Advisors

FG Trade | E+ | Getty Images “Know your worth,” career experts often say. But when it comes to salary expectations, American workers are already setting the bar high. What some labor economists are calling a “near-perfect” job market has helped propel the amount of money most job applicants would accept to a record this

Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images Experts have been pointing to a coming downturn for the U.S. economy. The question was when. Now, however, some firms and experts are walking back those predictions, calling into question the validity of once-trusted recession indicator known as the yield curve inversion. “While it is true that the yield

Gary Burchell | Getty Images More couples are becoming homeowners before tying the knot. Unmarried couples make up 18% of all first-time homebuyers, up from just 4% in 1985, according to a 2022 report by the National Association of Realtors. The organization mailed out a survey in July 2022 and received a total of 4,854

Monty Rakusen | Digitalvision | Getty Images Commodities aren’t for everyone, as they can be tricky investments. But for individual investors willing to learn the basics and accept volatility, a judicious allocation can make sense. This can diversify traditional portfolios of stocks and bonds, hedge against geopolitical risk and protect against sustained inflation. Yet buying

In this article LUV Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Whenever you’re traveling somewhere by plane, you have to pack, get to the airport, go through security, find your gate and — in the last step before you can finally relax while being taken to your destination —board the aircraft. “Boarding is one of the

The U.S. Department of Education in Washington, D.C. Caroline Brehman | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images The Biden administration announced on Wednesday it would forgive $72 million in student debt for more than 2,300 borrowers who attended Ashford University. The aid will go to students from the online for-profit school based in San Diego,

For a growing number of families, financial aid is key when it comes to paying for college. With tuition on the rise, most college-bound students now rely on a combination of resources to make it work, including income and savings, free money from scholarships and grants and, of course, student loans, according to education lender Sallie

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the Supreme Court’s decision on the Administration’s student debt relief program at the White House on June 30, 2023. The Washington Post | The Washington Post | Getty Images After the Supreme Court struck down the original White House federal student loan forgiveness plan earlier this year, legal historian

Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images Hoping to invest in artificial intelligence? Today’s “niche” companies and those seen as AI leaders are unlikely to be the biggest winners for long-term investors, said Barry Glassman, a certified financial planner and member of CNBC’s Advisor Council. “I’ve been through this enough to see that the niche players early

Violetastoimenova | E+ | Getty Images By some measures, Americans have never been more in the red. In the second quarter of 2023, total credit card debt surpassed $1 trillion for the first time ever, which helped bring total household debt to $17.06 trillion, also a fresh record, according to the New York Federal Reserve. But

Consumers have remained remarkably resilient amid a series interest rate hikes aimed at cooling inflation. However, there are recent signs of a shift. Shoppers are still buying more than last year, but spending growth is slowing as the economy settles down, according to Jack Kleinhenz, the National Retail Federation’s chief economist. “There are ongoing economic

A Miami supermarket in July 2023. Joe Raedle | Getty Images News | Getty Images The forecast for the post-pandemic U.S. economy once called for a recession. Now many experts are backing off those predictions. In the latest about-face, 69% of economists surveyed by the National Association for Business Economics said they see a “soft

Andreypopov | Istock | Getty Images Property taxes can be a major expense for households, and several factors may affect the size of the bill, research shows. These levies — which typically fund public services, such as K-12 education, police and firefighters — can be tough to compare across jurisdictions. But there are four key

Maki_shmaki | Istock | Getty Images Consider this a public service announcement for all treasure hunters: Uncle Sam wants a piece of your loot. Someone who makes a valuable discovery — whether gold coins, meteorites or even cash — generally owes tax on that haul, which is known as “found” property. The tax is twofold:

Moyo Studio | E+ | Getty Images Social Security benefits provide retirement income for millions of Americans. Because the timing of your claim may impact the size of the benefits you receive, it’s a high-stakes decision. And the results may also affect your spouse or dependents. But sifting through Social Security’s claiming rules may make

After falling sharply last year, retirement account balances are bouncing back in 2023 — but there are still signs of trouble. Helped in part by improved market conditions, retirement account balances increased in the first half of the year. However, the share of participants that tapped hardship withdrawals rose, as well, according to recent reports

dowell | Moment | Getty Images If you’re sitting on profitable assets, there’s a lesser-known tax-gain harvesting strategy, which can help rebalance your portfolio or trim future taxes. While tax-loss harvesting can be popular during a stock market downturn, tax-gain harvesting — or strategically selling appreciated brokerage account assets — can also be beneficial, depending

After more than a year of recession predictions, some experts have backed off past forecasts and now embrace what’s known as a “soft landing” for the economy. Even so, one financial advisor is stressing the importance of preparing for future stock market volatility. A soft landing could include an economic slowdown and unemployment ticking higher

Djelics | E+ | Getty Images Income-hungry investors have long flocked to mortgage-backed real estate investment trusts — and why not? Many of them pay a handsome, double-digit dividend. But such vehicles haven’t done so well lately. That’s because when interest rates rise and yields balloon, their valuations tend to suffer, which is what happened

In this article CARS 7270.T-JP 6201.T-JP IHEB-AU 7203.T-JP Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT There are more than 275 million cars on the road in the U.S. But in recent years, car ownership has gotten more expensive than ever — due to the Covid-19 pandemic, supply chain issues, stubborn inflation and the Federal Reserve’s interest

Students on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Jonathan Drake | Reuters Like many would-be college students, Abigail Mokuba, 16, says “cost is a concern” when it comes to which schools to consider. The rising high school senior from Baltimore said she is still researching colleges but plans to apply

Morsa Images | E+ | Getty Images Some experts have reversed recession predictions and embraced a soft landing for the economy as the Federal Reserve continues to fight inflation. The rosier outlook is prompting talks between advisors and their clients, including possible shifts for investment portfolios. “A potential recession has been in the news since

Twenty/20 After facing the reality of how expensive fresh flowers could be when planning her own wedding, Della Larca founded Florèal Blooms, her luxury silk flower rental business, three and half years ago from her basement in Butler, New Jersey. Larca’s business swelled last year, and she recently moved to a larger workspace to accommodate

A class at Princeton University in New Jersey. Princeton University, Office of Communications When it comes to elite college admissions, most expert agree: The Supreme Court‘s ruling on the affirmative action admission policies of Harvard University and the University of North Carolina could have an immediate impact on who gets in and why. And that may have far-reaching

Artistgndphotography | E+ | Getty Images When it comes to retirement savings, the gap between the haves and the have-nots has widened, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. The median retirement account balance for high-income households was nine times that of middle-income households in 2019 — $605,000 compared with $64,300, respectively,

Bob and Terri Wood, of Mobile, Alabama, with their grandson. Courtesy: Bob Wood Bob Wood, 66, has been thinking of selling his home in Mobile, Alabama. The finance professor and his wife, Terri, purchased the 5,000-square foot house with a pool nearly a decade ago. “It’s probably time to downsize,” he said. They would also

The Mega Millions jackpot grew to $940 million on July 27, 2023. OLIVIER DOULIERY | Getty The Mega Millions jackpot has ballooned to an estimated $940 million ahead of Friday’s high-stakes drawing at 11:00 p.m. ET. If you pick the magic six numbers, there are two payout options: a lump sum of $472.5 million or 30

The Mega Millions jackpot grew to $910 million on July 26, 2023. Tayfun Coskun | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images The Mega Millions jackpot has grown to an estimated $910 million, with the next high-stakes drawing on Friday at 11:00 p.m. ET. The big prize has only exceeded $1 billion four times, most recently reaching

Andresr | E+ | Getty Images After years of low interest payouts, savings accounts now are paying higher yields, after a series of interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve. But many Americans still aren’t getting the best rates for their cash. Despite inflation concerns, nearly 70% of middle-income Americans haven’t moved savings to higher-yielding

Eyecrave Productions | E+ | Getty Images When it comes to living and retiring comfortably, Americans have some big numbers in mind for what they will need. Blame high inflation, which peaked at a rate of 9.1% over the preceding 12 months in June 2022, according to consumer price index data. While the pace of