3% – Amount that the prime rate typically runs above the upper end of the federal funds target range. For example, if the federal funds rate is set at 3.25%–3.50% by the end of 2022, the prime rate would typically be 6.50%. The prime rate, which commercial banks charge for loans to their best customers,
John D. Rockefeller, one of the wealthiest Americans in history, loved receiving stock dividends. “Do you know the only thing that gives me pleasure?” he once asked. “It’s to see my dividends coming in.”1 There may be many things other than money that give you pleasure, but you can still appreciate the stabilizing role that
Higher taxes could follow in the wake of soaring government spending on pandemic relief measures — a likelihood that shines a new light on the tax advantages of life insurance. Permanent life insurance offers a tax-free death benefit, and a portion of each premium goes into a cash-value account that accumulates on a tax-deferred basis.
One silver lining in the current bear market is that this could be a good time to convert assets from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. Converted assets are subject to federal income tax in the year of conversion, which might be a substantial tax bill. However, if assets in your traditional IRA have
Due to recent increases in the price of fuel, the IRS has increased the optional standard mileage rates for computing the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, medical, and moving expense purposes for the second half of 2022. The standard mileage rate for computing the deductible costs of operating an automobile for charitable
The most important attribute of a cash reserve is its availability in time of sudden need. And while a federally insured savings account is considered one of the safest places to put money being reserved for emergencies, when interest rates are low, you may want to consider other alternatives. When selecting ways to invest your
As a child, you may have dreamed about finding buried treasure, but you probably realized at an early age that it was unlikely you would discover a chest full of pirate booty. However, the possibility that you have unclaimed funds or other assets waiting for you is not a fantasy. Billions of dollars in unclaimed
With age comes responsibility, so if you’re a young adult in your 20s or 30s, chances are you’ve been introduced to the realities of adulthood. While you’re excited by all the opportunities life has to offer, you’re also aware of your emerging financial responsibility. In the financial realm, the millennial generation (young adults born between
With approximately 94% of American workers covered by Social Security and 65 million people currently receiving benefits, keeping Social Security healthy is a major concern.1 Social Security isn’t in danger of going broke — it’s financed primarily through payroll taxes — but its financial health is declining, and benefits may eventually be reduced unless Congress
21.2 million – Number of U.S. jobs added from May 2020 to May 2022. This brought the total number of jobs to 151.7 million, about 822,000, or 0.5%, less than the pre-pandemic peak in February 2020. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022 The U.S. unemployment rate skyrocketed to 14.7% in April 2020 when the
