Personal finance

Fg Trade | Istock | Getty Images For consumers in search of an affordable new car, there’s little relief on the horizon. The monthly costs to finance a vehicle purchase have hit record highs. Consumers face monthly payments averaging $656 for a new car, financed at 5.1% over 70.5 months (nearly six years), according to

Getty Images The first half of 2022 has been a whirlwind for investors and financial advisors amid high market volatility. As they brace themselves for the second half of the year, a key way for them to succeed will be rebalancing, Omar Aguilar, CEO and CIO at Schwab Asset Management said at the CNBC Financial

The Marriner S. Eccles Federal Reserve Board Building in Washington, D.C. Sarah Silbiger | Reuters The Federal Reserve on Wednesday hiked its benchmark interest rate by 0.75 percentage points, the largest increase in nearly three decades. It’s the latest move from the U.S. central bank to combat the highest inflation in roughly 40 years, which

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 looks set to raise its benchmark rate again today, and may even hand out the first three-quarter-point hike in 28 years. The central

Chairman of the Federal Reserve Jerome Powell (left) meets with President Joe Biden in the Oval Office on May 31, 2022. Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images The Federal Reserve is again poised to raise interest rates in an attempt to slow down the highest inflation in four decades without pushing the U.S. economy

Rbkomar | Moment | Getty Images You may not want to check your 401(k) statement for a while. If you do, you may see a drop in your balance, as a recent market rout has sent the S&P 500 Index into bear market territory as of Monday. A “bear market” happens when equity markets are

“I’m telling my clients to be very defensive,” said certified financial planner Ivory Johnson, founder of Delancey Wealth Management in Washington, D.C. Flamingoimages | Istock | Getty Images Financial advisor Ivory Johnson doesn’t sugarcoat what’s unfolding in the stock market and economy for his clients. “It’s a very bad time,” said Johnson, a certified financial

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission headquarters in Washington on Feb. 23, 2022. Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images Charles Schwab agreed to pay $187 million to settle an SEC investigation into alleged hidden fees charged by the firm’s robo-advisor, Schwab Intelligent Portfolios, according to an agency announcement on Monday. “Robo-advisor” is shorthand for a digital

Piksel | Istock | Getty Images Many people who have turned to Social Security for help in recent years have found long waits for service. The pandemic made those delays worse. But the issue actually dates back to before the onset of Covid-19. Congress has cut Social Security’s core operating budget by 17% since 2010,

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 information to savers about their investments and the size of their nest egg, for example. Starting in a few weeks, the notices

A man shops for meat at a Safeway grocery store in Annapolis, Maryland, on May 16, 2022, as Americans brace for summer sticker shock as inflation continues to grow. Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images The highest inflation in roughly 40 years is prompting people to shift their shopping habits, especially at the grocery

Prathanchorruangsak | Istock | Getty Images Maxing out your 401(k) isn’t easy, but if you reach the limit with money to spare, there may be a way to save more.  In 2022, employees can defer $20,500 plus $6,500 for investors 50 and older. However, after-tax contributions may bypass those caps up to $61,000, including company