How the Federal Reserve fights inflation through interest rate hikes

Top officials at the Federal Reserve were seeing inflation data come in very hot for months before policymakers moved to wind down monetary policies that were stimulating the economy. A chorus of anal...

1 in 5 Americans dodging credit card statements as interest spikes

domoyega | E+ | Getty Images As credit card debt swells and interest rates spike, many spenders are fearful about high balances. Nearly 1 in 5 Americans are afraid to check their credit card statement...

Advisors turn to alternative investments to further diversify clients

Marko Geber | DigitalVision | Getty Images After battling downturns in the stock and bond markets, more financial advisors looking to further diversify their clients are turning to alternative investm...

The 8 best options to get small business funding

For many small businesses, access to funding can be a matter of life and death.  The stakes are especially high given that 18.4% of U.S. businesses fail within the first year, 49.7% after five years a...

The wealthy now have more time to avoid estate taxes

If your family has significant wealth, it’s now easier to avoid federal estate taxes, thanks to recent changes from the IRS. The IRS improved a strategy known as “portability,” used ...

How to buy your first car without going broke

Buying your first car after graduation (or while you’re still in college) can be tricky — especially at a time like this when prices are soaring. The average price of a new car was $46,000 in Ju...

Before you ‘chase dividends,’ here’s what to know

With increased fears of a possible recession, investors seeking steady income may turn to stocks paying quarterly dividends, which are part of company profits sent back to investors. Historically, div...

5 markets where home sales are cooling fastest

Stockton, California DenisTangneyJr | iStock | Getty Images After the frenzy of bidding wars, the U.S. housing market is starting to cool, particularly along the West Coast, as mortgage interest rates...

10 U.S. real estate markets that are cooling the fastest

David Ryder | Getty Images After staggering growth during the pandemic, the U.S. housing Boismarket is starting to cool — and it’s happening fastest along the West Coast. The quickest-cooling re...

These 4 mid-year tax strategies can trim next year’s bill from the IRS

seksan Mongkhonkhamsao | Moment | Getty Images 1. Review tax withholdings When starting a new job, you fill out Form W-4, covering how much your employer withholds from your paychecks for federal taxe...

Experts answer three tricky questions about Series I bonds

The demand for Series I bonds, an inflation-protected and nearly risk-free asset, has skyrocketed as investors seek refuge from soaring prices and stock market volatility. While annual inflation rose ...

Why deal experts say you might want to skip it

Prime Day prices may not be Amazon’s best-ever offer Just because something is discounted on Prime Day doesn’t mean it’s the best deal you’ll see anywhere, or even all year. Na...

How Paula Pant quit her job to teach people how to afford anything

Paula Pant didn’t follow the same career path as most people in her community and family. She disappointed many when she decided to quit her job as a newspaper reporter to travel the world. Pant...

Here’s how much cash you need for a recession, according to advisors

designer491 | iStock | Getty Images With the threat of a recession looming, more financial experts are sharing how to prepare — including how much cash it may be smart to set aside.   The end of June ...

Metropolitan areas with the most million-dollar homes

Historic row houses in Columbia Heights neighborhood of Washington. amedved | iStock | Getty Images Million-dollar homes aren’t common in the U.S., but you’re more likely to find these pro...

S&P 500 had worst half in 50 years, but the 60/40 portfolio isn’t dead

Stock trader on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Spencer Platt | Getty Images News | Getty Images The S&P 500 Index, a barometer of U.S. stocks, just had its worst first half of the year ...

Rollover IRAs cost consumers $45.5 billion in fees, earnings: study

andresr | E+ | Getty Images IRA rollovers are common for job switchers, retirees Investors rolled $516.7 billion from workplace plans into traditional IRAs in 2018, the latest year for which data is a...

How to buy Series I savings bonds via TreasuryDirect

Eakgrunge | Istock | Getty Images There’s been record demand for federal Series I savings bonds, an inflation-protected and nearly risk-free asset, offering an eye-popping 9.62% annual return th...

A $1 million Mega Millions ticket is about to expire

It looks like a Mega Millions player is about to join the ranks of lottery winners who end up missing out on a windfall. A ticket purchased in Lewisville, North Carolina, and worth $1 million will exp...

How to save money on summer cooling bills as energy prices rise

A pedestrian uses an umbrella to get some relief from the sun as she walks past a sign displaying the temperature on June 20, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. Ralph Freso | Getty Images Tips for efficient en...

6 key financial steps to take after a layoff

Halfpoint Images | Moment | Getty Images 1. Take a financial inventory Among the first things to do if you lose your job is take stock of financial resources at your disposal, according to financial a...

30% of LGBTQ+ adults experienced discrimination in financial services

Rainbow flags celebrate Pride Month in New York. Lev Radin | Pacific Press | LightRocket | Getty Images Members of the LGBTQIA+ community are still struggling, in some instances, to access financial s...

Most women see money as a tool to effect change, survey shows

Over the past couple of years, the effects of Covid-19, social activism and economic uncertainty have profoundly impacted women’s attitudes about their finances, according to a UBS survey. Nearl...

How inflation, interest rate hikes affect the 60/40 portfolio strategy

How a 60/40 portfolio strategy works The strategy allocates 60% to stocks and 40% to bonds — a traditional portfolio that carries a moderate level of risk. More generally, “60/40” is a sho...

Women prefer values-based investing. Here’s how that impacts their wealth

Mint Images | Mint Images Rf | Getty Images Women prefer investing in a way that helps the environment and does social good, some studies have found. Such values-based investing could help raise women...

Tax pros ‘very skeptical’ about expanded IRS voice bots for payments plans

Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images If you get a tax bill and want help from the IRS to set up a payment plan, newly expanded voice bots may make for faster phone service, according to the agency. Bu...

36% of high earners are living paycheck to paycheck

South_agency | E+ | Getty Images More than a third of high-earning American workers feel strapped for cash — a share that has risen dramatically in recent years. Thirty-six percent of U.S. employees w...

Here’s what the Fed’s highest rate hike in 28 years means for you

What the federal funds rate means to you The federal funds rate, which is set by the central bank, is the interest rate at which banks borrow and lend to one another overnight. Although that’s n...

How raising rates slows inflation

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell speaks at a news conference following a Federal Open Market Committee meeting on May 4, 2022 in Washington, DC. Win McNamee | Getty Images The Federal Reserve lo...

Staying on track with retirement, near-term goals amid choppy markets

Rbkomar | Moment | Getty Images Remember better days are coming The best and worst days tend to be clustered together, data from J.P. Morgan shows. If you sell, you may miss the upside — and that will...

IRS boosts mileage rate deductions as gas prices soar to $5 a gallon

Guy Benhamou sends a picture of gas prices to friends while pumping gas at an Exxon Mobil gas station on June 9, 2022 in Houston. Brandon Bell | Getty Images If you’re self-employed or own a sma...

Lifetime income illustrations are a ‘wake-up call’ for 401(k) savers

Blackcat | E+ | Getty Images You may get a nasty surprise when you open your next 401(k) statement. These statements generally arrive each quarter, either online or by mail. They provide basic informa...