Customers pay at a cashier station in a JCpenney Store at the Newport Mall in Jersey City, New Jersey. Kena Betancur | Getty Images Going big on those holiday purchases will cost you — especially if you’re in New Mexico. Residents in the Land of Enchantment take 17 months to pay off an average credit
Personal finance
Caiaimage/Paul Bradbury | Caiaimage | Getty Images You’ve got your holiday shopping list made and you’re checking it twice. But are you getting the right gifts for the right people? And what should you do if you are strapped for cash? Following some simple gift-giving rules can help you easily navigate the holiday season. They
Sam Bassett | Iconica | Getty Images If you’re sitting on a few million dollars and you want to save on taxes, consider giving some of it away. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act roughly doubled the amount an individual can transfer to others without being subject to the 40% gift and estate tax. In
Peloton holiday ad. YouTube If you cover your eyes on Christmas morning, are you expecting to open them up and see a Peloton? If you haven’t already heard, that’s the premise of a new holiday commercial from the home fitness company. And it’s attracting some criticism on social media. That’s in part because the ad
Charitable donations generally kick into high gear on “Giving Tuesday,” a single day specifically focused on charity in the shopping-heavy week after Thanksgiving. Since its start, the #GivingTuesday effort has raised more than $1 billion online in the U.S. alone. And yet, the new tax law has taken its toll. In terms of total dollars,
Kerkez | Getty Images There are certain traditions you probably want to keep this holiday season. Ballooning credit-card debts shouldn’t be one of them. Yet a recent survey from CreditCards.com found that 45% of all card holders are willing to take on holiday-related credit-card debt this season. Meanwhile, some 41% of adults who have a
Pictured: (l-r) Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute and Steve Carell as Michael Scott in an episode of “The Office.” Justin Lubin | NBCU Photo Bank If you’re like many workers, you’ll be shopping online while you’re working today. A recent survey from Robert Half Technology, a human resources consulting company, found that 52% of employees
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,”
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