More than a dozen states are withdrawing from pandemic-era unemployment programs — forgoing billions of dollars in federal funds that would otherwise flow to out-of-work residents. Here’s what to know about the state decisions and what’s at stake. So, what’s going on? At least 16 states have elected to opt out of federal programs paying unemployment benefits. […]
Retirement ticks closer every day, yet your nest egg barely seems to grow. Sound familiar? You’re definitely not the only one. Shoveling money into a retirement account isn’t always enough to get you where you want to go. You also need the right strategies to help you make the most of that money. Here are […]
Putting away enough savings for retirement has always been a struggle for many Americans. One reason workers tend to fall short: they often dip into the money they have set aside for their golden years. Now, some experts and lawmakers are discussing one idea that could help workers avoid that – by enabling employers to […]
Banks are loosening the purse strings for consumer borrowers. Credit cards, auto loans and other personal loans are all getting easier to come by, more than a year into a pandemic that spooked lenders and caused them to tighten lending standards significantly. The net share of banks that loosened underwriting standards for credit cards hit […]
If you’re lucky — as in really, really lucky — that $2 Mega Millions ticket you’re holding could be worth $430 million by Saturday. That’s the face value of the jackpot heading into Friday night’s drawing. Yet whether you’d choose to receive the prize as an annuity spread over three decades or as a reduced […]
Though 401(k) plans make it easy to save for retirement — you simply sign up to have contributions deducted automatically from your earnings — they’re not perfect. In fact, some 401(k)s charge expensive fees that can eat away at your returns, while others offer limited investment choices that may not align with the strategy that works for […]
New York City has joined a short but growing list of jurisdictions aiming to get workers into a retirement plan. Mayor Bill de Blasio signed a bill into law this week that will require most employers not offering a workplace plan to automatically enroll their workers in an individual retirement account through a program administered […]
There are lots of milestones in life: Getting a driver’s license, voting for the first time, buying your first beer (legally), getting married, moving to a new home and, of course, retirement. Along the way, if you work in the federal government, there are milestone moments that are important in the retirement planning process. Let’s […]
Although many American corporations have done away with a traditional pension system, the U.S. military has not. If you’ve put in long years of service with the U.S. Armed Forces, you’re entitled to a fairly significant retirement payout. However, determining exactly how much you’ll earn as a member of the military with a long service […]
As someone who writes about retirement planning a lot, I’m often asked whether it pays to take advantage of a 401(k) plan if there’s one available. And generally, my answer is a resounding “yes.” One of the best things about 401(k)s is that they allow you to sock away much more money on an annual […]
Personal finances embody deeply rooted emotional characteristics that shape one’s behavior toward their money. It’s important to remember that when sharing finances with a significant other, it’s not a one-size-fits all kind of deal. Individual emotions, trauma and beliefs around money will differ from person-to-person. As a financial adviser at Albert, a personal finance app […]
A new batch of $1,400 stimulus checks has been issued to Americans, bringing the total number of payments sent to about 165 million, or $388 billion. This marks the ninth set of payments since the $1,400 stimulus checks were authorized by Congress in March. The checks are for up to $1,400 per adult, based on […]
