Personal finance

Even though they’ve been around for decades, 529 college savings plans are still often misunderstood. The investment vehicles are a tax-advantaged way to save for college or other schooling. Earnings are free from federal tax and the funds aren’t taxed when taken out to pay for qualified expenses. Yet only 36% of Americans can correctly

Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images Car shoppers hoping to cash in on Memorial Day weekend sales events may want to rein in their expectations. On top of reduced inventory due to a shortage of microchips — key parts needed for today’s autos to operate — and unrelenting consumer demand pushing prices higher, there

STR | NurPhoto | Getty Images Cryptocurrency has increasingly become a factor in divorce settlements as bitcoin, dogecoin and other types gain mainstream acceptance and values spike.  More than 20 million Americans may own cryptocurrency, industry groups estimate, and the digital currency market value rose to $2 trillion for the first time in April.  Whether

Eddie Valdivia and his wife Vanessa pose in front of their first house, which they purchased in October 2020 with the help of a VA loan. Eddie Valdivia, 34 and his wife, Vanessa, 36, workers at the Red Cross, bought their first house last October, right in the middle of the pandemic. It’s a three-bedroom,

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the price of higher education is an even bigger consideration for students and their families than usual. At the same time, the cost of a four-year college or university has never been higher. For the 2020-21 academic year, average tuition and fees increased 1.1% for in-state students at four-year public colleges, reaching $10,560,

Drew Angerer | Getty Images News | Getty Images President Joe Biden proposed a 39.6% top tax rate on capital gains and dividends for millionaires when he released his fiscal 2022 budget request to Congress on Friday. That’s in line with the top rate the administration outlined in April as part of tax increases on

U.S. President Joe Biden. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images President Joe Biden has a problem with broad student loan forgiveness. In a recent interview with New York Times columnist David Brooks, Biden said: “The idea that you go to Penn and you’re paying a total of 70,000 bucks a year and the public should

People wait to visit a house for sale in Garden City, Nassau County, New York, on Sept. 6, 2020. Xinhua News Agency | Getty Images Mortgage interest rates are near historic lows. Yet if you want to take advantage of those rates, check your credit score first. That three-digit number determines whether you can get

Douglas Sacha | Moment | Getty Images Almost 60,000 stimulus checks sent to deceased individuals have been returned voluntarily, according to a Treasury Department report issued Thursday. The funds sent back totaled $72 million. The $1,200 Economic Impact Payments were issued to households as part of the CARES Act pandemic relief law passed in March

In this article SPCX DOGE.CM= Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Gary Gensler testifies at a U.S. Senate Banking Committee hearing on systemic risk and market oversight on Capitol Hill in Washington May 22, 2012. Jonathan Ernst | Reuters Amid a boom in special-purpose acquisition companies, better known as SPACs, the Securities and Exchange Commission is

Kmatta More than half of Americans support the move of some states to end a $300 weekly supplement to unemployment benefits months before it officially expires, according to a Quinnipiac University poll issued Wednesday. At least 23 states have announced an early end to federal unemployment programs in recent weeks. Self-employed workers and the long-term

blackCAT | E+ | Getty Images If your income falls below $75,000 for 2021, there’s a chance you’ll end up paying no income taxes on it. On average, taxpayers in that category will have no tax liability after accounting for deductions and credits when they file their 2021 tax returns next spring, according to recent

Food Network star and restaurateur Guy Fieri has more on his mind these days than navigating his own restaurant business out of the Covid pandemic. He’s trying to help revitalize the industry itself. Next month, he’ll give out $300,000 in grants to aspiring restaurant entrepreneurs and existing owners. “I’ve been very blessed,” said Fieri, who

FatCamera | E+ | Getty Images Working families who struggle to pay for child care may get some relief from 2021 changes to flexible spending accounts. The American Rescue Plan, President Joe Biden‘s $1.9 trillion stimulus package, boosted child-care assistance through temporary changes to dependent-care FSAs.  The law increased 2021 dependent-care FSA limits to $10,500

Kim Churches Courtesy of American Association of University Women It’s a statistic that prompts a double-take: Women owe two-thirds of the country’s $1.7 trillion outstanding student loan balance. On average, women borrow more than $31,000 to finance their education. Black women take out more than $41,000. Men, meanwhile, borrow around $29,000. But those differences are

In this article AMZN Pent-up consumer demand and a surge in online shopping due to the pandemic could make Amazon Prime Day even more popular. Which says a lot, considering it’s one of the most anticipated shopping events of the year. Prime Day, which is usually slated for July, typically includes discounts on more than

In this article BCH.CB= Dado Ruvic | Reuters Bitcoin‘s trademark rollercoaster ride is back — and doesn’t look to be letting up anytime soon. On Monday, bitcoin rebounded and traded up roughly 14% near the 38,000 level after slumping to less than $32,000 on Sunday. The choppy movement comes just days after bitcoin plunged 30%,

Martin Barraud | Getty Images If you’re retired and worried about how inflation could hit your wallet, there may be strategies you can employ to minimize the impact. One option could be to invest in Treasury inflation-protected securities, or TIPS. Like typical Treasury bonds, they are issued and backed by the U.S. government — which

Getty Images Missed out on a federal stimulus check since the pandemic began? Filing a tax return is the best way to get it. Even though Tax Day has come and gone, it may not too late to claim any missing money. In March, Congress approved new $1,400 stimulus checks through the American Rescue Plan

fstop123 | E+ | Getty Images It’s a sure bet that no one — regardless of age — enjoys handing over any of their income to the IRS. In retirement, though, doing so can feel like even more of a sting. Assuming you’ve left work earnings entirely behind you, any amount owed to Uncle Sam