4 steps to protect your finances

A UPS truck at the Palace Imports warehouse in Linden, New Jersey, US, on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images After a wave of big companies announcing steep job cuts, many laid-off workers may face a financially difficult and uncertain period ahead. Amazon said on Tuesday that it would eliminate…

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Trump official, credit agencies hurt borrowers’ scores

Wayne Johnson at the Gables of Wolf Creek, the retirement community he owns in Macon, Georgia Annie Nova | CNBC A Republican who oversaw the country’s $1.6 trillion federal student loan portfolio during President Donald Trump‘s first term has funded a class action effort against the administration over its current borrower policies. The proposed class…

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How to create a plan

Even as a record number of Americans are reaching retirement age, many adults have not considered the impact that inflation and Social Security benefits will have on their financial future.  A new global survey by Prudential found 89% of wealthy U.S. adults polled said they are confident they’d be able to cover essential costs in…

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Government shutdown puts some nonprofits in jeopardy

The Disability Awareness Council in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, assists individuals with disabilities in the community, offering aid ranging from transportation to housing advocacy. But for now, many services are on hold. “Because of the shutdown and cuts, core disability services that people rely on every week are either paused, reduced or running with unpaid…

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Using ETFs to invest in alternative assets

Sdi Productions | Istock | Getty Images Amid growing consumer interest in alternative investments, financial advisors say it’s important to find the right way to invest. Alternative investments are a broad category that covers many assets outside traditional holdings of cash, stock and bonds. Alts include private-market assets, real estate, commodities such as gold and…

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Inflation breakdown for September 2025, in one chart

Inflation edged higher in September amid a jump in gasoline prices and other essentials such as electricity, while President Donald Trump’s tariffs put pressure on prices for physical goods such as clothing and furniture, economists said. The consumer price index, a key inflation barometer, rose 3% in September from a year earlier, the Bureau of Labor Statistics…

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Social Security 2.8% COLA 2026 benefit increase explained

Jasondoiy | E+ | Getty Images The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment will be 2.8% in 2026, the Social Security Administration said on Friday. Social Security retirement benefits will increase by about $56 per month on average starting in January, according to the agency. The COLA provides an annual adjustment to both Social Security and Supplemental…

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What to consider during government shutdown

Morsa Images | Digitalvision | Getty Images Medicare open enrollment kicked off on Oct. 15, with one notable difference for beneficiaries who are considering updating their health insurance plans — the federal government has been shut down since Oct. 1. Updates related to Medicare open enrollment — which runs through Dec. 7 — will continue…

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