The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act made some major changes to the U.S. tax code when this tax reform law passed in 2017. Some of those changes are likely to save you money, including changes to tax brackets and tax rates. But the tax reform law also eliminated or reduced some popular tax breaks. Because […]
A diversified portfolio is one of the keys to a successful long-term investment strategy. But can your assets ever be too diversified? Technically, no—there are always new avenues for investors to explore to spread out risk. That said, because you likely don’t have the time and resources to commit to attaining the perfect mix of […]
Startups have spent the past decade trying to reinvent everything from taxis (so far so good) to squeezing juice out of fruit and vegetables (facepalm). Lately, entrepreneurs have been giving consumer debt a digital makeover. Fintech upstarts have turbocharged personal loans, now the fastest growing category of consumer debt, according to Experian. This type of […]
As you’ve been reminded by nationwide grumbling and important-looking mail, it’s tax season — a time of financial reckoning. Whether you’re in a shame spiral about how little you saved last year or just have a vague inkling that there’s room to improve, we all need to start somewhere, so carve out a few minutes […]
Most stories about Americans and retirement contain words like “crisis, ” “poverty ” and “horror. ” Not this one. While many people are still not saving enough for their golden years, many of them are getting better at doing so — and hopeful signs abound. Today, American households headed by individuals between the ages of […]
You probably know by now that charitable deductions are tax-deductible. But how about the cost of caring for your pet? Or your kid’s clarinet lessons? In select cases, the IRS has permitted taxpayers to deduct off-beat expenses on their tax returns. Here’s the key: Those costs must meet certain conditions; they can’t just be personal […]
If you lost your job, faced a health crisis that prevented you from working, or had to pony up a large, emergency expense, would you be able to cover your expenses? Even if you have a well-stocked emergency fund, you may need to find extra money or trim expenses. And it’s always a good idea […]
Students exposed to personal finance courses in high school tend make better decisions in terms of paying for college, a Montana State University study shows. In particular, it found that those who lived in states requiring financial literacy courses to graduate from high school tended to be better at using federal financial aid, including being […]
Forget student loans. Insufficient income is the No. 1 hurdle keeping many people from buying a home. More than half of the participants in a survey by Bankrate.com cited inadequate income as a barrier to homeownership. The personal finance site polled 2,668 adults between Jan. 30 and Feb. 1. In fact, when it comes to […]
A new survey of corporate finance chiefs finds that recession fears remain in the background as expectations for economic growth wane. Experts say Americans should take steps now so their personal finances will be able to weather the next downturn. On the heels of a fourth-quarter GDP report that found the economy growing at a […]
There’s a statistic for everything, especially in investing. Writers and financial experts love to pick out minutiae from the markets and posit that they mean something BIG and EXPLOSIVE about the state of the economy—and now that you know it too, you have some sort of investing edge. (If you were paying attention to all […]
There’s one key message you’ve inevitably heard when it comes to planning for retirement: Save, save, save. Now it turns out that how you spend money during your golden years could have as much — if not more — of an impact on how well you live, according to research from J.P. Morgan Asset Management. […]
