Personal finance

Araya Doheny | Getty Images When Dave Bernstein, 87, started working at the U.S. Postal Service in February 1970, he was making $2.35 an hour. To supplement his income, he also took on other work. Years later, Bernstein decided in 1992 to take a voluntary retirement. “We knew there was going to be a reduced

Nosystem Images | E+ | Getty Images Many older women outlive their spouses and may not expect higher future taxes after suffering from the loss. But there are ways to prepare, according to financial experts.  American women have a significantly higher life expectancy than men, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and

Delmaine Donson | E+ | Getty Images Health savings accounts offer perhaps the best tax perks relative to other investment accounts. But most account holders use them in a way that dilutes their benefits, data shows. Just 19% of HSA participants invest their account assets, according to a new survey by the Plan Sponsor Council

Credit card debt is mounting. Americans now owe $1.08 trillion on their credit cards, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported Tuesday. Balances jumped 15% from a year ago, according to a separate quarterly credit industry insights report from TransUnion, while the average balance per consumer hit $6,088, the highest in 10 years. Persistent inflation has put

Klaus Vedfelt | Digitalvision | Getty Images Travel was expensive and busy in 2023, leading jetsetters to seek out cheaper, less-trodden alternatives to popular hot spots. It’s a great way to save money on trips heading into 2024, according to experts. This concept — seeking out cheaper duplicates, or “dupes,” of pricey products — was

Simpleimages | Moment | Getty Images Heading into 2024, consumers should “economize” their budgets, pay down debt and save money, if possible, to boost their personal finances, Dana Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board, said Thursday at CNBC’s Your Money event. This “three-point action plan” is important for households since there’s “a high risk

After the Supreme Court rejected President Joe Biden’s sweeping forgiveness plan earlier this year, the president announced a series of other relief measures for student loan borrowers.  Already, Biden has managed to erase $127 billion in education debt for more than 3.5 million borrowers, largely through Public Service Loan Forgiveness and income-driven repayment plans. The most beneficial so

Tom Werner | Digitalvision | Getty Images If your partner got down on one knee and asked you to marry them today, would you say yes? What if you found out the ring destined for your finger boasts a lab-grown diamond? The chances of that engagement ring bearing a man-made diamond are higher than you

Richard Stephen | Istock | Getty Images The clock is ticking for Congress to shore up Social Security benefits. The latest projections from Social Security’s actuaries show the program’s trust funds are due to run out in 2034, at which point 80% of benefits will be payable. If Congress does not act by 2034, the

In this article ZIP Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Commuters arrive from Metro North Railroad trains in Grand Central Station in New York. Timothy A. Clary | AFP | Getty Images Rising pay transparency is causing a new kind of competition among employers — and it’s not necessarily for talent. Instead, the shift in

Americans now owe $1.08 trillion on their credit cards, according to a new report on household debt from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Credit card balances spiked by $154 billion year over year, notching the largest increase since 1999, the New York Fed found. “Credit card balances experienced a large jump in the third quarter,

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen outlines the improvements the IRS will deliver to taxpayers in 2024, during remarks at IRS Headquarters in Washington on Nov. 7, 2023. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Tuesday announced IRS goals for the 2024 tax filing season and shared agency updates amid continued scrutiny from some Republican