Posts

Compared to last year, consumers are digging 5% deeper this holiday season both for gifts and non-gift spending alike, according to the 2021 Deloitte Holiday Retail Survey — but wealthier households are driving most of that spike in spending. The have-nots, on the other hand, are in the familiar position of facing tough financial choices as the year draws to a close. But instead of cutting back on spending this year, many struggling households are responding instead by foregoing gift-giving altogether....

Opening a small business at any point in time holds plenty of challenges for getting open and staying open. Doing so in the midst of a global pandemic and stay-at-home orders takes those challenges, plus a host of new ones, to the extreme. By Cody Bay 2021 Small Business Spotlight: Check Out Our Small Business Stories, Plus the Nominated Businesses Near YouSee: 5 Amazing Small Businesses That Lasted Through the Pandemic...

Energy has been a hot topic lately, and rising prices for oil and gas have brought renewable energy to the forefront. But what is renewable energy? Is investing in renewable energy a good idea? What are the best renewable energy stocks for 2022? By Karen Doyle About Renewable Energy Kinds of Renewable Energy Renewable Energy Stocks Here’s what you need to know about renewable energy and the companies that provide it....

By Jami Farkas Memorial Day is May 31, a day to reflect on and honor the men and women who gave their lives in service to the United States. The three-day Memorial Day weekend also has become the unofficial start of summer, and it typically is time spent with family and friends. Shopping for necessities for summer activities also is popular, and retailers have responded with sales, discounts and deals associated with Memorial Day weekend....

You’ve been making Christmas lists and checking them twice all season, but despite your best efforts, at least a few people fell off your radar. Maybe you forgot to buy a gift for your kid’s piano teacher or you just found out relatives you weren’t expecting are coming to town. By Jennifer Taylor Holiday Spending: Get Top Holiday Shopping and Savings TipsSee: 3 Easy Tips To Turn Your Credit Woes Into Wows...

If you’re in the market for a new car, be prepared to go deep into debt to afford it. The average new vehicle loan in the United States soared to a record high of $40,290 during the second quarter, according to data released Aug. 25 by Experian. By Vance Cariaga See: 22 Side Gigs That Can Make You Richer Than a Full-Time JobFind: This Credit Score Mistake Could Be Costing Millions Of Americans...

By Dawn Allcot See: 5 Ways the Pandemic Is Changing Shopping This Holiday SeasonFind: What to Consider When Choosing a Mortgage Lender What’s on sale? And what will be this season’s hottest sellers that you should grab now before they’re gone? More From Your Money: Choose a high-interest saving, checking, CD, or investing account from our list of top banks to start saving today. See: RetailMeNot Unveils ‘Cash Back Day’ — And Over 1,000 Limited-Time DealsFind: Your Guide to Getting Ahead on Holiday Shopping in November...

Retirement investment platform ForUsAll partnered with Coinbase to offer employees exposure to cryptos, in what the company said is a first of its kind. By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy See: Should Crypto and NFTs Be Part of Your Retirement Plan?Find: 10 Best Cryptocurrencies To Invest in for 2021 “For too long, too many Americans haven’t had the same access to alternative investments that wealthy and professional investors have had. Our mission is to provide every American with the tools necessary to build a brighter financial future, and making these alternatives more readily available is a key step towards that,” Jeff Schulte, CEO of ForUsAll, said in a statement....

The Consumer Price Index rose again, this month .4% in September adding to the .3% increase from August the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this morning. This represents a 5.4% increase overall over the last 12 months. By Georgina Tzanetos See: IMF Downgrades US Growth Forecast Citing Supply Chain Disruptions, InflationFind: Bringing Home the Bacon Is 28% More Expensive — Unrelenting Inflation Lifts Prices to a 40-Year High Consumer prices rose slightly more than expected, beating the 5....

Despite an incredibly bumpy start to 2020 and an ongoing pandemic, the stock market has seen incredible growth over the past couple of years. In 2021 alone, the S&P 500 gained 26.9%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) gained 18.7% and Nasdaq Composite gained 21.4%. By Casey Bond How To Invest In Stocks: A Beginner’s GuideAlso Learn: Ways Investing Will Change in the Next 25 Years This year has been a different story....

The top 1% of the wealthiest people control about 82% of the world’s wealth, according to a 2018 Oxfam report. In the U.S., the top 1% have over 14 times more money than the bottom 50%, Federal Reserve data shows. By Dawn Allcot See: Creator Economy Explained & 6 Ways to Make Money in the IndustryFind: How Much Money Can You Really Make From Social Media? Systems such as the creator economy, designed to give everyone a fair chance to accrue wealth, seem to produce the same disparities....

Morgan Stanley analysts say that Elon Musk will become a trillionaire. But won’t be because of Tesla, it will be thanks to his other company, SpaceX. By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy See: Elon Musk’s SpaceX Valuation Hits $100 Billion, Becomes Second Most-Valuable Private Company WorldwideFind: Just How Rich Are Elon Musk, Donald Trump and These Other Big Names? The private space exploration company “is challenging any preconceived notion of what was possible and the time frame possible, in terms of rockets, launch vehicles and supporting infrastructure,” Morgan Stanley’s Adam Jonas wrote Tuesday in a note titled, “SpaceX Escape Velocity … Who Can Catch Them?...

If you receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), you might wonder if you can pay for items at your local drugstore with that money. The answer is yes, but only certain items are eligible. By Cynthia Measom Items that you won’t be able to buy with your SNAP benefits include vitamins, medicines and supplements. Non-food items such as paper towels, napkins, toilet paper, cleaning products, office supplies, cosmetics and hygiene items are not eligible either....

In a bid to cut down the cost and time spent preparing tax returns, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and 22 other government lawmakers have presented new legislation to simplify the tax filing process for millions of Americans. By David Nadelle See: $26 Billion in Child Tax Credit and More Refundable Filing Errors Leads IRS To Test Virtual VisitsChild Tax Credit: ‘Significant Weaknesses’ Cited by Nonpartisan Report for Romney’s $4,200 Proposal...

By Gary Dudak The Big Lead: Where Do Americans Get Their Money Advice? See the full list here More From Your Money: Choose a high-interest saving, checking, CD, or investing account from our list of top banks to start saving today. Business Spotlight: Cash App Cash App users can now use Cash Card Round Ups to round up Cash Card transactions to the nearest dollar. This spare change can be used to invest in your choice of a stock, ETF or bitcoin with every purchase....

Goldman Sachs is adding new employee benefits in an effort to address claims of worker burnout — and to potentially boost worker retention. This move comes amid a lingering pandemic and a tight labor market, circumstances which have led many employees to re-assess their career choices. By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy See: With Two-Thirds of US Workforce Under Vaccine Mandate Soon, Concern Mounts Over Employee RetentionFind: The Insidious Problem That’s Stressing Out Workers and Costing Employers Billions...

Most travelers use debit or credit cards when they’re traveling for a variety of reasons. Savvy travelers know they can earn travel rewards points and cash back by booking their hotel with a top travel rewards credit card. However, some people choose to use cash for their hotel room. Fortunately, some major hotel chains and some local hotels do allow you to pay with cash. By Dawn Allcot Hotels That Take Cash Reasons To Pay Cash Why Hotels Prefer Credit Other Options Learn: If Your Credit Score is Under 740, Make These 4 Moves Now...

Fewer gifts, scaled-back travel, smaller parties and tighter budgets are the themes of the 2022 holiday season — and everyone knows why. By Andrew Lisa “The cost to deck the halls is only going up as inflation continues to pinch our wallets,” said smart-shopping expert Harman Awal of Your Girl Knows. “Many of us are finding ourselves forced to get creative with holiday shopping and spending, whether it’s opting for a fake tree rather than the real deal or skipping out on a big family vacation in favor of staycationing at home....

The Supplemental Security Income program provides a monthly benefit to adults and children with a disability or blindness and resources below specific financial limits. SSI payments are also made to people ages 65 and older who meet the financial qualifications even if they’re not disabled. By Georgina Tzanetos See: Unclear on Social Security Benefits? These Are the 4 Types Seniors Should Know Find: 5 Things You Must Do When Your Savings Reach $50,000...

When you review your employee benefits as you start a new job, or during open enrollment each year, it’s all kind of an alphabet soup — 401(k), HSA, PTO, WFH, FSA. And it’s worth taking your time to decipher the code and figure out what it all means. By Jami Farkas Inflation Relief Checks: When Will You Get Yours? Also See: Here’s How Much Cash You Need Stashed If a National Emergency Happens...