Know What's Happening in Personal Finance
Know What's Happening in Personal Finance
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Low‑Risk 401(k) Strategies to Safeguard Retirement Savings
Investopedia recommends focusing on bond funds, money‑market funds, index funds, stable‑value funds, and target‑date funds to reduce volatility. These options offer liquidity, predictable returns, and align with most retirees’ risk tolerance.
Homeowners facing payment difficulties are increasingly targeted by mortgage‑relief scams that promise loan modifications or foreclosure avoidance in exchange for upfront fees. Scammers typically demand hard‑to‑recover payment methods such as cashier’s checks, wire transfers, or mobile‑app payments, and may even pressure victims to transfer the deed to their property. Federal law prohibits charging fees before services are rendered, making such demands a clear warning sign. The FTC urges consumers to verify assistance through HUD‑approved counselors and to report fraudulent offers promptly.
In this episode, host Ed Elson chats with James Sexton about the financial risks of marriage, exploring how partnership decisions intersect with personal economics and broader societal trends. Sexton highlights the hidden costs of divorce, the impact of shifting cultural...
High‑earning professionals often assume their career discipline translates into financial success, but many fall into avoidable mistakes. Procrastination, lack of structured planning, and decision fatigue cause cash to sit idle, concentrated equity exposure, and missed tax‑saving opportunities. The article argues...
If you are between 18 and 30 years old you are sitting on the most powerful wealth-building advantage that exists, TIME. Not salary, not connections, and not luck. TIME. And every day you spend not investing is a day you are handing...
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High‑yield savings accounts now deliver annual percentage yields up to ten‑to‑twelve times the national average, largely driven by online‑only banks that avoid branch overhead. Consumers can boost cash returns by moving funds from traditional accounts to these higher‑rate products, but...
In this Ask Farnoosh episode, Farnoosh Torabi tackles listener questions about handling parent‑plus student loans during a mortgage application, allocating the $700 monthly cash flow freed up after paying off student loans, and whether to divest U.S. stocks amid market...
Charles Schwab illustrated the power of compounding by comparing two $10,000 investors over 30 years at a 7% annual return. The investor who reinvested earnings amassed $66,123, while the one who withdrew the $700 yearly interest ended with only $21,000...
HelloFresh is rolling out a suite of coupon codes that can slash the price of its meal‑kit boxes by up to 55 % and add free meals, shipping, or extra discounts for a year. The offers target new sign‑ups, students, educators,...
With the April 15, 2026 deadline looming, homeowners are racing to claim new tax benefits before filing. The Residential Clean Energy Credit still offers a 30% deduction for solar systems installed in 2025, while mortgage‑interest deductions are capped at $750,000 for loans...
Just the most jackass MFS that I've had to do. Couple lives in TX. They have about $600k in AGI, so they're capped at $10k in SALT MFJ. Their SALT is about $20k. By filing separately, they each get the full $10k...
You’re 29, Management Consultant, Chicago. $190k income. Single, no kids, renting. $80k retirement, $60k brokerage, $25k cash. You want to accelerate wealth. Do you Max retirement accounts, Build a taxable brokerage, or Save for real estate?
Effective Jan. 1, 2024, the SECURE 2.0 Act bars workers age 50 or older with $150,000+ in FICA‑taxable wages from making pretax catch‑up contributions to 401(k) plans. Those extra $8,000‑$11,250 contributions must now go into Roth accounts, shifting tax liability to the present...
U.S. lawmakers are debating how to close a projected $25 trillion gap in the Social Security retirement trust fund, which is now expected to run out of reserves by late 2032. Proposals on the table include a $1.5 trillion Treasury‑backed investment fund...
If I wanted to grow my portfolio without picking a single stock and still sleeping well at night, here's exactly what I'd do. (No gatekeeping)
If you financially f***cked up but you want to turn it around and get your money right — I hope you find my page.
Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) delivers broad exposure to AI‑driven tech leaders, while the NEOS Nasdaq‑100 High Income ETF (QQQI) adds a 14.1% distribution yield through an option‑overlay strategy. QQQI tends to underperform QQQ in strong up‑trends and can suffer NAV...
The U.S. Labor Department released a proposal outlining six fiduciary factors that plan sponsors must evaluate before adding private‑equity and other alternative assets to 401(k) and defined‑contribution plans. The guidance highlights valuation, liquidity, fees, governance, and disclosure challenges that even...
Old belief: I need thousands to start investing New belief: I can start investing even with £20.
You bought a shirt for 40% off and told yourself you “saved” money. No you didn’t. You spent less. That’s not the same thing. If that “saved” money is still in your checking account, it’s not saved. It’s just unspent yet....
Experian reports that 38% of U.S. adults now carry a personal loan, up sharply as wages lag behind inflation. The average balance tops $19,000, while delinquency rates hold steady at about 4%, highlighting a growing reliance on debt financing.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced that income‑tax relief for Venture Capital Trusts will fall from 30% to 20% in April, prompting a surge of ISA‑eligible investments. Platforms report a 21% jump in VCT buying, while industry leaders warn of a £500 million...
Lifehacker highlights Autopay’s auto‑loan refinancing service as a fast, online way to cut car payments. The platform connects borrowers to a network of lenders, delivering average monthly savings of $129.49, or roughly $1,553 per year. Its three‑step digital workflow lets...
Former Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein told the Financial Tea with Mrs. Dow Jones podcast that a 25‑year‑old with $5,000 should first purchase life insurance as a safety‑net, then treat themselves to a cheap used car, and finally invest the remainder in...
The April 1 edition spotlights a curated list of high‑yield ETFs that meet three strict filters: dividend yields above 5%, at least $100 million in assets under management, and a 20‑day average volume over 0.5 million shares. Crypto‑focused funds such as YieldMax’s Bitcoin and...
Fidelity Investments’ 2026 State of Retirement Planning Study reveals that the traditional $1 million benchmark falls short for most Americans. Survey respondents say they expect to need about $1.4 million to retire comfortably, yet the average retiree walks away with roughly $490,000....
Student loan refinance rates held steady in Q1 2026, with Credible offering the lowest variable APR at 3.66% and Splash posting the lowest fixed APR at 3.71%. Other lenders such as Earnest, ELFI and LendKey present competitive ranges, often adding...
Shared ownership, the UK’s largest affordable‑housing scheme, now covers roughly 250,000 homes and has doubled annual deliveries since 2014. The National Audit Office warns that rising service charges, uncapped maintenance fees and costly staircasing transactions can trap owners financially, with...
Hiring home health aides through an agency costs more than direct hiring, but offers structured recruitment, wage transparency, and employee benefits. First Light Home Care in suburban Boston screens hundreds of candidates and hires only about 3%, paying caregivers $19‑$24...
Fidelity has issued a warning that nearly 32 million abandoned 401(k) accounts, representing about $2.1 trillion in assets, may be costing workers thousands of dollars. The firm outlines four rollover options and urges HR and payroll teams to educate employees on handling...
$425K portfolio built over five years. Lost $30K in 3 months following a "investment tip" about commodities. That's the exact scenario where discipline fails. Here's why...
WalletHub’s latest analysis ranks Hawaii as the state where residents surrender the largest share of their income to taxes—13.3%—ahead of the 2025 tax‑return deadline. The study also highlights New York, Vermont, New Mexico and Maine in the top five, while...
A growing chorus of personal‑finance titles is urging readers to abandon the traditional middle‑class script of hard work, modest savings, and delayed retirement. Five books—Rich Dad Poor Dad, The Millionaire Fastlane, The 4‑Hour Workweek, The Almanac of Naval Ravikant, and...
The biggest lie that keeps older people from investing is the belief that the ship has sailed. It has not. The second biggest mistake is investing the same way a 25-year-old would. Your strategy must match your season. Less time means smarter, not...
A Vividata study finds 36% of Canadians carry credit‑card balances and 49% live paycheque‑to‑paycheque, making tax season a financial minefield. Many households count on tax refunds to clear debt, but smaller refunds or unexpected bills can deepen indebtedness. Money Mentors...
A 91‑year‑old retiree with a strong RRIF is taking extra withdrawals to fund TFSA contributions and tax‑free gifts to his children. At age 91 the mandatory RRIF draw is 11.92% of the prior‑year balance, and the OAS clawback starts when...
Wealthsimple has introduced a direct‑indexing product for Canadian retail investors, letting taxable‑account holders own the individual stocks that replicate U.S. and Canadian market indices. The service charges a 0.15% annual fee with a $1,000 (≈ $740 USD) minimum and applies a 0.05%...
Governor Joe Lombardo's AB540 created a $133 million Nevada Attainable Housing Account that funded the Paradise Trails subdivision, cutting monthly mortgage payments by about $1,000 per home. The program targets middle‑income earners, offering a rare wealth‑building pathway amid soaring home prices.
Financial advisers are flagging the SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 High Dividend ETF (SPYD) as a low‑cost, high‑yield option for investors with under $100 to spare. The fund delivers a 4% dividend yield, trades well below $100 per share, and tilts...
The U.S. Department of Labor on March 30 unveiled a rule that would give 401(k) fiduciaries a process‑based safe harbor to add private‑equity, private‑credit and cryptocurrency investments to retirement menus. Proponents say it modernizes portfolios, while consumer advocates warn it...
The U.S. Department of Labor unveiled a rule that would give 401(k) fiduciaries a process‑based safe harbor for investing in private‑equity, private‑credit and cryptocurrency. Critics warn the change could expose millions of workers to higher fees, illiquidity and reduced fiduciary...
$5M in fixed deposit at 1.5% annual return. That's $75K per year. $6,250 a month. Most people chasing market risk don't actually need the extra return. They just haven't done this calculation. Here's why it's difficult...
For most investors, a well-diversified portfolio of funds will do the trick. But if you want to try to identify winners like the pros on Wall Street, there are steps you can take. https://t.co/6RP6PY8ebH
A property‑only portfolio can’t easily fund retirement, so investors must choose between living off rental yields, selling assets to fund pensions and ISAs, or a hybrid of both. Rental income is volatile and tied to a single asset class, while...
HARSH TRUTH: Nobody talks about this but you're overpaying for AI tools every single month. ChatGPT Plus. Genspark. Claude Pro. Perplexity Pro. GamsGo lets you split all of them at up to 70% off the original price. Same features. Same quality. Fraction of...
If you really want to be a serious trader. Make sure this is your last year being broke. Save your money up for trading capital, stop blowing it on dumb stuff.
The piece draws a clear line between investments—assets that generate regular income such as dividends, interest, or rent—and speculation, which relies solely on future price appreciation. It argues that income streams enable compounding and lower portfolio volatility, while speculative holdings...
You’re 40, Finance Director, Boston. $350k household income. Married, 2 kids. $500k retirement $200k brokerage. Your spouse wants to stop working ($150k of the income) Do you support it or ask them to keep working 5 more years
Investment management for high‑net‑worth individuals (HNWI) differs markedly from retail investing, with thresholds of $1 million, $5 million and $30 million defining HNWI, very‑high‑net‑worth and ultra‑high‑net‑worth categories. Wealth at these levels unlocks access to private equity, hedge funds, private credit, direct real‑estate and...
April is Financial Literacy Month Most high-income earners feel financial literacy isn't for them because it's too basic. You are right. You are past the fundamentals. Your financial confidence in topic areas, decisions, coordination, and executions are just different now. Retirement. Taxes....
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Edward Jones markets brokered certificates of deposit that deliver APYs between 3.80% and 4.15% for terms ranging from three to 120 months, with a $1,000 minimum deposit. Because the firm sources CDs from multiple banks, its rates often exceed the...
