Personal Finance News

There are two predictable things in this world- death and taxes. The one thing that no one seems to be predicting right now is the incredibly strange behavior by the stock market. One day we’re looking at Great Depression level drops, the next day we’re seeing all-time-high recoveries. In the midst of incredibly high levels of unemployment, we’re also seeing an investor field day. So for your everyday, middle-class investor, how should you feel about what’s going on? Fearful? Brave?

If you’ve heard it once you’ve heard it a million times, but things aren’t getting any easier- that doesn’t mean things will get worse long term though. As my father and I rode together in my car to get takeout, donning our facemasks, asking one another if we each brought hand sanitizer, things for a moment seemed silly.

Across the country, millions of Americans are facing what is being considered the worst financial (not including health) crisis of their lifetime. After a four-year bull market and record low unemployment, now many are worrying as to how they will be able to pay their rent, provide for their families, and a whole list of other stresses brought about primarily by factors outside of their control.

Scammers are always looking for new targets, and even though we are in the midst of a global crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, scammers are still looking to do what they do best- take advantage of people’s good intentions and even their fears, and use it to steal their money.

As if Americans don’t have enough health and financial fears to deal with these days, the recently passed stimulus package has opened up a new opportunity for thieves and con artists to take advantage of Americans expecting this upcoming check to help carry the load.

As Social Security among young people is treated as a pipe dream and more and more Americans nearing retirement age don’t seem to see a financial rainbow at the end of career tunnel, many conservative spenders and savers across the nation wonder why they haven’t seen the wealth accumulation from years of hard work result in something larger. So what gives? CNBC’s Jill Cornfield explains exactly why you’re so far off from the retirement track of your dreams, and the answer why is pretty obvious. “Savings alone can’t get you there,” writes Cornfield, “investing can.”

The minutes -- from the FOMC's January 28-29 meeting -- were seen as supportive of loose monetary policy. Stocks and futures rallied as a result.   Several Fed policymakers provided commentary on the Coronavirus outbreak that -- at the time -- was mostly contained to mainland China. Fed President Patrick Harker stated, "if the situation gets significantly worse, and we start to see a significant impact on the U.S. economy, then we'd have to think about accommodation." Fed Chair Jerome Powell said that the Fed would act "as appropriate."

Interest rates remain low, and homeowners in the United States are taking advantage. On Tuesday, the Federal Reserve announced that the mortgage origination volume in the final quarter of 2019 surged to $752 billion. That represents the highest level since 2005 and a nearly 50% increase over the $528 billion recorded in the third quarter of 2019.

We all want to say we’re in great financial shape, but the truth is we either aren’t or we still have room to get better. Sometimes, our day to day lives don’t give us the time to do research on our own in order to get a good grasp about tough concepts. For some of us, the money needed to work with a professional financial expert to help carry the load just isn’t an option either. However, there is an easy and engaging way to get the financial advice we need, on our time, for absolutely free! Whether on our lunch break, at the gym, or during our commute, podcasts allow us to listen in on the conversations and discussions about money matters right from our phones or other portable devices. So, what are some of the best financial podcasts to get started on as we embark on our journey to debt freedom, budgetary fortitude, and wealth growth?

The current total debt for student loans has surpassed $1 trillion with the average student borrower in 2017 holding more than $30,000 in student loan debt. As of March 2019, more than 43 million American had student loans. According to a recent study by Pew Trusts, one-fourth of those borrowing default on their loans within five years of entering repayment.

Whether it’s not making any big purchases or foregoing a doctor’s visit, millennials and Generation Z are serious about becoming homeowners and making sacrifices to do so, according to Zillow.

Students just getting into college have already declared their majors, but it’s not uncommon for them to change their minds more than once during their course of study.Some change due to the outlook of their chosen profession, whether they can make money or if they place they want to live even offers a career path for them. “The Occupational Outlook Handbook” puts out the top 100 jobs each year that are not only growing in their hiring capacity but the expected salary and wages someone can expect to earn. Here’s the top 10 fastest growing occupations as listed by “The Occupational Outlook Handbook.”

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is the current richest man in the world, yet he is still cashing out his Amazon shares at an alarming rate. He sold $990 million of Amazon’s shares last Thursday and Friday according to new filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, despite selling $1.8 billion worth of stock earlier that same week, totaling to roughly $2.8 billion in stock sold.

Tiny homes continue to increase in popularity as the trend has grown traction over the past several years. Some tiny homes measure fewer than 400 square feet, but many first-time homebuyers or those looking to downsize opt for these houses. Amazon Seller Allwood now offers do-it-yourself tiny home builder kits ranging from $5,990-$34,000, depending on how large someone wants their home to be.

According to Nitro College, a research group that provides insights on student loan debt, the cost of higher education has risen three times faster...

The average U.S. woman has a better credit score than her male counterpart — with an average of four points more, according to the...

The recently released annual “State of Credit” report by Experian shows that the U.S. may be headed into the worst recession in 80 years....