$29,100 – Average cumulative debt for 2020–21 bachelor’s degree recipients who graduated with debt from public and private nonprofit four-year institutions; 54% of students graduated with debt. This was an improvement over the 2015–16 school year, when 60% of students graduated with an average debt of $32,100. Source: College Board, 2022 While there is widespread
More than 37 million U.S. adults are living with some hearing loss, but only about one-fourth of those who might benefit from a hearing aid have used one.1 Cost is a big obstacle: The average price of a pair of prescription hearing aids runs about $4,600. Traditional Medicare and most health insurers cover routine hearing
It’s heartbreaking to hear stories of people losing money (even their life savings) as a result of fraud or financial exploitation, especially if they are older and financially vulnerable. In fact, it’s quite common. People age 70 and older reported losses of $567 million in 2022.1 You know your parents could be at risk, and
19% – Percentage of Americans who said they spent more than their income in 2021; 34% said they spent about equal to their income, and 43% said they spent less. These responses were almost exactly the same as in 2009, 2012, 2015, and 2018 — suggesting that people are spenders or savers regardless of economic
The arrival of spring is always a good time to dust off the cobwebs that have built up in your home during the winter. It’s also a good time to clean out and organize your financial records so you can quickly locate something if you need it. Keep Only What You Need If you keep
Recent research from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggests that most Americans turning age 65 will need long-term care support during their lifetimes.¹ If the need arises, how will you handle potential long-term care for yourself or a loved one? Planning for the consequences of aging in general, and long-term care in
On Monday, May 22, President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy met at the White House to discuss raising the statutory limit on U.S. government debt, generally called the debt ceiling. Although both leaders termed the discussion “productive,” there was no resolution, and their respective negotiating teams continued discussions.1 Here are some answers to
A March 2023 survey found that more than 90% of Americans worry about the Social Security program, and about half of those said they worry a great deal.1 A separate survey the same month found that more than 80% of Americans worry Medicare will not be able to provide the same level of benefits in
Approximately 78% of people who work for companies with fewer than 10 employees and about 65% of those who work for companies with 10 to 24 employees do not have access to a retirement plan at work.1 That’s unfortunate, because workers with a retirement plan are far more likely to save for retirement than those
The SECURE 2.0 Act, passed as part of an omnibus spending bill in December 2022, added new exceptions to the 10% federal income tax penalty for early withdrawals from tax-advantaged retirement accounts. The Act also expanded an existing exception that applies specifically to employer plans. These exceptions are often called 72(t) exceptions, because they are
