If you worry about your retirement investments during market downturns, you’re not alone. Unfortunately, emotions are often the enemy of sound investing. Here are some points to help you stay clear-headed during periods of market volatility. Markets Rebound Historically, even the worst bear market has bounced back and eventually gone on to reach new highs.
The importance of proper estate planning cannot be overstated, regardless of the size of your estate or the stage of life you’re in. Nevertheless, it’s surprising how many American adults haven’t put a plan in place. You might think that those who are rich and famous would be way ahead of the curve when it
In late September 2022, the U.S. dollar hit a 20-year high in an index that measures its value against six major currencies: the euro, the Japanese yen, the British pound, the Canadian dollar, the Swedish krona, and the Swiss franc. At the same time, a broader inflation-adjusted index that captures a basket of 26 foreign
21.8% – The inflation-adjusted jump in charitable giving to arts, culture, and humanities in 2021, the largest increase of all categories. Source: Giving USA, 2022 Americans donated $484.85 billion to charity in 2021, a 4% increase over 2020’s record amount. Adjusted for inflation, however, the growth was a relatively flat -0.7%. For the fourth year
A donor-advised fund (DAF) is a charitable account offered by sponsors such as financial institutions, community foundations, universities, and fraternal or religious organizations. Donors who itemize deductions on their federal income tax returns can write off DAF contributions in the year they are made, then gift funds later to the charities they want to support.
Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period — which runs from October 15 through December 7 — is your annual opportunity to switch your current Medicare health and prescription drug plans to ones that better suit your needs. Just in time for Open Enrollment, 2023 Medicare premiums, deductibles, and other costs have been announced, and surprisingly, some of
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2023-2024 school year opened on October 1, 2022. Here are some things you should know. Why file it? The FAFSA is a prerequisite for federal student loans, grants, and work-study. In addition, colleges typically require the FAFSA before distributing their own need-based aid and, in
Legislation that could benefit people with individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and workplace retirement plans is currently moving through Congress. The Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2022 has passed almost unanimously in the House. A similar bill (with some differences), the Enhancing American Retirement Now Act, has been drafted in the Senate but will have
After dropping the benchmark federal funds rate to a range of 0%–0.25% early in the pandemic, the Federal Open Market Committee of the Federal Reserve has begun raising the rate aggressively in response to high inflation and a stronger economy. Following 0.25% and 0.50% increases in March and May 2022, the Committee implemented successive 0.75%
On August 24, 2022, just a few days before federal student loan repayment was set to resume, President Biden announced a plan for additional student loan debt relief. Federal student loan repayment was originally halted in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic. The new plan extends the payment moratorium through the end of
