Make no mistake: Taxation in the United States is an uneven playing field. And recent changes in American tax law have tilted it even further toward wealthy taxpayers. Many billionaires famously pay less in taxes as a percentage of their income than middle-class people. While only the rich can skate by the taxman in some […]
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The United States does entertainment, higher education and hamburgers better than just about anybody. However, most Americans do an abysmally poor job of saving money. About 40% say they have no retirement savings, according to a 2018 survey from the investing app Stash. They say student loans, credit card debt and monthly expenses eat up […]
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The 35-day partial government shutdown that kicked off 2019 created a moment of truth for the 800,000 employees and contractors who had to figure out how to cover their bills until their paychecks kicked in again. Many did just fine, thanks to savings and, often, the added safety net of a working spouse. But for […]
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Some relationships just don’t stand the test of time. Are you falling out of love with your bank? If so, you’re not alone. The thrill is gone for 11% of consumer who ditch their longtime banking institution each year, according to a 2017 survey from Accenture Consulting. A study from the credit scoring agency FICO […]
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After decades of squirreling away money in tax-advantaged retirement accounts, investors entering their seventies have to flip the script. Starting at age 70½, Uncle Sam requires taxpayers to draw down their retirement account savings through annual required minimum distributions. Not only do you need to calculate how much must be withdrawn each year, you must […]
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Though most Americans associate April with taxes, the truth is, every day is tax time. Unless you’re lucky enough to live in a state with no sales tax, you pay a percentage on nearly all of the items you purchase. On a pack of gum you might just pay a few cents, but on a […]
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Buying insurance is buying peace of mind, or so goes the sales pitch. And while some insurance products are definitely worth their cost, we have identified others that you often can do without. Whether you’re looking for auto insurance, life insurance or wondering what coverage you need when renting a car or booking travel, find […]
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CREDIT CARD CRUNCH Credit cards now hold more than $800 billion of U.S. consumers’ $13.5 trillion in debt, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. That isn’t as much as mortgage debt ($9 trillion) or auto loan debt ($1.3 trillion), but it also isn’t being paid off the same. Roughly 5 percent of […]
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Identity theft isn’t limited to criminals opening credit cards and running up debt in your name — your tax return is also at risk. During the first eight months of 2017, over 189,000 people filed affidavits with the IRS stating they were the victims of identity theft. In the same time period, the Internal Revenue […]
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Good news for people who love their job, but hate the office! More and more companies are choosing to operate on remote teams. Some of the fastest-growing remote jobs are in STEM fields (e.g. programmers, actuaries and data scientists), which grew by 50 percent in 2018, says Brie Reynolds, a senior career specialist at FlexJobs. Remote […]
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