How Americans plan to spend tax refunds

How Americans plan to spend tax refunds

The 2024 tax season is in full swing, with some Americans already seeing refund checks hit their mailboxes or bank accounts directly.  As of mid-February, over 25.5 million taxpayers had submitted returns, with the average refund coming to $1,741, according to the Internal Revenue Service. In total, 67% of taxpayers say they expect a refund this … Read more

Woolworths, Coles customers resort to shock act as prices skyrocket

Woolworths, Coles customers resort to shock act as prices skyrocket

Rising prices at checkouts have forced a growing number of Australians to resort to dumpster diving, an inquiry has heard, while supermarkets are accused of wasting food. A Senate probe into supermarket prices was told cost of living pressures had led to many people skipping meals altogether, or sourcing food that had been thrown out. … Read more

What the gold rally means for investors

What the gold rally means for investors

Andriy Onufriyenko | Moment | Getty Images One helpful way to think about the recent gold rally: it’s a case of schadenfreude. The yellow metal does well when other assets — and the world — are in trouble. As a result, prospective buyers should proceed with caution, experts say. Be prepared to root against your … Read more

Credit scores decrease for the first time in a decade, FICO reports

Credit scores decrease for the first time in a decade, FICO reports

Consumers have been increasingly relying on credit cards to make ends meet, and it may be finally catching up with them. The national average credit score, which has steadily increased over the last decade, fell to 717 from a high of 718 in the beginning of 2023, according to a report from FICO, developer of one of the … Read more

What the SEC vote on climate disclosures means for investors

What the SEC vote on climate disclosures means for investors

Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Gary Gensler testifies before Congress on July 19, 2023. Win Mcnamee | Getty Images News | Getty Images ‘A sensible rule to protect investors’ “Climate risk is financial risk,” Elizabeth Derbes, director of financial regulation and climate risk for the Natural Resources Defense Council, said in a written statement. “This … Read more

Retirement prospects for women can be bleak. How to prepare

Retirement prospects for women can be bleak. How to prepare

Momo Productions | Stone | Getty Images Women face tough financial prospects in retirement. About 50% of women ages 55 to 66 have no personal retirement savings, a higher share than men (47%), according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Those who do have retirement savings are less likely to have $100,000 or more (22% vs. … Read more

Here’s how self-made millionaire Vivian Tu created wealth

Here’s how self-made millionaire Vivian Tu created wealth

Vivian Tu. Photo: Heidi Gutman Building wealth and saving for retirement can be more difficult for women facing challenges such as lower wages despite their increasing levels of education. An early-career mentor sparked a mindset shift for Vivian Tu, the founder of Your Rich BFF, who became a self-made millionaire by age 27. “I learned … Read more

How lessons from playing poker can apply to investing

How lessons from playing poker can apply to investing

Eric Raptosh Photography | Tetra Images | Getty Images It is often said that without risk, there is no reward. It’s a maxim that poker and chess pro Jennifer Shahade, author of “Play Like a Champion,” knows well. “In poker, risk and calibrating risk is the name of the game,” Shahade said during the CNBC … Read more

How women can build wealth

How women can build wealth

The author, Bola Sokunbi Credit: Bola Sokunbi When it comes to managing money, women commonly use the word “fear” to describe what stands between them and the life they want. But achieving financial success means stepping out of our comfort zone, said Bola Sokunbi, founder of Clever Girl Finance and author of “Choosing to Prosper” — … Read more