Personal finance

A storefront in Ocean City, New Jersey, on Aug. 18, 2022. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images Long-term unemployment declined again in September amid a continued strong labor market for job seekers. The number of Americans unemployed at least 27 weeks — the official barometer of long-term joblessness — fell

JGI/Jamie Grill Cold, hard cash could be going by the wayside for many Americans when it comes to routine transactions like paying for groceries or gas. Even so, it’s still important to keep some cash in your wallet, experts say. The cashless economy trend is not necessarily new, but it is gaining momentum, according to

JGI | Jamie Grill | Blend Images | Getty 401(k) plans hold a whopping $7.7 trillion in retirement savings. But cash-outs of small accounts pull billions from the system each year and can harm investors’ chances of a secure retirement, research shows. A trio of the industry’s largest 401(k) administrators — Fidelity Investments, Vanguard Group

Skynesher | E+ | Getty Images A growing share of car buyers are signing up for monthly loan payments of $1,000 or more amid rising interest rates and elevated auto prices, new research shows. Overall, 14.3% of consumers who financed a new vehicle in the third quarter committed to payments at or above that amount,

Demonstrator Gan Golan of Los Angeles at Occupy DC activities in Washington, D.C. Jacquelyn Martin President Joe Biden’s order to cancel student loan debt for millions of Americans could cost an average of $30 billion per year over the next decade, according to Biden administration estimates. The 10-year cost will be roughly $305 billion, as measured by

Increasingly, high school students are rethinking the value of college, with a growing number of them questioning the return on investment. Some have decided against a four-year degree. To be sure, undergraduate enrollment was falling even before the pandemic, but remote learning — coupled with the sky-high cost of college — triggered a nosedive. The

One of the biggest credit card misconceptions is that carrying a balance month to month will give your credit score a boost. To that point, 46% of Americans incorrectly believe that leaving a small balance on their card is better for their credit score than paying off the balance each month, a recent NerdWallet study

Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwards TreasuryDirect With record demand for Series I bonds, an inflation-protected and nearly risk-free asset, the U.S. Department of the Treasury has unveiled a front-end makeover for TreasuryDirect, the online platform investors use to buy assets. While the Treasury still plans future system upgrades, Tuesday’s revamp focuses on website navigation, more concise information and

A primary election voter enters a Tampa, Florida, polling place on Aug. 23, 2022. Octavio Jones | Getty Images Most women ages 50 and up plan to vote in this November’s midterm elections, but half of them have not decided which candidates they will vote for, a new AARP poll finds. One key issue they

Hinterhaus Productions | Getty Images There are signs the hot job market is cooling — but workers still have bargaining power for now, according to labor economists. Job openings, a barometer of employers’ demand for workers, saw a near-record monthly decline in August. Openings fell by 1.1 million to 10.1 million, according to U.S. Department

Hero Images | Hero Images | Getty Images If you’re feeling deflated by high inflation and stock market losses, there’s still time to end 2022 on a positive financial note. Whether you’re sitting on losses, eager to take gains or eyeing gifts to charity, here are three real-life examples of financial advisors helping clients trim

Portra | E+ | Getty Images If you’re retired and haven’t made the necessary quarterly estimated tax payments for 2022, there may still be time to avoid late penalties, experts say. Retirees must send tax payments four times per year if they don’t withhold enough from Social Security, pensions, investments or other sources of income.