Personal finance

Ryanjlane | E+ | Getty Images Sometimes, it pays to pay with cash.   More merchants are offering a lower price to customers who use cash rather than credit card for a purchase. That means opting for paper over plastic may save you money in some cases. Just how much? Typically, cash discounts run about

Fatcamera | E+ | Getty Images To understand why women are still fighting to catch up to men economically, author Josie Cox turns to the past. She doesn’t have to look too far back. The Women’s Business Ownership Act, which allowed women to obtain business financing without a male co-signer, didn’t pass until 1988, Cox,

Between the six-figure price tag and hefty student loan tab, more students are questioning whether a four-year degree is worth it — and deciding the answer is no. Since the pandemic, a growing number have opted out. Although college enrollment declines leveled off in fall 2023, there were 900,000 fewer undergraduates enrolled in college in the spring 2024 term compared

Elena Perova | Istock | Getty Images High inflation is subsiding, but many Americans have yet to see relief from elevated prices at the grocery store. “Grocery prices skyrocketed during the pandemic, and in many cases, they’ve kept going up, even though the pandemic is over,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said at a Wednesday Senate

Phynart Studio | E+ | Getty Images Coming up with the down payment as an aspiring homeowner can be a daunting task. Many have already begun working toward that goal. About 77% of future homebuyers have started putting money aside for a down payment, according to a new survey by Clever.com, a housing and real

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) faces reporters during a break in a bipartisan Artificial Intelligence (AI) Insight Forum for all U.S. senators at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, September 13, 2023. Julia Nikhinson | Reuters Elizabeth Warren wants more student loan borrowers to know that it is now easier to part with their debt in

Sturti | E+ | Getty Images If your kids are working summer jobs, it’s a prime opportunity to help them open a retirement account and start saving for the future, experts say. Roth individual retirement accounts can be “triple-tax efficient” for teenagers, according to certified financial planner Carol Fabbri, managing partner of Fair Advisors in

Skynesher | E+ | Getty Images New technologies have given people access to more information and new tools to manage their money. Robo-advisors can build and rebalance portfolios based on customer preferences. However, automation doesn’t factor in people’s emotional needs. Experts say adding behavioral science to investing knowledge can help financial advisors get better results

Longhua Liao | Moment | Getty Images Some investors may worry about market volatility ahead, given a contentious presidential race, lingering inflation, sinking consumer sentiment and uncertainty over Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. Financial analyst Tom Lee has a more optimistic outlook. “Since Covid, companies went through a huge stress test, and they showed that

D3sign | Moment | Getty Images The IRS has extended the Free File program through 2029, continuing its partnership with a coalition of private tax software companies that allow most Americans to file federal taxes for free. This season, Free File processed 2.9 million returns through May 11, a 7.3% increase compared to the same

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks regarding student loan debt forgiveness in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Wednesday August 24, 2022. Demetrius Freeman | The Washington Post | Getty Images The Biden administration said on Wednesday that it would forgive $7.7 billion in student loans for more than 160,000 borrowers, its latest

Some young retirement savers say they might raid their 401(k) accounts to buy a home. Doing so, however, could be to their detriment, experts warn. Nearly one-third (30%) of aspiring homeowners say they plan to withdraw funds from their 401(k) plan to fund a purchase, according to the Real Financial Progress Index by BMO Financial