amazon AMZN, -1.39%, the online retail giant who...
I sold my late mother’s home for $250,000. I make $80,000 and have $220,000 in student debt. I want to buy a house. Should I use all my inheritance for a down payment?
My mom passed away, and left me her house, which I just sold and will net $250,000. I’m 41 years old with no real retirement savings. I make $80,000 a year, and I am maxing out contributions to my emp...
Cryptocurrency investor losses are being turned into IRS gains — here’s how they’re doing it
The Internal Revenue Service has been turning up its scrutiny on cryptocurrency investors in recent years, and as that happens, more investors have been turning to the tax code’s rules on investment l...
How The Skincare Industry Is Turning to Gene Editing in a Race Against Time
Nature-sourced ingredients in cosmetics could be replaced with sustainable products made with … [+] synthetic biology. Stable Diffusion generative algorithm. Your skincare routine might need an ...
Markets will shift to a ‘hope’ phase next year, and investors would be wise not to miss it, says Goldman Sachs
Fresh China COVID-19 worries are threatening to nix any preholiday gains for Wall Street, with stocks struggling, oil tumbling and the dollar higher as Monday’s session gets underway. In a shortened w...
History says inflation could persist for a decade
If you are a retiree, or even near to retirement, you are probably more vulnerable to inflation than most. Your cost of living is probably rising faster than your income. You’re lucky if any pension o...
FTX bankruptcy: Can account holders expect to get their money back?
FTX, the unraveling cryptocurrency exchange, has plummeted from its high-profile perch straight into bankruptcy court. On Friday morning, FTX and related entities including Alameda Research, its affil...
If I sell my rental I can pay off my primary mortgage and be debt-free. Is that a good idea in this housing market?
Dear MarketWatch, I have a rental property that’s worth $175,000, and I owe $53,000. My primary home is worth $265,000 and has $108,000 left on the mortgage. My question is this: Should I sell my ren...
‘This has gone on too long’: The bank paid itself $18,000 in fees. My late father’s trust has not been distributed. What recourse do I have?
My father’s father set up a trust at a major bank with my father and the bank’s trust department as co-trustees. My father died at the end of last year; upon his death, the trust was supposed to be di...
Tupperware stock craters after company warns its debt burden may force it out of business
Tupperware Brands Corp. stock tumbled 41% Wednesday, after the maker of food storage products missed third-quarter earnings expectations, warned it may go out of business, and conceded that some of it...
‘Am I being ripped off?’ I moved into my husband’s home. I pay for groceries. The rental income from my apartment goes into our joint savings.
I read one of your previous columns regarding the boyfriend who wants the letter writer to move in. My case is similar, but we have already made a decision on how to structure our finances as they rel...
‘When we dated for 5 years, he implied he was financially secure’: My husband was always hesitant about his finances. Now I know why.
Dear Quentin, My husband and I make about the same salary, and live modestly. Six months after we married, I found out my husband’s net worth is virtually zero. He owes more money than he has assets (...
‘I can no longer be an executive at a high level’: Workers with disabilities, including long COVID, are finding their place as companies become more flexible
Dana Pollard started a new job at the end of 2022, after spending three years recovering from a 2019 stroke. Pollard, 56, lives in Fort Worth, Texas, with his wife. After the stroke, he could not reco...