Personal finance

Scott Olson | Getty The Powerball jackpot is officially $1 billion — the fifth-largest prize in the game’s history — without a winner from Saturday night’s drawing. If you win the grand prize by matching all six numbers, you’ll have two payout options: a lump sum of $483.8 Million or annuitized payments worth $1 billion.

What was once a gesture of appreciation has quickly become a source of annoyance. With the rapid rise of tipping culture post-pandemic, consumers face more opportunities to tip for a wider range of services than ever before, a trend also referred to as “tip creep.” But recent surveys show shoppers are experiencing “tip fatigue” and starting to tip

New cars today are loaded with high-tech features for car shoppers, from their own operating systems to navigation and remote unlock. But with those advancements come questions about driver privacy, said Ivan Drury, the director of insights at Edmunds, a car site. “As much advancement as we have when it comes to new features, many

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink speaks during the New York Times DealBook Summit Nov. 30, 2022 in New York City.  Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images News | Getty Images The idea of raising the Social Security retirement age has one more fan: BlackRock Chairman and Chief Executive Larry Fink. “No one should have to work

Drakula & Co. | Moment | Getty Images With roughly two weeks until the federal tax deadline, there’s still time to reduce an unexpected tax bill or boost your refund. After year-end, investors have limited tax planning opportunities. It’s too late to boost pretax 401(k) contributions, donate to charity or reduce portfolio profits with tax-loss

A majority of Americans, 95%, said they plan to look for a new job this year, according to a January 2024 survey by job site Monster. Money is a big reason, with 45% of workers saying they need a higher income. Data from the Federal Reserve shows that job switchers increase their salaries more quickly, on average, than

Eric Audras | Onoky | Getty Images If you miss a doctor’s appointment these days, you could get hit with a “no-show” fee of up to $100 — or more. This happened to me recently for the first time, and the charge was a steep $150. When I complained to friends and family, I learned

Zeljkosantrac | E+ | Getty Images The Social Security Administration has issued a final rule that will prevent food assistance from reducing payments to certain beneficiaries. The change applies to Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, which provides monthly checks to adults and children who are disabled, blind or age 65 and older, and have little

Harvard University’s Dunster House in Cambridge, MA Blake Nissen for The Boston Globe via Getty Images March 28 is “Ivy Day,” when the nation’s top schools release long-awaited admissions decisions. A fascination with the eight private colleges that comprise the Ivy League spans decades. It is only now, some say, that students are taking a more

Tara Moore | Stone | Getty Images Katherine Dowling has an analogy that may be useful for investors thinking of buying cryptocurrency like bitcoin and wondering what amount is appropriate. It’s “like cayenne pepper,” said Dowling, general counsel and chief compliance officer at Bitwise Asset Management, a crypto money manager. “A little goes a long

10’000 Hours | Digitalvision | Getty Images There’s still time to lower your 2023 tax bill or boost your refund with a lesser-known retirement savings strategy for married couples. One requirement for individual retirement account contributions is “earned income,” such as wages or salary from a job or self-employment earnings. But there’s an exception for

Laylabird | E+ | Getty Images Breaking up in old age can be costly, especially for women. The rate of “gray divorce” — a term that describes divorce at age 50 and older — doubled from 1990 to 2019, according to a 2022 study published in The Journals of Gerontology. It tripled for adults over