Personal saving
Tax professionals ‘horrified’ by IRS decision to destroy data on 30 million filers
courtneyk | E+ | Getty Images An audit by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration revealed the IRS has tossed data for millions of payers, sparking anger from the tax community. The material, known as paper-filed information returns in accounting parlance, is sent yearly by employers and financial institutions, and covers taxable activity, such […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
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, […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
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, […]
Read More
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 […]
Read More
Here’s how much cash retirees need to weather a stock market downturn
Luminola | E+ | Getty Images Amid high inflation and rising interest rates, there are fears of a prolonged stock market downturn, and some retirees may be vulnerable without a cushion of cash, financial experts say. However, there’s also the risk of crumbling purchasing power, with annual inflation growing by 8.5% in March, the U.S. […]
Read More
How to get a free pair of Nike sneakers and other life hacks
Reading the fine print or understanding available offers means you could be saving money or taking advantage of refunds or freebies that you might not have otherwise known about, like a brand-new pair of Nike sneakers. That’s the kind of attention to detail that can lead to some surprising upsides, according to Erika Kullberg, lawyer […]
Read More