With the COVID pandemic receding in most areas of the world, Americans are traveling again. U.S. citizens took more than 80 million international trips in 2022, an increase of almost 66% over the same period in 2021.1 If you’re planning a foreign vacation, here are some suggestions to help keep your trip on track. Obtain
Three important developments occurred recently in the world of federal student loans: the U.S. Supreme Court blocked an executive order offering loan cancellation to certain borrowers; Congress set an expiration date for the payment moratorium that has been in effect since March 2020; and new student loan interest rates have been set for the 2023–2024
On June 8, 2023, the S&P 500 index closed at 4,293.93, just over 20% higher than its lowest recent closing value of 3,577.03 reached on October 12, 2022.1 According to a common definition of market cycles, this indicated that the benchmark index was officially in a bull market after a bear market that began in
If 2023 has been financially challenging, why not take a moment to reflect on the progress you’ve made and the setbacks you’ve faced? Getting into the habit of reviewing your finances midyear may help you keep your financial plan on track while there’s still plenty of time left in the year to make adjustments. Goal
There’s a certain amount of risk that comes with owning a business. Accidents can happen no matter how well a company is run, and a lawsuit could be devastating if the business is found to be at fault. A limited liability company (LLC) is a business structure that offers many of the same legal protections
Mutual funds pool investment dollars from many individual investors to purchase a group of selected securities aimed at meeting a particular objective. This offers a convenient way to invest across a wide range of market activity that would be difficult for most investors to do by purchasing individual securities. More than 52% of U.S. households
69% – Percentage of Americans using a buy now, pay later (BNPL) service in 2022 who carried over a credit card balance from one billing cycle to the next. A BNPL service allows consumers to pay for online purchases with interest-free payments, typically up to four payments spread over six weeks. Source: Consumer Financial Protection
4.6% – Annual rate of “supercore” inflation in April 2023. Supercore is a metric that excludes goods, food, energy, and shelter, which are all categories that have been especially volatile over the last year. By contrast, the Consumer Price Index for all items increased 4.9%. Source: Bloomberg, May 26, 2023 Economists and investors rely on
A couple of federal personal tax credits are available for the installation of certain energy efficient or clean energy property in your home. The energy efficient home improvement credit is available for qualifying expenditures incurred for an existing home or for an addition to or renovation of an existing home, but not for a newly
The mortgage industry has been on a roller coaster ride over the last couple of years. Interest rates for fixed-rate mortgage loans were at historical lows during the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, rising to a 20-year high in late 2022 — and fluctuating ever since.1 Many buyers are finding it difficult to afford
