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When you get engaged, your first thoughts likely go to planning your dream wedding, finding the perfect dress and trying to envision what the rest of your life with your partner will look like. You likely are not thinking about a prenuptial agreement — but depending on your circumstances, this is something that should go on your pre-wedding checklist. In today’s “Financially Savvy Female” column, we chat with Laurie Itkin, financial advisor and certified divorce financial analyst, to find out when you might need a prenup — and why it’s perfectly OK to ask for one....

Thinking about estate plans usually evokes an image of a wealthy family summoning their family lawyer to make sure their summer homes pass through to the children while evading taxes. Modern estate planning though is much more about organizing your financial assets to make sure they are protected from new problems, such as outside business ventures or a potential divorce — or even a pandemic. According to a new survey from Edward Jones, a third of Americans say the pandemic has triggered conversations with their family about end-of-life plans....

Summer is coming, and especially for those who are vaccinated, so is the urge to travel for the first time with some sense of “normalcy.” Early in the year, as lockdowns began to ease, airlines, hotels and resorts were offering relatively easy cancellation policies with minimal financial risk, giving people more flexibility due to the uncertainty of COVID-19. By Jordan Rosenfeld Flexible Cancellation Policies Are Still in Effect The good news about travel at this time is that “the proven effectiveness of the COVID-10 vaccinations has given the travel industry a significant boost,” according to Giacomo Piva, CMO and co-founder of Radical Storage, a global luggage storage network and travel industry expert....

What is InsureMyTrip? Founded in 2000, InsureMyTrip is a travel insurance comparison and shopping site that enables users to enter their travel details in order to access competitive quotes offered by up top-rated travel insurance providers. The first of its kind, the company has served over 4 million travelers to date. By Nicole Spector What is InsureMyTrip? InsureMyTrip vs. competitors Who is it best for? Final take Ease of Use 4....

The list of states that are opting out of enhanced federal unemployment benefits before they are due to expire keeps getting longer. By Vance Cariaga See: How To Go Back To Work And Still Keep Unemployment BenefitsFind: Tax Refunds on 2020 Unemployment Benefits Due to Begin This Month As Fox Business reported earlier this week, at least 21 GOP-led states plan to end supplemental unemployment benefits that were approved by the federal government as a way to help jobless Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic....

Now that you’ve retired and are on a fixed income, you try to spend wisely. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’re against big-ticket expenses — you just want to make a good investment. By Jennifer Taylor See: The Safest Places To Retire Outside the USLearn: 7 Surprisingly Easy Ways To Reach Your Retirement Goals Whether the price tag is big or small, you seek out purchases that will add value to your life....

Minnesota Republicans have proposed the largest tax cut in the state’s history — including eliminating taxes on all Social Security benefits — in a move that could trim nearly half of the state’s current budget surplus. By Vance Cariaga See: 5 Presidents Who Raised Taxes the Most, and 5 Who Lowered ThemFind: 10 Surprising Statistics About Income Tax and US Taxpayers In addition to getting rid of taxes on Social Security income, the proposal would reduce the lowest-tier income tax rate from 5....

First, it was paper toilet rolls, then it was pet food and now it’s Sriracha. The dearth of the beloved condiment on supermarket shelves across the nation is infuriating many hot sauce aficionados who are panic buying the bottles. By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy See: Avocados and 5 More Popular Grocery Items That Are Soaring in PriceFind: Surprising Things You Can Buy With Food Stamps on the East Coast Huy Fong, the maker of the Sriracha, said in a letter to customers that “due to weather conditions affecting the quality of chili peppers, we now face a more severe shortage of chili....

During times of high inflation and economic uncertainty, such as those Americans are living through now, it’s important to be thrifty — but being cheap is a different story. While thriftiness is associated with spending the minimum required and being prudent, cheapness is more about spending less no matter the consequences, like buying the cheapest bottle of wine for a party knowing it will likely turn the stomachs of your hosts....

Taxpayers who have checked the “Where’s My Refund” tool on the IRS website have probably seen a message that says, “Your return is being processed.” In some cases, this message might stay on there for weeks or even months. By Vance Cariaga See: 56% of Americans Expect a Tax Refund of More Than $1,000 — Experts Say These Are the Best Ways To Use ItFind: Cutting The Child Tax Credit Has Put 3....

Your credit score tells lenders how likely you are to default on a loan, so it’s one of the most important factors affecting whether or not they approve your applications. But the scores can be confusing, in part because there’s more than one scoring model. VantageScore is one of the most commonly used. By Daria Uhlig What It Is How It Works Why It Changes Who Uses It VantageScore vs. FICO Getting Your VantageScore What Is VantageScore?...

Today is the most anticipated day of the year — at least for coffee lovers. It’s the day Starbucks for Life officially kicks off, providing Rewards App members with the chance to get game plays with every drink order (plays that can result in some big prizes or discounts!). By Selena Fragassi See: 9 Costco Brand Items That Aren’t Worth the MoneyFind: If Your Credit Score Is Under 740, Make These 4 Moves Now...

No one wants to become the victim of a credit card scam. Unfortunately, the truth is that credit card fraud may be more prevalent than most Americans think — and it isn’t only the elderly who are being targeted. Between 2017 and 2021, the number of scam victims under the age of 20 rose by more than 1,000%. By Sarah Horvath Overcharge Scams Security Breach Scams Skimming Arrest Scams If You Get Scammed Awareness of some of the most common credit card scams and how they operate can help consumers avoid these fraud cases....

Car insurance and homeowners’ insurance are mandatory expenses designed to protect others as much as they protect the policyholder. For instance, carrying liability insurance on your motor vehicle can result in the coverage of medical costs if another person is injured in a car accident while you’re driving — whether they are in your vehicle, on foot, or in another car. And homeowners insurance can help pay for property damage and also protect visitors, financially, in case they get injured in your home or yard....

Many Americans suffered great economic and financial turmoil during the pandemic — and some continue to suffer. But one generation had the opposite experience. Generation X, the group between baby boomers and millennials, has experienced a wealth boom in the U.S. since COVID-19 was declared a national emergency, Bloomberg reported. By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy COVID-19 Pandemic: One Year Later, Women are Twice As Burnt-Out in the Workplace Explore: The Best Cash Back Credit Card Right Now...

By Andrew Lisa Here It Is: Our 2022 Small Business SpotlightNext: 5 Things You Must Do When Your Savings Reach $50,000 More From Your Money: Choose a high-interest saving, checking, CD, or investing account from our list of top banks to start saving today. It was part of a trend that saw other pandemic-era darlings shedding value and cutting costs, including Meta (Facebook), Alphabet (Google), Microsoft, Netflix and several video-game industry heavies....

Let’s get one thing out of the way up front — strictly speaking, there’s no such thing as a Social Security “bonus.” However, there are definitely steps you can take to enhance the amount of your retirement benefits. By Rob Poindexter See: 5 Places in Florida Where You Can Live Only on Social SecurityImportant: 7 Surprisingly Easy Ways To Reach Your Retirement Goals As your Social Security payouts may last for decades, it’s important to get as much out of them as you can....

The holiday season is just around the corner and you want something different this year — absolutely nothing. At least nothing that requires a loved one to go to a store and spend money on you. By Jennifer Taylor See: Rude Money Habits You Need To Break NowCheck Out: The Ultimate Holiday Etiquette Gift Guide Since gift-giving is one of the top activities of the season, it can be hard to get people to honor this request....

Many individuals are familiar with this common scenario when dining out in a group. You order a less-expensive meal, like a salad or bowl of soup, and have a glass of water. Meanwhile, other diners at the table are ordering more expensive dishes, appetizers, several drinks and maybe even dessert. When the check comes, the majority of diners want to split the bill. By Heather Taylor Is this fair to those at the table who ordered less or more affordable items to save money?...

To those who have never tried it, investing can seem like a combination of gambling and luck. To some degree, that’s no surprise, as the financial press is full of stories about investors who became millionaires overnight, or who lost massive sums while speculating in the market. But the truth is that successful long-term investing is neither gambling nor the luck of the draw. In fact, over the long run, it’s actually highly likely that you’ll succeed as an investor....