Personal finance

Kate_sept2004 | E+ | Getty Images As mutual fund investors brace for year-end distributions, experts have tips to lessen the tax burden in future years. Certain mutual funds have capital gains payouts in November and December, which can trigger taxes in brokerage accounts, even if you haven’t sold shares. By comparison, most exchange-traded funds avoid

Aire Images | Moment | Getty Images Holiday shoppers won’t have to look far to find deals this season. While Covid-era supply chain strains have eased, consumer spending has declined, prompting many businesses to sweeten incentives to buy. “This is the best discounting season in years,” said Ted Rossman, senior industry analyst at Bankrate and

Eva-katalin | E+ | Getty Images Millennials are holding and buying bond exchange-traded funds with more gusto than older investors — and that’s likely not an ideal strategy, experts said. Millennial ETF investors — a cohort born between the early 1980s and mid-1990s — have 45% of their investment portfolios allocated to fixed income, on

Although inflation is cooling, households are still feeling squeezed. As of October, 60% of adults said they are living paycheck to paycheck, according to a new LendingClub report. The figure is unchanged from last year. Overall, 4 in 10 consumers consider themselves worse off relative to 2022, the report found. More from Personal Finance:Inflation is

Fatcamera | E+ | Getty Images A new law is poised to cap seniors’ prescription drug costs covered under Medicare, starting in 2025. But retirees may be in for a shock next year — significantly higher Medicare Part D premiums for prescription drug coverage. The cost of the average premiums will rise between 42% and

By most accounts, Black Friday and Cyber Monday promise some of the lowest prices of the season. And in 2023, more people than ever plan to take advantage of the five-day shopping event that begins on Thanksgiving Day and continues through the following Monday, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey. This year, holiday

Entrance to the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, June 1, 2008. Richard Levine | Corbis News | Getty Images For decades, it was nearly impossible for student loan borrowers to walk away from their debt in bankruptcy court. That’s now changing. Last November, the Biden administration rolled out a

Morsa Images | Getty Images Whether you’re a new or a seasoned investor, exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, are one option for your portfolio, depending on your goals and risk tolerance, experts say.  ETFs are a wrapper for individual assets like stocks and bonds, similar to mutual funds. However, many ETFs have better tax efficiency and

Wide shot of waiter taking dinner order from family at tropical beach restaurant during sunset Thomas Barwick | Digitalvision | Getty Images When it comes to dining, tipping at least 15% to 20% is traditional etiquette, say experts. It seems many Americans disagree. Almost 1 in 5, 18%, of people tip less than 15% for

Solstock | E+ | Getty Images A great credit score can be important, but improving that number isn’t always easy. Nearly 4 in 5 Americans say they’re trying to improve their credit score, according to a recent NerdWallet survey. But 50% say they face barriers toward improvement, namely a low credit limit. The website polled

For most people, tipping is about service. Roughly three-quarters of adults said the quality of the service they receive is a major factor in deciding whether and how much to tip, according to a recent report by the Pew Research Center.  However, now consumers are prompted to tip in advance — and if they aren’t

Allison Bornstein, author of “Wear It Well”. Photo: Jennifer Trahan It’s not often we’re told to buy less, at least on social media. More likely, we’re encouraged to wear Loro Piana cashmere baseball hats and carry $300 Smythson notebooks like Gwyneth Paltrow in the name of “quiet luxury” and justify such expensive purchases using “girl