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Swayed by the low cost of living, a supportive health care system, wonderful weather and excellent tax incentives, Portugal has long been a destination for retirees the world over. Add in the country’s safety and friendly reputation, it is no wonder that it has increasingly become a haven for many Americans over the last few years as well. By David Nadelle Social Security: Women Get $354 Per Month Less Than Men – Here’s WhyLearn: With a Recession Looming, Make These 3 Retirement Moves To Stay On TrackFind Out: What Happens to Social Security When You Die?...

For those who prey on vulnerable seniors by acting as their guardians and using them for their money, a new bill was has been proposed that would make the fraud a lot harder to execute. By Georgina Tzanetos See: Your Estate Planning Checklist — How To Create a Financially Sound Estate PlanFind: How Coronavirus Exposed America’s Mistreatment of the Elderly A state court appoints an individual as a guardian when a senior citizen or person with a disability is unable to manage their own care and/or personal affairs....

The Social Security Administration unveiled its first Equity Action Plan on Thursday as a way of supporting President Joe Biden’s program to advance equity, civil rights, racial justice and equal opportunity. By Vance Cariaga See: How Gender Equality Is Beneficial for the EconomyFind: Social Security Office Struggles — Republicans Urge Change as Backlogs and Wait Times Persist The plan follows on the heels of Biden’s January executive order, called Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government....

When COVID-19 and its travel bans are finally in the history books, millions of Americans will dust off their suitcases, dig out their passports and book a flight to anywhere. When they get there, they’ll trade in some of their green American cash — say, $100 — for 7,270 Indian rupees. Or 84 euros or 622 Danish kroner or 357,800 Colombian pesos. In other words, they’ll convert their currency so they can spend like the locals....

It’s a tough time to be a first-time homebuyer. In 2021, more than a quarter of first-time homebuyers were unsuccessful at purchasing a home, compared to just 15% of all buyers, a Realtor.com survey found. By Gabrielle Olya Even in a competitive market, there are some levers first-time buyers can pull to up their chances of getting the home they want. Here’s a look at the top tactics first-time homebuyers can use this year to close the deal....

Visa said today that consumers spent more than $1 billion worth of crypto on goods and services through their crypto-linked cards in the first six months of the year. And just yesterday, the company launched a new one with BlockFi to offer a new crypto-linked credit card. By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy Follow Along: 31 Days of Living RicherEcon: The Economy and Your Money: All You Need To Know “We are doing a lot to create an ecosystem that makes cryptocurrency more usable and more like any other currency,” Visa Chief Financial Officer Vasant Prabhu told CNBC....

The W-4 is an IRS tax form filled out by employees and used by an employer to withhold the correct federal income tax from a worker’s paycheck each pay period. The amount of income tax withheld compared to what you owe will determine how much of a refund you may receive. If your employer withholds more income tax than you owe, you will get a bigger tax refund. If not enough tax is withheld, you may owe when filing season rolls around....

One point of contention in President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better plan, which is still being debated, is lowering the costs of child care. In the meantime, while lawmakers are negotiating which parts of the act to remove — or not — the high cost of child care is pushing millions of Americans out of the workforce, with a majority being women. By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy Take Our Poll: Have Child Care Costs Affected Your Career Path During the Pandemic?...

A health savings account helps cushion the costs of high deductible health insurance plans. The accounts have lots of other features that can help you manage your financial future — if you can cover deductibles of at least $1,400 per person and $2,800 per family. Otherwise, you are not eligible for an HSA. By Ann Logue See: 7 Major Emergencies That Could Bankrupt YouFind: HSA vs. FSA — What’s the Difference?...

Those who sell on Facebook Marketplace should be aware of a scam alert issued by the Better Business Bureau. The alert warns of Zelle scams on Facebook Marketplace in which a fraudulent buyer attempts to buy a big-ticket item using Zelle, the popular peer-to-peer payment app, to make payment. By Andrea Norris Zelle Scams on Facebook Marketplace Zelle Scams on Facebook Marketplace Some are referring to this scam as the Zelle business account scam....

In the United States, the median salary is currently $54,134 annually, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Doing the math, that averages out to about $28/hour. By Selena Fragassi See: What Is the Minimum Salary You Need To Be Happy in Every State?Explore: How Much You Really Take Home From a $100K Salary in Every State While that’s still well above the minimum wage of $15/hour that many are pushing for, the $54,000-plus median may not be enough for a family to get by....

Checking accounts are a type of deposit account. They’re offered by banks, credit unions and other financial institutions. They typically come with checks and a debit card. These tools allow you to spend your money without cash. By Joshua Rodriguez Traditional Interest-Bearing Rewards Student Second-Chance Checkless Business If you’re in the market for a new checking account, you’ll find several different types to consider. Some offer perks like interest, while others are available for those with less-than-perfect checking account history....

Gold has been a popular investment option for centuries. Even before there were organized stock exchanges and gold mining companies, humans have always been fascinated by the shiny metal, using it for everything from trade to ornamentation to coinage. By John Csiszar Noble Advantage Patriot Goldco Augusta American Hartford Birch Oxford Regal Assets See: 5 Things You Must Do When Your Savings Reach $50,000 However, investing in actual gold bullion can be difficult, since it involves storage fees — and moving heavy, physical gold can be a challenge....

When you open a credit card, you might have a specific purchase in mind that you want to make immediately. The good news is that you won’t necessarily have to wait until you receive the physical card in the mail before making a purchase with some credit cards. By Sarah Sharkey About Instant Approval Best Cards for Instant Use Can You Get Approved for a Credit Card Immediately? Yes, it’s possible to get instantly approved for a credit card....

Few securities are more old-school economy than U.S. savings bonds — or more comforting in times of inflation and economic distress. As the current inflation rate soars to highs not seen since the early 1980s, a growing number of Americans have gravitated toward inflation-indexed savings bonds. By Vance Cariaga Find Out: The 5 Fastest Ways To Become Rich, According To ExpertsKeep Reading: 6 Top Tips for How To Turn $1,000 Into $10,000...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued an update to its guidelines for cruises on Dec. 30, telling Americans to “avoid cruise travel, regardless of vaccination status,” according to a statement on its website. The new guidelines sent the shares of several cruise lines tumbling. By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy See: Omicron Variant Triggers US GDP Downgrades Find: Omicron Update: COVID Variant Spread Triggers Thousands of Flight Cancellations – Should You Ask For a Refund?...

If you have children and received advance child tax credit (CTC) payments in 2021, you may have received an unassuming letter from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently. If you haven’t, keep your eyes open as it should arrive soon. By Dawn Allcot See: Child Tax Credit: You Could Get a Double Payment in February — Here’s Why Find: Didn’t Get Your Child Tax Credit? Here’s How to Track It Down...

Tis’ the season for giving, especially with Giving Tuesday just around the corner. But scammers certainly won’t be taking a holiday according to a recent AARP poll. Charity scams are quite common during the Christmas season, with 38% of respondents saying they have received a suspicious donation request. Among them, crowdfunding requests have become more recurrent. By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy Holiday Scams: Big Ones To Watch For and Expert Tips to Protect YourselfScams Can Cost Seniors $42K or More: How Advisors Seek To Curb the Issue...

Many food delivery companies have emerged to satisfy a crescent demand for this type of service in recent years. Grubhub and DoorDash are only some of the most popular in the United States. If you’re interested in driving for one of them, here’s a thorough comparison of both companies. By Daniela Rivera-Herrera At a Glance Earning Potential Where You Can Work Driver Requirements Driver Experience Incentive Programs DoorDash vs. Grubhub at a Glance Before we dive deeper into the advantages and downsides of driving for DoorDash vs....

From Kansas to Wisconsin to Nebraska, the conversation surrounding a flat tax has picked up as of late, with more state legislators pushing for as much. According to The Tax Foundation, this is the scenario “when all taxable income is subject to the same tax rate, regardless of income level or assets,” rather than a graduated rate income tax system. By Selena Fragassi See: All the States That Don’t Tax Social SecurityRead: 3 Ways Smart People Save Money When Filing Their TaxesDo You Have a Tax Question?...