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Technology has many pros and cons. For instance, technology allows us to find almost anything we would ever need to know instantly. But technology has its downsides, too. For consumers, one of them is the rise of robocalls. By Bob Haegele Retirement at Any Age: Get Retirement Tips That Fit Every Stage of LifeThe Future of Finances: Gen Z & How They Relate to Money In 2021 alone, Americans received 50 billion robocalls, according to a report from the robocall index YouMail....

When the going gets tough, the tough get French fries — and so does everyone else, apparently. The ever-popular French fry ranked as the top-ordered food item in 2021 at both DoorDash and Uber Eats, proving once again that when it comes to grim events like a global pandemic, nothing soothes the soul (and belly) quite like thin-sliced potatoes cooked in scalding hot oil. By Vance Cariaga See: Why There’s a Cream Cheese Shortage: Supply Chain Woes and Cyberattacks Find: No Delivery?...

Here is the lowdown on today’s top financial stories. Enjoy the last day of August, everyone! By Gary Dudak The Big Lead: ‘Whopper’ of a Recession in 2023 Predicted by Prominent Economist With another substantial federal interest rate hike likely coming in mid-September and higher inflation fears continuing to mount, a respected American economist is predicting a “whopper” of a recession in 2023. Read the full story here Economy Spotlight: Credit Scores Remain at All-Time Highs, but That Could Change A new analysis from FICO found that the average credit score in the United States remains at an all-time high in 2022, despite the fact that soaring inflation has pushed many Americans to rely more heavily on their credit cards to afford the high prices....

By Gary Dudak The Big Lead: Teacher Appreciation Week In honor of America’s educators, May 3 has been dubbed National Teachers’ Day. In further recognition of the efforts of teachers across the nation, this whole week (May 2 through May 6) is known as Teacher Appreciation Week. To help celebrate teachers, many companies are offering deals, discounts and freebies to drum up business. Here are some of the best deals of the week...

Travis Barker, 46, is an American musician, fashion designer, owner of a record label and reality show star who is best known as the drummer for Blink-182. He is currently in the hospital being treated for a case of pancreatitis, which left his new bride Kourtney Kardashian overcome with worry. By Michelle Tompkins Uber Lost and Found Index 2022: The Strangest (and Most Common) Items People Leave Behind Find: How Rich Is Former President Donald Trump as He Turns 76?...

As people live longer and the cost of senior care rises, it becomes more important to discuss with your parents the possibility of assisted living. After all, around 70% of people over 65 will require long-term care at some point in their lives, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. By Jenny Rose Spaudo Check It Out: Our 2022 Small Business SpotlightLearn: 7 Things You Should Never Do When Planning For Retirement...

By Nicole Spector Find Out: What Is the Average Social Security Benefit at Age 62?Important: 7 Surprisingly Easy Ways To Reach Your Retirement Goals Will these changes affect your wallet? Let’s explore. Back-to-Back COLA Increases By far the biggest story of the summer (if not the year) is the COLA increases. “When the cost-of-living increase year over year is in the 1% to 2% range, the importance of a built-in COLA adjustment does not seem like a big deal,” said David Freitag, a financial planning consultant and Social Security expert with MassMutual....

The pandemic has changed several aspects of life, including the way people spend money on dating. Millennials spend an average of $69 on first dates, and the majority of both millennial and Gen Z daters believe in splitting the costs of dating, according to a new survey from The Balance, with wealthier daters skewing more toward this. By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy See: Tinder and Bumble Enter the Metaverse — How Crypto and NFTs Could Become Essential to Virtual Dating Apps Find: How Much You Need To Be ‘Rich’ in 15 Major Vacation Destinations...

If you’re in the market for a new car this year and considering an electric vehicle, the government has just issued an updated list of the 22 options (including 2023 models) available for the electric vehicle tax credit. By Selena Fragassi See: Auto Sales Fell 8% in 2022 — Will That Mean Lower Prices in 2023?Used Cars: 10 Biggest Winners on the Market Right Now in Terms of Lifespan The EV tax credit is part of the incentives offered in the Inflation Reduction Act....

Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard announced he was giving away the company to fight climate change by transferring all the voting stocks to a trust. He said, “Earth is now our only shareholder.” By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy Explore: Your Biggest Money Etiquette Questions AnsweredRetirement at Any Age: Get Top Retirement Tips for Every Stage of Life In a message posted on the company’s website, Chouinard explained that 100% of the company’s voting stock will transfer to the Patagonia Purpose Trust, created to protect the company’s values, while 100% of the nonvoting stock had been given to the Holdfast Collective, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting the environmental crisis and defending nature....

With cryptocurrencies becoming more mainstream as institutional adoption and knowledge about them grow, experts are increasingly recommending incorporating them into retirement plans. By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy See: 31% of Near-Retirees Are Invested in Crypto – Will This Bet Pay Off?Find: Financial Experts React to Rise in Crypto Retirement Plans A survey by Capitalize noted that 56% of Gen Zers and 54% of millennials include cryptocurrencies and other digital assets in their retirement strategy, compared to only 20% of Gen Xers and 14% of baby boomers....

Samsung Electronics America is known for the Galaxy series of smartphones and high-quality consumer and commercial LED and QLED television screens. Now, the electronics giant is seeking to recreate — and amp up — that experience in Decentraland, a digital environment in the metaverse where users interact virtually or through augmented reality. By Dawn Allcot Samsung is calling the new, virtual location, 837X, a play on the physical location of Samsung’s flagship at 837 Washington Street in the Meatpacking district of New York City....

Snap shares were down 38.89% on July 22, following disappointing second-quarter earnings – a quarter which “proved more challenging than we expected,” according to a July 21 letter to investors. By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy Learn: How To Invest Like a Millionaire During a Bear MarketLooking To Diversify in a Bear Market? Consider These 6 Alternative Investments “While the continued growth of our community increases the long-term opportunity for our business, our financial results for Q2 do not reflect our ambition,” Evan Spiegel, Snap CEO, said in the earnings release....

If you ever wanted to vacation on the 414-foot ice-class yacht formerly owned by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, here’s your chance. The yacht, first launched in 2003, joined the Camper & Nicholsons charter fleet last year and will be available later this year for seven-day Antarctica tours. Just make sure you’ve set aside a substantial budget for the excursion. By Dawn Allcot Discover: 50 Ways You’re Throwing Money Away More: 22 Side Gigs That Can Make You Richer Than a Full-Time Job...

The Dow Jones Industrial Average opened low on March 7 and continued to fall, losing 1.25% by mid-morning. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite lost 1.6% and 1.8%, respectively, in a troubling trend for stocks, CNN Business reported. By Dawn Allcot See: Elon Musk Tweets Support of Increasing US Oil Production To Limit Dependence on Russia Find: Global Food Prices Reach All-Time High in February, Spurred in Part by Russia-Ukraine War...

The end of a person’s life doesn’t necessarily mean the end of their Social Security payments. Depending on factors like income and dependents, Social Security checks will still be issued to someone else even after the original recipient passes away. By Vance Cariaga According to the Social Security Administration website, if you work and pay into Social Security, part of those taxes go toward survivor benefits, which means your surviving spouse, children and even parents could be eligible for payments based on your earnings....

The waning days of tax season are here and, unless you’re a last-minute procrastinator, you’ve put your returns to bed, paid the IRS its due and hopefully already collected your refund. Naturally, the last thing on Earth you want to think about right now is next year’s taxes — but you should. By Andrew Lisa Advice: 9 Bills You Should Never Put on Autopay Good Question: What Is the Chase Cashier’s Check Fee?...

New Year’s resolutions are a reset, a refresh button that may help us feel virtuous and energized — even momentarily. And financial resolutions are big on the New Year’s list, with 39% of Americans saying they want to “save more money” in 2023, according to a Fidelity Investments survey. By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy Discover: 10 Things To Stop Buying in 2023 Advice: Get Your Credit Score on Track with These 3 Tips for Success...

Last year was a financially disheartening one for many Americans, but not all. According to a new report, the number of millionaires in the world increased at a brisk pace in 2021, aided by rebounds in economic sectors like the stock and housing markets. By David Nadelle See: 8 Purchases Retirees Almost Always RegretZelle Facebook Marketplace Scam: How To Recognize and Avoid This Scam According to Credit Suisse’s Global Wealth Report 2022, the economy helped the rich get richer and allowed 2021 to set a record for household wealth....

What should be on someone’s checklist when signing up for their first credit card? New cardholders will want to keep an eye out for specific features that help them use their cards responsibly. Here are four features that should be used to make a decision about getting your first credit card. By Heather Taylor Explore: Your Biggest Money Etiquette Questions AnsweredFind Out: If Your Credit Score Is Under 740, Make These 4 Moves Now...