Personal finance

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

Senator Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa and ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, during a hearing in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, March 12, 2024.  Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images As Congress wrestles with a looming decision over trillions in expiring tax breaks, lawmakers and experts in a Senate Budget Committee hearing debated

Director of the National Economic Council Lael Brainard speaks at the White House in Washington, D.C., on January 11, 2024. Drew Angerer | Getty Images President Joe Biden‘s top economic advisor on Thursday unveiled plans to address trillions in expiring tax breaks enacted by former President Donald Trump. After 2025, several provisions from the Tax Cuts and

Pixelseffect | E+ | Getty Images Consumers saw prices for some goods and services deflate in May, amid a backdrop of broadly easing inflationary pressures. Whereas inflation is a measure of how quickly consumer prices are rising, deflation is the opposite: It gauges how quickly they’re declining. There are currently some “micro pockets” of deflation

Moyo Studio | E+ | Getty Images With half of 2024 in the rearview mirror and the second half on the horizon, you may be able to give yourself a pat on the back for sticking to the financial goals you set at the start of the year — or, maybe, discover that you’ve veered