Personal finance
Op-ed: That college degree is no longer the only path to achieving the American Dream
Foto Sipsak | Getty Images For decades, a college education was the “golden ticket” to the American Dream, translating into higher lifetime earnings and better job security. To that point, the median college graduate makes a total of $2.8 million throughout their career, compared to $1.6 million (a 70% difference) earned by their high school […]
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How fast does inflation cut buying power? Here’s a simple guide
Luis Alvarez | Digitalvision | Getty Images Inflation is hovering near 40-year highs. The Consumer Price Index, a key inflation metric, increased 8.3% in April from a year ago, the largest jump since the summer of 1982, the U.S. Department of Labor said Wednesday. While a slight reduction from the 8.5% rate in March, the […]
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Nearly 7 in 10 Americans want to live to 100, study finds. Here’s how retirement is changing
Despite fears of outliving savings, most Americans still want to live longer, a study on longevity and retirement shows. Nearly 70% of Americans want to live to age 100, with 29 years as the “ideal length” for retirement, according to an Edward Jones and Age Wave report that polled 11,000 adults in the U.S. and […]
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Here’s why a Roth individual retirement account conversion may pay off in a down market
Morsa Images | E+ | Getty Images Soaring inflation, interest rate hikes and the war in Ukraine have sparked ongoing stock market volatility. But there may be a bright spot: the chance to save money on a Roth conversion. The strategy allows higher earners to sidestep the earnings limits for Roth individual retirement account contributions, […]
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UK economy ‘one of the most vulnerable’ in the world right now due to mortgage trends, strategist says
George Clerk | E+ | Getty Images There’s an economic idiosyncrasy in the U.K. that makes it “one of the most vulnerable countries in the world right now,” according to an investment strategist. Mike Harris, the founder of Cribstone Strategic Macro, argues that a major problem for Britain is that its mortgage market is “heavily […]
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Your new ‘retirement’ home could be a cruise ship
Jeff Farschman, 72, is a serial cruiser from Delaware who spends months at sea in retirement. Jeff Farschman For nearly two decades, Jeff Farschman, 72, has spent his golden years like many other adventurous retirees — enjoying leisure cruises to exotic ports of call. But unlike many of his fellow cruise passengers, Farschman basically lives […]
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This 29-year-old left the U.S. for Budapest. Now he makes $120,000 — and lives in an $800-per-month apartment
In 2014, I had a life-changing wake-up call: I survived an opioid overdose that put me in the intensive care unit. Hitting rock bottom made me realize how lucky I am to be alive. I spent some time in my hometown, Memphis, to focus on my recovery and staying sober. Once I felt stable, I […]
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Your cash savings may finally yield a higher return — but only at certain banks
Guido Mieth | DigitalVision | Getty Images Banks are starting to pay a higher return on your cash — good news for savers who’ve seen their stockpiles languishing from a gruesome combination of low interest rates and high inflation. However, some banks are moving faster than others. Some, particularly traditional brick-and-mortar shops, may not budge […]
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Worried about a recession? Here’s how to prepare your portfolio
FG Trade | iStock | Getty Images More from FA Playbook: Here’s a look at other stories impacting the financial advisor business. “We all understand that markets go through cycles and recession is part of the cycle that we may be facing,” said certified financial planner Elliot Herman, partner at PRW Wealth Management in Quincy, […]
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Over 60 million tax returns could be completed automatically, study shows
Tom Werner | DigitalVision | Getty Images The IRS may have the ability to automate nearly half of tax returns, according to a working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research. The agency could correctly auto-fill an estimated 62 million to 73 million returns with information it already has, covering 41% to 48% of […]
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