Your 30s call for a lot of financial decisions. As you settle into your career, perhaps you see yourself applying for a mortgage on your first home or starting a family. These choices require having good credit and a bundle of savings that you hopefully started building early on in your 20s. But as you work toward these […]
If you’re saving for your first home, there’s no shortage of advice out there — some of it questionable, even if you do have an avocado toast habit. Still, it’s true that your down payment may be the biggest check you ever write. But once you move in, it’s also true that the cash tends […]
The mystery isn’t why so many people file for bankruptcy each year. It’s why more people don’t. Each year, only a fraction of the Americans who could benefit financially from bankruptcy actually seek relief. Economists say some don’t file because collectors aren’t aggressively pursuing them, while others may strategically delay filing because bankruptcy could benefit […]
Emergency savings can help you out if unexpected expenses arise. But the coronavirus pandemic has caused the majority of Americans to dip into their rainy day funds, with many expected to deplete them by the end of 2020. Roughly three in five Americans (61%) say their emergency savings won’t last through the end of the […]
If you’re like most employees, one of the most important decisions that will impact your financial future has already been made for you. In 2006, Congress passed the Pension Protection Act. Despite the law’s name, it represented a watershed event for retirement savers using a 401(k) plan. It allowed employers to change how employees enroll […]
Let’s talk about generational wealth. When you hear that term, you might picture “old money” or a huge fortune that gets passed down through the family line and think, But my family never had that kind of money. How could I ever build that kind of wealth on my own? Well, here’s some truth. It doesn’t matter […]
If you’re like many entrepreneurs, you likely used your own finances to start your business and didn’t bother to open a separate bank account. However, whether you started your business as a side hustle, wanted to test out a business idea, or are working as an independent contractor, mixing business and personal finances is never […]
Google’s latest employee perk to attract talent is help with student loans. Starting in 2021, Google will match up to $2,500 per full-time employee per year toward their student loan payments, John Casey, Google’s director of Global Benefits told employees Thursday, according to an internal email viewed by CNBC. “College degrees are out of reach […]
If you’re a parent wondering how you’ll pay for your kid’s education, here’s some bad news: College tuition increases at about twice the pace of inflation. Those soaring college costs will keep climbing higher. If you don’t want your child to graduate buried by student loans, you’d better start saving early. Two popular ways to […]
No matter your age or income level, your goal should be to pay the IRS as little tax as possible. And the choices you make with regard to retirement savings could have a huge impact in that regard. In fact, many workers overlook one important long-term savings tool that’s actually loaded with tax benefits. And […]
For most people, thinking about retirement isn’t all about peaceful white sand beaches and flip flops. In fact, retirement planning is the number one source of financial stress for the majority of Americans, according to research by Charles Schwab. Here’s how to handle four top retirement worries. Retirement Worry #1: You’ll Outlive Your Savings The […]
People usually fall into one of two camps when it comes to starting Social Security. Either they’re signing up the second they blow out the candles on their 62nd birthday cake or they’re patiently waiting until they turn 70 when they qualify for the largest possible benefit. Neither approach is wrong, although one might give […]
