Posts

Much of the public focus on President Joe Biden’s loan forgiveness plan has zeroed in on two things: the extension of the federal student loan payment pause until the end of the year and the $10,000 in loan forgiveness to individual borrowers who meet certain income requirements. By Vance Cariaga See: How Much Cash To Have Stashed at Home at All TimesFind: Will Student Loan Forgiveness Include Parent Plus Loans?...

If you’ve reached the lofty sum of $1 million in your retirement accounts, congratulations! This is a dream that many Americans never reach. According to CNBC, the average 401(k) balance for Americans age 65 and older is just $255,151, and the median, which is a more telling figure, is just $82,297. By John Csiszar See: 20 Best Places To Live on Only a Social Security CheckFind: The Downsides of Retirement That Nobody Talks About...

It might be true that luxury never goes out of style, but that doesn’t mean you always have to pay top dollar for it. Like their elders (whose values they often question), Gen Z and millennial consumers want a piece of the luxury market — as long as they can buy it online and score a deal while doing so. By Vance Cariaga Explore: Your Biggest Money Etiquette Questions AnsweredHere It Is: Our 2022 Small Business Spotlight...

Even with an 8.7% cost-of-living adjustment boosting average monthly payments by $146 in 2023 — the highest COLA in more than four decades — Social Security recipients still need to save money whenever they can. By Vance Cariaga See: How Much Does a Person on Social Security Make?Find: With a Recession Looming, Make These 3 Retirement Moves To Stay On TrackDiscover: 10 Things To Stop Buying in 2023 Luckily, seniors have a variety of ways to do so....

This crypto winter will last up to 18 months and then Bitcoin will take off again, according to a projection by Ric Edelman, founder of Digital Assets Council of Financial Professionals. By the first quarter of 2024, Edelman said, Bitcoin’s price could be $60,000 to $100,000. By Chris Cluff Small Business Spotlight 2022: Nominate Your Favorite Small Biz by July 25 Find: 8 Remote Jobs That Pay at Least $20 Per Hour...

So you have an extra $1,000 you want to invest. What should you do with it? By Cody Bay Learn: 25 Money Experts Share the Best Way to Invest $1,000 Of our respondents, 57% were men and 43% were women. Most of the respondents, 27%, were between the ages of 35 and 44, followed by ages 18 to 24 and 25 to 34, each with 23%. The top choice at 32% of all of the respondents was to put the $1,000 into stocks....

Ohio residents who qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP) benefits receive their payments according to the same schedule every month, based on the last digit of their case number. That will also be the case in January. Payments begin on the 2nd of the month and continue through the 20th and will include the 12.5% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) approved for 2023. By Josephine Nesbit SNAP Benefits: Can You Use EBT Card/Food Stamps To Purchase Hot Food?...

Downsizing has long been associated with empty-nesters looking to close the void of their children’s absence, but in recent years, as the concept of minimalism has stormed society, downsizing has become attractive to just about everyone with the privilege to consider it. Downsizing is appealing for a few different reasons including its promise of financial savings. By Nicole Spector “Less space means less money, less maintenance, less hassle and less carbon footprint, which is becoming a real priority for people,” said Daren Herzberg, a licensed associate real estate broker with Compass in NYC....

Credit cards can be useful tools, allowing you to afford important expenses when you don’t have the funds available right away. When used responsibly, credit cards can help you manage your budget as your cash flow fluctuates. By Casey Bond But even if you have the cash available to pay for a big-ticket purchase in full, you may want to consider putting it on a credit card anyway. Here’s why....

Especially in the wake of a pandemic, being unable to pay bills is a reality that many Americans face. Whether it be once in a while, or an unfortunate recurrence, sometimes payments cannot be made. By Sam DiSalvo See: 10 Best Countries To Live on Just a Social Security CheckMore: Surprising Things You Can Buy With Food Stamps This is especially harmful when it comes to healthcare. Not being able to afford medicine and service can be a life or death situation....

A television commercial from 1969 shows a well-to-do-looking man being served a McDonald’s meal on a silver platter. Fine dining for a cheap price. “When you pay for two hamburgers, French fries and a Coke, you get change back from your dollar,” the narrator says as the butler drops the change on the table. By Jami Farkas Learn: Surprising Things You Can Buy With Food StampsMore: If Your Credit Score Is Under 740, Make These 4 Moves Now...

The pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on women, as it exacerbated many of the challenges they already faced, forcing many to leave the workforce, with caregiving obligations playing a large role. By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy Check Out: 5 Jobs for Moms With Big Resume GapsImportant: 20% of Women Have Faced Lack of Fair Pay Due To Their Gender — How Can We Change the Status Quo? To put the phenomenon in context, 2 out of every 3 caregivers in the United States are women, meaning they provide daily or regular support to children, adults or people with chronic illnesses or disabilities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention....

By Jami Farkas Find Out: Why Being Too Busy Also Affects Your ProductivityKeep Reading: Do Fewer Work Hours Make More Productive Employees? More From Your Money: Choose a high-interest saving, checking, CD, or investing account from our list of top banks to start saving today. The smarter the digital assistant, the more they can do for you. The longer they work with you, the more they’ll learn about you and be able to predict your needs and preferences....

Halloween is just around the corner, and despite inflation, thousands of consumers will be shopping for costumes for kids and adults alike. By Sam DiSalvo According to the National Retail Federation, Americans spent $10 billion on Halloween in 2021, up significantly from $8.05 billion in 2020 and a record-breaking all-time high. Individually, Americans spend just over $100 each on Halloween. Save More: Back-to-School Tips To Help You Cut CostsFind Out: This Credit Score Mistake Could Be Costing Millions of Americans...

Getting a side gig is a great way to supplement your income and expand your skill set. The West Coast is full of jobs that you can do part time and still put away a significant chunk of change. You’ll need it, too, since living on the coast isn’t cheap. By Sam DiSalvo See: The Minimum Salary You Need To Be Happy in Every StateLooking To Diversify in a Bear Market?...

A high return is what every investor is after, but it’s not the only factor that matters. When reviewing investments, professionals look not only at absolute return potential but also something called “risk-adjusted return.” The bottom line is that not all returns are created equal, and smart investors look to invest where they’re getting the best value for the risk that they are taking on — even if that means accepting lower returns....

For the first time in six months, Americans’ confidence in the economy dropped as more grow worried about the rising cost of living and the outlook on future jobs. The Conference Board released results from a consumer confidence survey Tuesday, that showed index numbers dipping from 117.5 in April to 117.2 in May, reported MarketWatch. By Josephine Nesbit See: Biden Trims Infrastructure Package — What Does That Mean for Jobs and Small Businesses?...

Bitcoin Cash comes from Bitcoin. It’s based on the same technology and it’s used the same way, but it’s a unique variation that is separate from the world’s first and most famous cryptocurrency. Here’s what you need to know. By Andrew Lisa Economy Explained: How Does Cryptocurrency Work – and Is It Safe? Dogecoin (DOGE): What It Is, What It’s Worth and Should You Be Investing? What Is Bitcoin Cash? Bitcoin Cash is a cryptocurrency that was created in 2017 from a “fork” in the original Bitcoin blockchain....

Bitcoin mining is a computational process that achieves two distinct and important goals. First, it allows miners to “find” new bitcoins that are added to circulation. Second, bitcoin miners verify transactions while mining. This helps ensure the integrity of the blockchain, which serves as a ledger of transactions. By Bob Haegele About Bitcoin Mining Hardware and Mining Pools How It Works How To Mine Bitcoin How Much Miners Make What To Consider Legality Learn: 5 Things You Must Do When Your Savings Reach $50,000...

Americans who have defaulted on their federal student loans and are nearing retirement might be in for a painful surprise. The government can garnish up to 15% of their Social Security income, making a huge dent in their nest egg. By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy Social Security: No Matter Your Age, Do Not Claim Benefits Until You Reach This MilestoneSocial Security Payment Schedule 2023: What Dates To Watch Out For And the number of seniors burdened by student loan debt is astounding....