If you received something sparkly under the Christmas tree last year, how do you best care for it? And what’s it really worth anyway? Shital Naik, a professional diamond grader qualified by the Gemmological Institute of America working for professional jewellery valuations company Central Diamond Administration, answered the following questions: 1. I’m going through a […]
Medicare Advantage plans attract seniors with their appealing price tags and promise of comprehensive health coverage in one convenient package. But are these plans a disadvantage for people with serious health problems? That’s the question raised by recent studies. A 2017 review by the U.S. Government Accountability Office, for example, found that in some Advantage […]
Renting a car can be expensive — with an unpredictable pricing structure and a deliberate lack of clarity, it can seem tough to avoid high rates. These tips can help you make sure that you’re getting the best possible rates available, hopefully saving money. The number one tip is to use Hotwire’s “Hot Rate Car” […]
The mere idea of ‘being your own boss’ is a big boon to many, although not all of us are courageous enough to start out on our own. But if you have taken that big leap and are now a budding entrepreneur with your own small business, kudos to you. Being an entrepreneur allows you […]
Nearly 57% of American adults have savings of less than $1,000, while 39% have zero savings. Following a few quintessential personal finance practices, however, can help you achieve a healthier financial profile. Here are the seven key personal finance habits to form immediately: Create a detailed budget: Budgeting is one of the oldest and most […]
Welcome to the 2018 home-buying market. Rising demand and an extremely tight supply of homes, especially in the critical starter-home market, make it difficult to realize your goal of home ownership. In this buyer’s market, you’ll need two important things to land your dream home – more money and a higher credit score. Data from […]
Whoever is holding the winning ticket for Powerball’s jackpot is likely discovering that picking the right numbers was the easy part. Sold in New Jersey, a single ticket snagged the $315.3 million grand prize in the game’s Saturday night drawing. That amount is reduced to $183.2 million if the winner (or winners) chooses a lump […]
Looking for free checking? You’ll have much better luck finding it at a credit union than at a bank. Some 82% of credit unions offer free checking accounts, compared to just 38% of banks, according to an analysis released Monday by the personal-finance company Bankrate. Bankrate analyzed 50 of the nation’s largest credit unions. The […]
Desperate homeowners are stretching their finances to buy a home, and lenders and mortgage backers are increasingly willing to accommodate them. It’s difficult to purchase a home in a buyer’s market – and 2018 certainly meets that standard. Pent-up demand and an extreme shortage of homes have led to a rapid increase in prices that […]
Growing up doesn’t always mean moving out of your parents’ house, as evidenced by the swelling ranks of adult children who have returned home after college — or who never moved out. Called “the boomerang generation,” this group now includes about one out of every three Americans between the ages of 18 to 34, according […]
Most Americans don’t shy away from spending on their furry, feathery and scaly family members. According to the American Pet Products Association, pet owners across the U.S. spent about $29 billion in pet food in 2017. They spent $17.07 billion in vet care. And that number is likely to rise. The APPA estimates Americans will […]
You may have grown up hearing that you should save for retirement as soon as possible — a new report suggests having twice your salary by age 35 — but new data shows that some people haven’t actually put this advice into practice. New research from Northwestern Mutual’s Planning & Progress Study 2018 shows that […]
