Each year, Social Security benefits may increase with a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), but higher Medicare premiums can reduce how much of that raise reaches your monthly budget. Since both are calculated differently, they do not necessarily move at the same rate. Comparing the dollar value of your COLA with changes…
If you’re 65 with $900,000 and no pension, the income your portfolio can provide depends on how much you withdraw and the number of years your savings need to last. Taking too large a withdrawal early in retirement could increase the risk of running short later, while spending too little…
At age 45, skipping your 401(k) match means giving up more than your employer’s contribution. You also lose the potential investment growth this money could earn over the next 20 years. Depending on the size of the match and the investment-return assumptions used, that could leave you with almost $115,000…
Home improvements can make your home more comfortable, raise its value and lower energy costs over time. Some projects may also qualify for tax credits or deductions. These tax breaks can reduce what you owe when you file your taxes. In other cases, the cost of improvements can increase your…
Trending
Spotlight This Week
More Articles
Personal Finance
Major changes to federal student loan repayment rules went into effect this month and are rippling across the system. Many…
Featured Articles
How Does Medical Debt Happen? Some health costs don’t fit into a monthly budget. A major dental procedure or a new health problem can be hard to plan for. It’s common to end up financing the gap, whether that’s a clinic’s own payment plan, a…
Dept Managmnt
By Carmen Chan You’ve got your mortgage and car loan to pay, credit card bills and HELOC payments, and a running list of…
Banking
Team Name: Musgrave Dunn & AssociatesFirm: Merrill Wealth ManagementSenior Members: Travis Musgrave, Timothy Dunn, Valerie MarshallLocation: Lexington, KYTeam Custodied Assets: $1.4 billionBackground: Travis…
Credit Cards
All News
After a few weeks of back-and-forth, President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan became a reality in March 2021—and with it came a third stimulus check hitting Americans’ bank accounts. But the American Rescue Plan had a lot more stuff in it than just the stimulus checks. The Biden administration called the…
If you’re a tenant or a homeowner struggling to make monthly housing payments due to the impact of the pandemic and lockdowns, we feel for you. You’ve been through a lot. And now that the federal bans on evictions and foreclosures have officially ended, you may be wondering what options…
3. Create a Spending Plan You Can Actually Stick To Call it a budget, a spending plan, or whatever name makes you most likely to use one. The point is the same: you can’t live within your means if you don’t know what your means actually are. And with the…
Study Summary • 59% of American workers say the COVID-19 pandemic has changed what they value about a job or career. • 55% of workers said they’re considering changing jobs. • 52% of workers would be willing to take a pay cut for a career that more closely aligns with…
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could all feel as confident and secure as Linus from Peanuts when he’s carrying his security blanket? Property insurance can give you that same feeling—but with real protection. (Unfortunately, Linus’s blanket wouldn’t actually do much to protect him.) Property insurance comes in several forms, each designed to protect…
A trip to the emergency room sucks. But sometimes what comes later is even worse—the bill for the visit. Like, have you ever opened an ER bill and seen a $30 charge for an aspirin? Even though the same stack of cash in a drugstore could buy you five bottles…
Do you feel like you’re settling for a job that doesn’t bring you joy? How about a job that drains you of joy? Or maybe you love your career field but you feel like you’ll never move up that ladder. If that’s you, you’re definitely not alone. Our Ramsey State…
Ahhhh. Home sweet home. There’s nothing like that feeling after coming home after a long trip away. Or that moment you get the keys to your first house and you walk through the front door, lay down, and do snow angels on that plush living room carpet (weird, but we…
Debt-free people are a rare breed . . . especially in today’s world. Just about everyone has bought the lie that financial peace only happens when your FICO score is above average, you’ve got credit card points out the wazoo, and your mailbox is full of credit card applications. So,…
No, we’re not talking about everyone’s favorite martini-drinking spy. We’re talking about bonds that are used as investments. Still, bonds do seem to have an element of mystery to some folks. A bond is a type of loan between an investor and a corporate or government borrower that promises to…
Editor's Pick
