Surprises in a will can complicate estate plans

Surprises in a will can complicate estate plans

Steve Smith | Tetra Images | Getty Images Handling the estate of a deceased parent can be an emotional process for children already dealing with grief.  Those emotions can become more complicated if the estate plan doesn’t unfold as expected — say, if there is an uneven split of assets among children or a previously … Read more

How to invest for a lower interest rate environment

How to invest for a lower interest rate environment

It could be time to rethink popular portfolio strategies for a lower interest rate environment. The Federal Reserve’s half-percent rate cut on Wednesday marked the first time in more than four years it moved to lower the benchmark interest rate. According to VanEck CEO Jan van Eck, investors should start thinking about how the changing … Read more

Self-made millionaire built wealth living in an RV, found it ‘freeing’

Self-made millionaire built wealth living in an RV, found it ‘freeing’

In 2016, when I was 35, and my wife Courtney was 32, we sold our house, a 4 bed, 2 bath 1,600-square-foot Arizona home, moved into a 200-square-foot Airstream RV with our two dogs, and set up our new home in a KOA campground in Tucson.  It was the first of many big changes for … Read more

Most expensive U.S. cities to retire in 2024

Most expensive U.S. cities to retire in 2024

If you imagine spending your post-work years attending Broadway shows and lounging around Central Park in the city that never sleeps, it’s going to cost you. New York City ranks as the priciest city in the U.S. to retire, according to WalletHub’s 2024 analysis of the best and worst places to retire. Following NYC, the … Read more

‘Bachelor’ star Mari Pepin turns reality TV fame into influencer income

‘Bachelor’ star Mari Pepin turns reality TV fame into influencer income

Mari Pepin and Kenny Braasch got engaged on season 7 of “Bachelor in Paradise” and married in 2023. Photo: Dolce Amor Co. Theoretically, contestants on ABC’s “The Bachelor” are looking for love. What they often find are business opportunities. Mari Pepin, 28, got both. Pepin was a participant on “The Bachelor” season 25, which aired … Read more

A 401(k) match is one the ‘rare guarantees’ in investing, CFP says

A 401(k) match is one the ‘rare guarantees’ in investing, CFP says

Nitat Termmee | Moment | Getty Images There are few certainties when it comes to investing. The stock market can seem to gyrate with little rhyme or reason, guided up or down by unpredictable news cycles and fickle investor sentiment. Average stock returns have historically trended up over long time periods, but their trajectory is … Read more

This bank says ‘millions’ of people could be targeted by AI voice-cloning scams

This bank says ‘millions’ of people could be targeted by AI voice-cloning scams

“Millions” of people could fall victim to scams using artificial intelligence to clone their voices, a UK bank has warned. Starling Bank, an online-only lender, said fraudsters are capable of using AI to replicate a person’s voice from just three seconds of audio found in, for example, a video the person has posted online. Scammers … Read more

Why disputing a medical bill may help cut your costs

Why disputing a medical bill may help cut your costs

Consumers may feel their medical bills are unyielding, inflexible, set in stone. But that’s not always true: A new study shows patients can often reap financial benefits by disputing charges that seem erroneous or by negotiating for financial relief. Of consumers who don’t reach out to question a medical bill, 86% said it’s because they … Read more

Australians confused by food date labels ditching good products before their time, new research finds

Australians confused by food date labels ditching good products before their time, new research finds

There are fresh calls to “shake up” Australia’s food labelling system to end confusion over “best-before” and “use-by” dates placed on groceries, but the food safety regulator has no plan to do so. About one-third of all food is binned before its time, a new report has found, costing families thousands of dollars amid cost-of-living … Read more

Bill to eliminate Social Security GPO, WEP rules gets closer to a vote

Bill to eliminate Social Security GPO, WEP rules gets closer to a vote

Cavan Images | Cavan | Getty Images House lawmakers in Washington have the signatures they need to force a vote on a bill to eliminate rules that reduce Social Security benefits for certain retirees who also receive pension income. On Thursday morning, Reps. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., and Garret Graves, R-La., marked the 206 signatures a … Read more