Personal finance

Car payments have skyrocketed in recent years due to a combination of high prices and high interest rates. While some relief may come soon, industry insiders say prices may still remain high for quite some time. As of May, customers were paying, on average, $760 a month for an auto loan, according to Moody’s Analytics.

A potential buyer walks in to view a home for sale during an open house in Parkland, Florida, May 25, 2021. Carline Jean | Tribune News Service | Getty Images Owning a home can provide a way to build wealth that will transfer from one generation to the next. But more than $32 billion in

Halbergman | E+ | Getty Images Most people know very little about the Uber drivers who take them to work, school and wherever else they need to go. In Jonathan Rigsby’s new book, “Drive: Scraping by in Uber’s America, One Ride at a Time,” he takes the reader into the driver’s seat. Despite Rigsby’s job

Andresr | E+ | Getty Images With trillions of dollars in tax breaks scheduled to expire after 2025, financial advisors are working with clients to prepare for the looming tax cliff.     Enacted by former President Donald Trump, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, or TCJA, included lower federal income tax brackets, bigger standard

Rudi_suardi | E+ | Getty Images Americans have seen their buying power rise for a year amid falling inflation and a strong job market, which might be welcome news for households struggling to afford everyday purchases. The average worker in the private sector saw their real hourly earnings grow 0.8% from May 2023 to May

The Federal Reserve left rates unchanged last week and signaled that only one cut is expected before the end of the year. That means anyone who carries a balance on their credit card won’t be getting much of a break from sky-high interest charges. “Consumers need to understand that the cavalry isn’t coming anytime soon,

A customer shops at a Safeway store on June 11, 2024 in Mill Valley, California.  Justin Sullivan | Getty Images The rate of price increases for food has subsided in recent months, according to the latest government inflation data. However, shoppers still report feeling burdened by the prices they’re seeing in the grocery store aisles.

D’Aungilique Jackson, of Fresno, California, holds a “Cancel Student Debt” sign outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington, D.C., after the nation’s high court struck down President Joe Biden’s student debt relief program on Friday, June 30, 2023. Kent Nishimura | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images It took Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin around

D3sign | Moment | Getty Images The second-quarter estimated tax deadline for 2024 is June 17, and you could owe a penalty if you don’t send a payment, according to the IRS. You typically owe estimated tax payments for income without withholdings, such as from contract jobs, freelancing or gig economy work, or if you

zimmytws | iStock | Getty Images A protester interrupted a January congressional committee hearing to consider a bill that would create a bipartisan commission to address Social Security. “A vote for a commission is a vote to cut Social Security,” the man shouted before he was escorted off the floor. While there was a protest

In this article SCHW Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Eternity In An Instant | Stone | Getty Images Gen Z is getting an early start with investing — and experts say that’s to their advantage. Gen Z adults began investing and saving at age 19 on average, according to the 2024 Schwab Modern Wealth

Jose Luis Pelaez Inc To gauge your retirement preparedness, you may compare your 401(k) balance with other savers’ progress. But you might find that people in your field are a better comparison point than those in your age group. Recent data from Fidelity finds that 401(k) plan investors on the firm’s platform had a $125,900