Finance

The whole point of retirement is to improve your life—at least, that’s the case for most people. However, many people assume that if they stop working, their life will somehow magically be better. While not working does give you time and energy to pursue your goals and interests, you’ll need…

Mortgage rates continued their upward trajectory this week, climbing for a month straight while further pushing down demand in the stalled housing market. Freddie Mac’s latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey, released Thursday, showed that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year fixed mortgage surged to 6.54% from last week’s reading of…

Most people at or near retirement age will say they want to remain at home as long as possible. That means not going to a care home of any kind “with all those old people”. It sounds fine when one is 65 or so and in reasonably good health. But…

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) on Wednesday ordered Apple and Goldman Sachs to pay $89 million over mishandled transaction disputes and misrepresentations that impacted hundreds of thousands of Apple Card users. The CFPB found a breakdown in how customer service for the Apple Card handled consumer disputes, as Apple failed…

The upcoming election is only days away, and the two presidential candidates remain in a statistical dead heat. Control of the U.S. Congress seems likely to be narrow as well, with either party having a chance to win control. Clearly, the electorate is deeply divided, and it is increasingly rare…

As the 2024 election approaches, candidate Vice President Harris and Former – President Trump promise to protect Social Security, but only Donald Trump has specific proposals. And Trump’s plan would cut Social Security benefits by 33 percent and drive Social Security to insolvency by 2031. The Trump proposals would benefit…

Americans saw mortgage rates soar during the Federal Reserve’s aggressive campaign to fight inflation, leading many to hope for a reprieve after the central bank finally cut the federal funds rate last month for the first time in four years. But instead of declining, mortgage rates have marched higher for…

Medicare’s open enrollment period started on October 15 and runs through December 7 this year. That means you can now comparison-shop your Medicare coverage, which can include Part D prescription drug plans, Medicare Advantage Plans, or Medicare Supplement Plans. For retirees participating in Medicare, it’s a good idea to revisit…

There aren’t many absolutes in financial planning. There are, however, many—MANY—opinions. Advisors, personal finance gurus, and online opine-ers regularly die on the hills of passive vs. active investing, ETFs vs. mutual funds vs. individual stocks, traditional vs. alternative investing, good debt vs. bad debt, term vs. permanent life insurance, traditional…

© 2024 Finances Smart. All Rights Reserved.