Hero Images | Hero Images | Getty Images It pays to be smart this Cyber Monday. While there are steps to take to make sure you are getting the best deals, there are also potential traps you can fall into. “Having a strategy for Cyber Monday is imperative, especially if you’re looking to save money,”
Personal finance
Simon Jarratt/Corbis/VCG | Corbis | Getty Images This holiday season, donate to charity and give yourself the gift of an attractive tax break. Taxpayers in search of last-minute savings can give directly to the organization or use a tax-advantaged account known as a donor-advised fund. If you itemize on your taxes – meaning your deductions
Virojt Changyencham | Moment | Getty Images Dreaming of a big city escape somewhere around the world, yet dreading a big credit-card bill when you get home? Booking an urban adventure packed with excitement, entertainment and cultural engagement doesn’t have to bust your budget, according to U.K.-based Starling Bank. The firm analyzed 35 cities worldwide,
Like many students his age, Natanael Pabon-Trinidad, 18, wanted to pursue a college degree. He simply didn’t have the funds to afford it. “My mom doesn’t have a high-paying job, and I was worried about all that and not being able to pay,” he said. Rather than relying on loans, Pabon-Trinidad was encouraged by his
Holiday shopping is in full swing. Consumers are expected to spend around 5% more this year, with the average gift-giver shelling out $740, according to some surveys. But being able to afford those gifts for all of your loved ones can be difficult. Especially if you have a tendency to spend on yourself while also
Don’t be surprised if a proposal billed as a middle-class tax cut emerges from the White House at some point next year. With the president’s hope to make it an election issue — as recently described by his top economic policy advisor in an interview with CNBC — the idea is to lower taxes on America’s middle earners
Thanagon Karaket / EyeEm | EyeEm | Getty Images It’s almost time to turn the calendar over to a new year. And if you’re retired or have inherited a retirement account, that means you’re on deadline to take your required minimum distributions by Dec. 31. RMDs, as they are commonly known, are the minimum amount
Black Friday has arrived. Certified financial planner Ted Jenkin, CEO and founder of Atlanta-based financial advisory firm oXYGen Financial, has some tips for people heading out to shop. To begin, there are several apps that can help you find the best deals, he said. With Flipp, plug in your zip code and the biggest discounts
If you hit the Mega Millions jackpot in Friday night’s drawing, don’t forget that good ol’ Uncle Sam will be hovering with palm out. After more than two months of twice-weekly drawings with no one matching all six numbers — your chance of doing so is 1 in about 302 million — the top prize
Hero Images | Getty Images No one is born knowing how to handle money. Smart money management has to be taught. Guess whose job that is? That’s right: parents. Yet teaching their kids about money is something most parents dread. Instead, they’d rather go to the dentist (39%), talk about sex (36%) or pay a
Petko Ninov | E+ | Getty Images Here’s something that will stoke your road rage: You’re spending thousands of dollars just getting to work. Residents in the Washington, D.C., metro area are coughing up $12,015 each year on average just driving to the office, according to an analysis by Clever Real Estate. The real estate
Getty Images If you’ve been racking your brain about where to retire on a budget, it might be time to think outside the U.S. A report by International Living, which publishes information about living overseas, lists destinations where you can coast through retirement on less than $30,000 a year. To be sure, retiring in a
Before and after shot of my student haircut experience. Diamaris Martino It can be a hair-raising experience to find a hair stylist that you trust. And even then you have to find one at a reasonable price that fits your budget. For example, the average cost of a haircut in New York state is now
Anyone planning to roll over all their assets from a traditional individual retirement account to a Roth version might want to pause before making the move. While Roth IRAs grow tax-free and withdrawals generally also are untaxed — and they come with no lifetime required minimum distributions, or RMDs — traditional IRAs have some potential
Samantha Vuignier | Getty Images Whether you’re resolving to cut your 2020 tax bill or save more for retirement in the new year, it’s time to start planning. It’s hard to believe, but we’re staring down at the third year under the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act — the overhaul of the tax code
Sean Locke | Photographer’s Choice RF | Getty Images Instilling sound financial knowledge in children can change the course of their lives. With many families living paycheck to paycheck and debt at record-level highs, it’s more important than ever for kids to learn good financial planning habits. As the holidays quickly approach, some will consider
Senior man celebrates his 90th birthday Urbazon / Getty A change proposed by the IRS could alter how much retirees are required to withdraw each year from their traditional retirement accounts. The reason? People are living longer now than when the agency last issued its tables for required minimum distributions in 2002. As a result,
New York state governor Andrew M. Cuomo Wang Ying | Xinhua | Getty Images Four blue states that had unsuccessfully sued the IRS over a new $10,000 cap on the federal deduction for state and local taxes filed an appeal on Tuesday. The states — New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Maryland — originally filed
Guido Mieth | DigitalVision | Getty Images With a New Year comes a new start, and your retirement is no exception. That’s because the limits for pre-tax saving have gone up for aspiring retirees. And those already in retirement will see a modest boost to their Social Security retirement benefits, along with increased Medicare Part
NFL linebacker Brandon Copeland understands the importance of investing his money. In fact, the New York Jet spends about 10% of his salary and saves the rest. “This career can end at any moment. Any money I make I’m trying to extrapolate that out for life, I’m trying to save as much as possible,” he