Last week was a rocky one for the stock market. In a single day, the Dow dropped 832 points, which constituted one of the most substantial declines in its history. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq also took a beating, so much so that if you checked your portfolio at any point last week, there’s a […]
Suze Orman broke the internet earlier this month when she told the “Afford Anything” podcast that those buying into the FIRE movement (financial independence, retire early) better save at least $5 million to achieve that goal. The overwhelming response: Are you nuts, rich lady? Emails poured in, tweetstorms raged, Reddit’s FIRE board lit up and […]
There are still a few months before tax season begins, but for retirees on a fixed income, any hint of a higher tax bill requires careful pre-planning. For the most part, typical American retirees generally have modest incomes and are therefore in relatively low tax brackets. But one thing that many people don’t realize is […]
When you’re in your 20s, retirement can seem impossibly far away. Investing for something that’s some 40 years in the future may feel a bit like taking scarce resources that you need right now and locking them away for a time that might never come. And even it if will, there’s no need to start […]
First off, remember to breathe. A rocky few months for the stock market has created a lot of worry among investors, and it’s not over yet. The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +1.15% experienced renewed volatility Thursday after falling more than 800 points on Wednesday, the worst one-day fall since February, and 545 points on […]
Certificates of deposit might be thought of simply as a safe haven for cash. But they can pack a punch in the right circumstances. Since 1967, certificates of deposit (CDs) have outperformed the stock market about 30% of the time on the basis of a 1-year return period, said Brian Karimzad, co-founder and senior vice […]
The massive tax overhaul implemented earlier this year was designed to accomplish a number of key goals, one of which was to put more money back in Americans’ pockets. And while an almost universal lowering of tax brackets might indeed help workers retain more of their earnings, the thought was also that companies would take […]
Most employees have the goal to work their way up at their respective companies. And while that can certainly take time, the idea is to generally be progressing in an upward fashion. Getting demoted, therefore, is usually considered a major career setback and one we’re mostly advised to avoid. But in some situations, getting demoted […]
Retiring comfortably in yours 60s or 70s can seem a high-wire act, so how are some people pulling it off without a wrinkle in their face? The FIRE (financial independence, retire early) movement is growing, with more and more people parting from their careers in their 30s and 40s. CNBC spoke to some of these […]
Homeowners on the West Coast typically won’t have much trouble off-loading their properties in today’s market. Unless, apparently, they’re Warren Buffett. The iconic investor and Berkshire Hathaway BRK.A, +0.65% chairman struggled for more than 1.5 years to sell his home in the gated community Emerald Bay, near Laguna Beach, Calif. But he finally did so, […]
Homeowners picking up the pieces from Hurricane Michael will quickly learn an important lesson: not all hurricane-related damage is covered by home insurance. Before making landfall Wednesday, Michael rapidly intensified to an extremely strong storm packing 155 mile-per-hour winds, just shy of Category 5 status. The storm ranked as the third-most intense hurricane to hit […]
It’s challenging to paint a picture of your overall financial health, because there are so many factors involved. How much do you have saved for retirement? How much debt are you carrying? Do you have an emergency fund? The one figure many people point to, though, is your net worth — that is, what you […]
