Hero Images | Getty Images There’s a downside to this year’s stock market appreciation: Some investors are in line for a surprise tax bill. Mutual funds distribute capital gains to their investors close to the end of each year. By now, many investors have received notifications from their fund companies about that, and they can
Personal finance
Guido Mieth | DigitalVision | Getty Images It’s not just saving for retirement you need to worry about, but drawing down your money at the right time, too. The IRS requires savers to make withdrawals from their retirement accounts starting at the age of 70½. “They’ve allowed you to defer taxes, but they need to
cmannphoto | Getty Images Get out your pencils and calculators: The IRS has released a breakdown of what’s ahead for the 2020 tax year. Taxpayers who’ve been paying close attention will notice that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act overhauled the tax code. Those sweeping changes include a higher standard deduction — it’s now $12,400
For some savers, the lure of moving assets to a Roth individual retirement account from a traditional IRA or 401(k) plan often boils down to the tax-free income it will deliver in their golden years. Yet there are some less obvious reasons for certain retirees or retirement savers to consider doing a so-called Roth conversion.
College graduates will soon be hit with their first student loan bill aywan88 | E+ | Getty Images We’re heading into the season for turkey dinners, Christmas trees, presents and, for recent college graduates, their first student loan bill. Students who were handed their diplomas in May or June will find the half-a-year grace period
ferrantraite | E+ | Getty Images You may have the perfect plan for holiday season travel. Yet one wrong move and your carefully crafted budget could fly out the window. “The holidays are a really busy time and there are already so many things to do – from checking off wish lists to holiday functions,”
Advertising billboards seen in Times Square, New York City Brigitte Blättler | Moment | Getty Images If you’re living in the northeastern part of the country, chances are that you’re paying some hefty income taxes. New Yorkers paid the most in state income levies — $2,249 per capita during the 2017 fiscal year, according to
Seb Oliver | Image Source | Getty Images If you’re thinking of buying a home in Las Vegas — congratulations! You just might make a bundle when the time comes to sell it. That’s because the average annual internal rate of return for a homeowner in Sin City is 13.29%, according to a recent analysis
This fall, resist the temptation to just re-elect all of last year’s workplace benefits. Employers are rolling out their benefits packages for 2020, and that means it’s time for you to choose your health-care, life insurance and disability coverage for the new year. Failure to pay attention means you could miss out on valuable opportunities
People shop at the Macy’s flagship store on 34th St. on Black Friday on November 23, 2018 in New York City. Stephanie Keith | Getty Images Black Friday is one of the biggest shopping events of the year — for a reason. “Everything will be on sale in some capacity,” said Julie Ramhold, a consumer
Photo by Hero Images via Getty Images If you’re planning on punching in at your job well into your 60s, pay close attention to your workplace benefits. That’s because if you mismanage them, it could cost you. The over-65 crowd is expected to become a growing share of the workplace in the future. The labor
You might know by now that Medicare’s annual open enrollment is underway and ends Dec. 7. So do scammers. Every fall, when the program’s 60 million or so beneficiaries can make coverage changes for the next year, criminals tend to step up their game, experts say. It could involve a person pretending to be a
A woman uses her vaping device in Harmony, Pa. Keith Srakocic | AP While the long-term effects of vaping are still unknown, there’s little doubt that vaping won’t go in your favor when it comes to life insurance. The vaping-related illness outbreak reached more 1,888 probable cases with 37 fatalities as of Oct. 29, according
Getty Images It’s no secret the holiday season brings on more financial stress for many consumers. And one group — millennials — are the most susceptible to taking on more debt to keep up, according to a new survey from CreditCards.com. The survey found that more than half of the people in that generation —
For many Americans, the open enrollment season, which covers both employer-based and federal health insurance, is underway. Rising health-care costs are a significant cause of stress, and yet, nearly three-quarters of working adults spend 45 minutes or less reviewing their benefits before enrolling, according to recent research by employee benefits provider Unum. At the very
MACON, Georgia — As the head of student loan debt at the U.S. Education Department, Wayne Johnson discovered some people had balances of more than $1.5 million. “I’ll never forget it,” Johnson, 67, said, during an interview with CNBC on Sunday night at a gated retirement community he owns here. “There were lots of folks
Many people don’t worry about retirement until a looming number acts as a lightbulb. In 2017, Wendy Mays was in her mid-40s and at the tail end of adopting several young children. “I was very scared,” said Mays, a former criminal defense attorney in San Diego who has a podcast on financial independence for families.
Meb Keflezighi, of the United States, reacts after winning the 118th Boston Marathon, April 21, 2014. John Tlumacki | The Boston Globe | Getty Images When Meb Keflezighi ran his first competitive race in the seventh grade, his motivation was simple: to get a t-shirt for his school’s running club that his older brothers also
When it comes to renovating your home, the last thing you want is surprises. So before you start swinging a hammer, it’s important to take steps that can help you avoid costly blunders, according to Drew and Jonathan Scott, the stars of HGTV’s “Property Brothers.” “[The] No. 1 common mistake that so many people make
If you’re changing your Medicare coverage during open enrollment and you plan to travel at some point, make sure you know whether your insurance will go with you. Coverage away from home depends partly on where you travel to, along with whether you’re on basic Medicare or get your benefits through an Advantage Plan. It