For a family with two young children, the average annual cost for child care in 2023 was higher than the cost of mortgage payments in 45 states and higher than the cost of rent in every state. Here is a comparison of regional costs for housing and child care for two children — an infant
As an investor, you probably track the return on your investments. But it’s likely that you look at the nominal return, which is the percentage increase or decrease in the value of an investment over a given period of time, usually expressed as an annual return. To estimate actual income or growth potential in order
The SECURE Act of 2019 dramatically changed the rules governing how IRA and retirement plan assets are distributed to beneficiaries. The new rules, which took effect for account owner deaths occurring in 2020 or later, are an alphabet soup of complicated requirements that could result in big tax bills for many beneficiaries. (The following is
On the road to retirement, be on the lookout for hazards that can hamper your progress. Here are five potential risks that can slow you down. Traveling aimlessly Embarking on an adventure without a destination can be exciting, but not when it comes to retirement. Before starting any investing journey, the first step is setting
If you participate in a traditional pension plan (also known as a defined benefit plan), your plan may offer several payout options including “qualified joint and survivor annuity” (QJSA) if you are married. A QJSA is an annuity that pays a dollar amount (usually monthly) for the rest of your life, with at least 50%
On April 10, 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for March, and the increase in CPI — the most commonly cited measure of inflation — was higher than expected. The rate for all items (headline inflation) was 3.5% over the previous year, while the “core CPI” rate, which
When you hear or read that the market is up or down, what does that really mean? More often than not, it reflects movement in the two best-known stock market indexes, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500. In fact, there are hundreds of indexes that track various categories of investments. While you
March is Women’s History Month. What better time to reflect on the contribution women have made to the field of finance? What follows are the stories of just five of the many women who helped blaze the trail for others in investing, banking, finance, and economics. Victoria Claflin Woodhull and Tennessee “Tennie” Claflin Victorian-era sisters
Every year, the Internal Revenue Service announces cost-of-living adjustments that affect contribution limits for retirement plans and various tax deduction, exclusion, exemption, and threshold amounts. Here are a few of the key adjustments for 2024. Estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax The annual gift tax exclusion (and annual generation-skipping transfer tax exclusion) for 2024 is
As you plan for retirement, you might not give credit a second thought, especially if your plan includes paying off your mortgage and other debts and relying more on cash than credit. But retirement could last many years, and your need for credit doesn’t necessarily disappear on your last day of work. At some point
