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
Update as of June 2023: Federal student loan payments will resume October 2023—with interest starting back September 1, 2023. Student loan relief is making headlines once more because—you guessed it—the government extended the pause on student loan payments. Yep. Again. Now, you might be sitting there thinking, Hooray! No student loan payments…
Update as of June 2023: Federal student loan payments will resume October 2023—with interest starting back September 1, 2023. Unless you’ve got a crystal ball, you probably never would have guessed how crazy things would get over the past few years. It’s been a whirlwind of change for sure! And…
Looking for a car? Before you set your eyes on a new-to-you ride, you may want to consider whether now is really the best time to buy a car in the first place. The demand for new and used cars has skyrocketed . . . but the supply hasn’t. So,…
If you’ve got student loans hanging over your head, you know just how hard it can be to pay them off—especially if you’ve got an interest rate higher than the Empire State Building slowing down your progress. But one way you can accelerate your debt payoff—and save yourself a ton…
One day you’re walking across a stage in a cap and gown to receive your hard-earned diploma. And the next you’re forking over a chunk of your new paycheck to student loans. While you can’t go back in time and tell your freshman self to avoid student loans (and to…
Whether you’re a die-hard Christmas fan or you just want to make it through another painstaking family dinner, the holiday season can have some stressful moments. Between trying not to bust the budget on Christmas shopping, listening to Uncle Bobby’s conspiracy theories again, and navigating everyone else’s holiday expectations, the…
The word budget can get a bad rap. People think budgets are hard, time-consuming and restricting. But listen: The budget life is so worth it. Budgeting doesn’t tell you not to spend. It gives you permission to spend the right way—to show your money who’s in charge. (You.) And with EveryDollar, it’s way easier. Ready…
Christmas is the season of giving, but that doesn’t have to mean giving more of your money to your insurance company. Yes, we’re going to talk about insurance at Christmas because nothing fills the heart with good cheer like thoughts of dying, crashing your car, your house catching on fire,…
Dealing with IRS penalties and incorrect tax assessments can be frustrating. This is especially true when you believe the charges are unfair or that they resulted from circumstances beyond your control. In these scenarios, Form 843 is the IRS mechanism for requesting relief from penalties, interest and certain tax overcharges. A…
A partridge in a pear tree can’t really cost that much—can it? Well, you might be surprised by how expensive it would be to buy that single bird or any of the gifts from the classic Christmas song “The 12 Days of Christmas.” And let’s face it: We’ve all wondered just…
Editor's Pick
