These 3 ETFs let you play the hot semiconductor sector, where Nvidia, Micron, AMD and others are growing sales rapidly

Semiconductor stocks may continue to be an excellent area of the market for investors, even though the prospect of a long period of rising interest rates has put pressure on some high-flying technolog...

The No. 1 thing that can improve the retirement security of older workers

Ready for today’s retirement investing pop quiz? What’s the single most consequential thing you can do to improve your chances of not running out of money in retirement? I’ll try answering this questi...

I’m a teacher, still live with my parents, and have $103K in student loan debt, which is more than 2x my salary. What are my options?

Getty Images/iStockphoto Question: “I’m a 33-year-old fourth-year teacher earning $41,098 a year before taxes with about $103,000 in student loans. I still live with my parents because I can’t afford ...

How a Flood of Money Swamped Cathie Wood’s ARK

Fund manager Cathie Wood became a superstar in 2020, after her ARK exchange-traded funds earned some of the highest returns in history. So far this year, ARK Innovation, the largest of Ms. Wood’s ETFs...

I retired at 50, went back to work at 53, then had a major medical issue that left me unemployed – ‘There’s no such thing as a safe amount of money’ for retirement

I had always said I was going to retire when I was 50. I had worked and saved since I was 16. Retiring without Medicare and Social Security is a scary thing. I wound up retiring then going back to wor...

Retiring early this year? Look through Affordable Care Act plans now before the deadline Saturday

Healthcare is one of the largest expenses in retirement, and one of the biggest risks for people who retire before age 65.  Retirement Tip of the Week: Before the open enrollment period ends on Jan. 1...

These S&P 500 stocks have cratered, but analysts think 12 can turn it around with rebounds of up to 70%

A period of high inflation and rising interest rates has taken out shares of companies with rich valuations. Then there’s the stubborn coronavirus, with variants raising infection rates and causing st...

Bad news for home buyers: Mortgage rates have soared to their highest levels since March 2020

Interest rates are surging on the heels of data showing a concerning outlook for inflation — and home buyers are set to pay the price. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 3.45% for the week endin...

Student-Loan Processor Navient to Cancel $1.7 Billion of Debts

One of the nation’s largest student-loan processors will cancel the debt of 66,000 borrowers, totaling $1.7 billion, in an agreement with 40 state attorneys general. The agreements resolve all six out...

Wall Street’s Favorite Oil Stocks for 2022—Including an Obscure One

Text size Bing Guan/Bloomberg Several analysts and strategists expect energy stocks to outperform the broader market in 2022, as they did in 2021. Energy tends to do well in inflationary environments,...

Inflation hit a 31-year high. 7 pros on how they invest during high inflation

Getty Images If you feel like you’ve been paying more for everything from food to tech products, you’re onto something: In December, consumer prices rose 7% from a year prior, which is the highest U.S...

Despite higher wages, inflation gave average worker a 2.4% pay cut last year

A San Francisco grocery store. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images Inflation is taking a big bite out of workers’ paychecks, eroding many of the raises businesses have offered to attrac...

These 14 bank stocks are in the best position to benefit from rising interest rates

What would you say if you were told about a company whose stock was trading much lower to expected earnings per share than the S&P 500 Index? At the same time, it’s also expected to increase EPS n...

Worried About Inflation? Check Out This 7% Treasury Savings Bond.

Text size The Treasury Building Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images One of the best deals for savers now are Treasury Series I savings bonds now paying a 7.12% interest rate. The savings bonds, available el...

Here’s how to make sure a Covid test you buy online isn’t fake

Hache | E+ | Getty Images New Covid cases are rising fast and at-home rapid tests are in high demand. But consumers scrambling to buy tests online — especially as brick-and-mortar retailers sell out o...

‘She has no life insurance, savings or money’: My brother died, leaving his wife with $20,000 in debt. How can I help her?

Dear Quentin, My sister’s husband died last week. They had both lived with us for the previous nine years before moving into an independent living facility. They were there for two and a half months b...

Everything you need to know about the new, free at-home Covid tests

SolStock | E+ | Getty Images During these hard times, at least one thing should should soon get easier: Getting tested for Covid-19. Starting Saturday, many people will be able to get free at-home tes...

Petition for $2,000 stimulus checks reaches 3 million signatures

A worker installs U.S. flags as part of a Covid-19 memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Jan.18, 2021. Carlos Barria | Reuters When the Covid-19 pandemic took hold in March 2020, Steph...

This year’s income tax filing season starts Jan. 24, and the IRS says it’s going to be a ‘frustrating’ one

Ready for your 2021 tax refund? Mark your calendars because January 24 is the date the Internal Revenue Service will start accepting and processing 2021 income tax returns. The 2022 tax season will ru...

Nearly 8% of the S&P 500 has taken a bath this week — 39 stocks fell at least 10%

This stock market is very sensitive to any hint of an increase in interest rates, so it may be no surprise that many tech high-flyers have been falling to earth. But there are others whose shareholder...

The Hottest ETF Sectors for Investors to Bet On in 2022

Many investors are bracing for a more-volatile stock market this year as interest rates, inflation, the pandemic, geopolitical tensions, oil and supply-chain bottlenecks continue to cause uncertainty....

Here Are 3 Things 401(k) Millionaires Should Consider Before Retiring Early

Martinmark/Dreamstime Text size For the record number of 401(k) millionaires minted during the pandemic, retirement may be tempting but the market volatility late last year offers a lesson: Paper weal...

New and used car prices keep climbing. Don’t expect relief soon

When it comes to car shopping these days, sticker price may mean sticker shock. New and used car prices continue to spurt higher amid strong demand and tight inventory. While a manufacturing slowdown ...

Auto Stocks Have Revved Up on EV Ambitions. Here’s Where They Go Next.

Who needs parody cryptocurrency when car stocks are this exciting? Ford Motor , General Motors , Tesla , and Rivian Automotive each had price swings of more than 10% during the first trading week of t...

I’m 26, make $300K a year and have saved over $275K. Should I buy an apartment — or just keep renting?

I’m a single 26-year-old who’s been renting in downtown Atlanta for almost 5 years and want to buy my first home. My lease only allows me to enter the market once a year. If I find a deal, should I br...

I’m a 60 and took out student loans for my child. I owe $36K. What should I do?

Getty Images/iStockphoto Question: I’m a U.S. Army veteran, and I’ve been paying the loans I took out to send my child to college, but the interest was crushing from day one. I’m 60 and I don’t know i...

Opinion: Social Security blows it again

Social Security had another disastrous financial year in 2022 even as it hurtles toward insolvency. America’s main pension plan saw its investments badly trail the booming markets, competitors, and ev...

How to insure your trip amid airline cancellations

NicolasMcComber | E+ | Getty Images Air travel continues to be disrupted this week by the national surge in Covid infections, and many worried Americans may be wondering whether or how to ensure — and...

I’m 68, my husband is terminally ill, and his $3 million estate will go to his son. I want to spend the rest of my days traveling – will I have enough money?

Please help me. I am a 68-year-old woman married 17 years to the love of my life. Our finances have always been separate, and I signed a prenuptial acknowledging that his son will inherit his estate h...

‘The Fed might have to really stop on the brakes’: Mortgage rates surge to highest level in over a year

Mortgage rates rose markedly in the first week of 2022 — potentially setting the tone for a year in which economist expect interest rates to move steadily higher. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage avera...