A majority of Americans, 95%, said they plan to look for a new job this year, according to a January 2024 survey by job site Monster. Money is a big reason, with 45% of workers saying they need a higher income. Data from the Federal Reserve shows that job switchers increase their salaries more quickly, on average, than … Read more
My wife and I never gave pet insurance much thought — until we were told our cat Wally needed surgery that would cost nearly $3,000. Until then, we had dismissed a pet insurance policy as an unnecessary expense since the premiums and deductibles exceeded the typical annual vet costs we paid out of pocket. Apparently, … Read more
New cars today are loaded with high-tech features for car shoppers, from their own operating systems to navigation and remote unlock. But with those advancements come questions about driver privacy, said Ivan Drury, the director of insights at Edmunds, a car site. “As much advancement as we have when it comes to new features, many … Read more
This spring, you’re likely to read about how to “deep clean” your finances or “tidy up” your portfolio. But doing actual spring cleaning is a good financial move in and of itself. After all, how many times have you lost a bill in pile of papers that built up on your desk? Or had to … Read more
Drakula & Co. | Moment | Getty Images More from Smart Tax Planning: Here’s a look at more tax-planning news. 1. Get an ‘immediate deduction’ from your IRA One of the first options is a pretax individual retirement account contribution, according to Mark Steber, chief tax information officer at Jackson Hewitt. “They’re still very popular … Read more
Whether you’re an active cryptocurrency trader or you’ve dabbled in the word of virtual currency, the IRS wants to know. In fact, one of the first questions on Form 1040, which is used by most people to file their tax returns, asks the following: “At any time during 2023, did you: (a) receive (as a … Read more
Eric Audras | Onoky | Getty Images If you miss a doctor’s appointment these days, you could get hit with a “no-show” fee of up to $100 — or more. This happened to me recently for the first time, and the charge was a steep $150. When I complained to friends and family, I learned … Read more
As Tiffany Mane read a personal finance book during her train ride to work, a woman sitting near her acknowledged that she, too, knew of the author. Shortly after, several bystanders began inquiring into its contents. Mane was reading “Financial Feminist” by Tori Dunlap. The late-2022 release is one piece of the Her First $100K … Read more
A family of four needs to make more than $275,000 to live comfortably in some of the most expensive U.S. cities, a recent SmartAsset analysis reveals. “Comfortable” is defined as the income needed to cover a 50/30/20 budget for a family of two adults and two kids. This budget assumes that 50% of the monthly … Read more
Tara Moore | Stone | Getty Images Katherine Dowling has an analogy that may be useful for investors thinking of buying cryptocurrency like bitcoin and wondering what amount is appropriate. It’s “like cayenne pepper,” said Dowling, general counsel and chief compliance officer at Bitwise Asset Management, a crypto money manager. “A little goes a long … Read more
