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When you’re buried in credit card debt, finding a method to help you tackle the debt quickly and regain control of your finances can be a game-changer. However, with so many different debt hacks and systems out there, it can be hard to choose the right one. By Cynthia Measom Holiday Spending: Get Top Holiday Shopping and Savings TipsTake a Look Back: 2022 Year in Review One of the newer strategies for paying down debt is the debt lasso method, which was created by David and John — aka the Debt Free Guys....

If you claim Social Security benefits before reaching full retirement age and continue to work and earn above a certain threshold, you may be subject to the retirement earnings test. This could result in withheld benefits, so it’s important to understand these thresholds and how the earnings test limit could affect you. By Josephine Nesbit Discover: 2023 Social Security: 6 Numbers You Need to KnowSocial Security: Could COLA Increase Reduce Your Food Stamps Benefits?...

Summer has arrived with a bang in many places, bringing record heat that may not be cooling down any time soon. According to The New York Times, most of the U.S. can expect “above-normal temperatures” for the summer months of June through August this year. By Jordan Rosenfeld Small Business Spotlight 2022: Nominate Your Favorite Small Biz by July 25Read More: 9 Bills You Should Never Put on Autopay Instead of a single heat wave, it might just be one very long, extremely hot summer....

Financial advice is everywhere these days. You can find it with a few clicks online or hire someone to advise you. However, not everything you hear is beneficial — especially when it comes to absolutes. That’s why “don’t buy that latte” could be considered some of the worst financial advice out there. Here’s why you shouldn’t have to worry about buying a daily coffee — plus, the financial advice that can really make a difference for you....

Conventional wisdom holds that pay shouldn’t be the only consideration, or even the main one, when choosing a job, but many job seekers still put money at or near the top of the wish list. Even so, most won’t find out how much a job pays until deep into the interview process — and only about one-third will see salaries posted in job listings, according to a new survey from Joblist....

In honor of Groundhog Day — both the fun little Pennsylvania tradition in which residents await sightings of a groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil, and the 1993 movie starring Bill Murray in which he must relive the same day over and over again — we asked financial experts for advice on financial habits you definitely want to put on repeat. Here are nine good ones to practice persistently. By Jordan Rosenfeld Regularly Check Your Balances If you only check your bank and credit card accounts when it’s time to pay bills, you’re missing out on important info, according to Maggie Klokkenga, CFP, CPA, financial coach and planner with Make A Money Mindshift....

Over the last few years, remote work freed millions of people to live wherever they wanted, but at the same time, sky-high inflation priced them out of most places worth living. The good news is there are still a handful of affordable cities that are on their way up in terms of factors like jobs, population, living standards and schools. By Andrew Lisa Are you looking for a nice place to live that you can actually fit in your budget?...

Update: Some offers mentioned below may have changed or are no longer available. View current credit card offerings from our partners at CardCritics here or on the issuer’s website. By Lydia Kibet Similarities Differences American Express Membership Rewards Chase Points Value Per Point Transfer Partners Storing and Transfer of Points When it comes to the world of miles and points, American Express® Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards are the most popular choices....

BlockFi Overview BlockFi is a trading platform for over 15 cryptocurrencies, including many of the most popular ones such as Bitcoin, Litecoin and Ethereum. It includes a free crypto wallet with no minimum balance required and the ability to trade many cryptocurrencies and stablecoins instantly. Additional features include a rewards credit card, simplified tax reporting and a referral bonus. By Dawn Allcot Overview Features How It Stands Out Comparable Options...

With inflation in the United States already hitting its highest level in 13 years, Americans don’t need one more reason to worry about rising prices. But they could get one if employers decide to hike prices on certain items to help pay for steadily rising wages. By Vance Cariaga See: Hourly Wages Are Going Up But More Needs to be Done to Bring Workers BackFind: Industries With Worker Shortages Despite Wage Hikes — You May Have Trouble Finding a Mover or a Veterinarian...

The stock market’s steady decline this year has bitten into everyone’s investments, and many experts think this bear market will last perhaps into early 2023. By Chris Cluff Since World War II, bear markets have taken an average of 13 months to bottom out from the peak and 27 months to climb back to even, according to ABC News. We’re about six months into this drop. Take Our Poll: Does the Stock Market’s Poor Performance This Year Concern You?...

New York falls into the category of the second highest gas prices across the country, according to AAA. On Friday, April 15, 2022, gas cost an average of $4.187 per gallon across the state. By Dawn Allcot Beware: 9 Bills You Should Never Put on AutopayThe Future: 10 Cheap Cryptocurrencies To Buy New York Attorney General Letitia James believes that price may be too high, even given the pressure of world events, growing demand, and waning supply....

Everyone wants to be rich, but what does it take to earn that title when Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk alone have a combined net worth close to a half-trillion dollars? The truth is, a lot of it has to do with when you were born. Different generations have different ideas on what it takes to be rich — and even on the concept of wealth, in general. By Andrew Lisa Read More: Gen Z Begins to Emerge from Pandemic Wiser About Money — Here’s What They’re LearningHelpful: 6 Ways To Start Building Generational Wealth for Your Family...

Credit problems and the inability to save up a down payment top the list of things that keep people from buying a home. Renting to own eliminates both obstacles, but it can be a risky transaction for the tenant. Find out what rent to own is, how it works — and whether it’s a realistic path to homeownership. By Daria Uhlig What It Is How It Works Rent-To-Own Benefits Rent-To-Own Risks How To Reduce Risk Alternatives What Is Rent-To-Own?...

The news about interest rates isn’t very good these days. Inflation has caused the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates to try to slow inflation, making the cost of borrowing money increase — which includes mortgage loans for prospective homebuyers. By Jami Farkas See Our List: 100 Most Influential Money ExpertsMore: Should You Still Buy a Home in Today’s Market? “Higher rates mean higher monthly mortgage payments, which result in less buying power for home shoppers....

If you are a new grad fresh out of college or high school, your job search is probably in full swing. You might already have some idea of what type of work you want to do, but figuring out how much your first job should pay you can be tricky. After all, many jobs postings don’t even include a salary range, much less the market rate for this type of job....

If you are part of the majority of Americans that has a retirement account in addition to your Social Security check, then you possess all you need to build an emergency fund. By Georgina Tzanetos See: How Much Can the Average Senior Citizen Expect To Benefit From Social Security?Find: Cost of Living: What’s Included & How’s It Calculated? The average 60-year-old has around $729,000 in their 401(k) with a 38-year contribution, according to Person Capital....

By Gabrielle Olya You may have some ambitious savings goals — perhaps you are aiming to have six months of living expenses saved in an emergency fund, want to plump up your kids’ college savings or maybe you’re just saving for your dream vacation. No matter what your goal is, it’s easier to get there when you make a conscious effort to save a little bit every month rather than being overly ambitious and aiming to save up a lot of money in a short period of time....

More people are investing today than ever before. The COVID-19 pandemic gave people a little extra cash in the form of stimulus checks, plus more time to explore new ways to invest their money. It certainly helped that the market made a stunning comeback following its brief crash in March 2020 — with the S&P 500 ultimately gaining more than 18% for the year — and the fact is, about 15% of current retail investors began investing in 2020....

Rising tuition costs and crippling student loan debt have left many students wondering if college is still the best option to prepare them for the workforce. According to a recent report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, higher education enrollment fell to new lows this past spring — a one-year decline of 3.5%, seven times worse than the decline a year earlier. By Josephine Nesbit See: Should Teens Save for College or Retirement?...