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…
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…
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…
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…
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks with Secretary of Education Linda McMahon during an executive order signing ceremony in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on July 31, 2025 in Washington, DC. Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images The Trump administration has agreed to cancel student debt under programs it had partially blocked, reopening a path…
Bill and Shelly Gall Bill and Shelly Gall Bill and Shelly Gall say they’d be rich if it weren’t for their medical bills. The early retirees, who are on an insurance plan purchased through the Affordable Care Act marketplace, spent upwards of $20,000 on health-care expenses and insurance premiums in 2023 and in 2024, largely…
The Dome of the U.S. Capitol Building is visible in reflection on October 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Andrew Harnik | Getty Images News | Getty Images As the government shutdown stretches on, it’s not easy for borrowers to gauge what’s happening with their student loan debt. The U.S. Department of Education has been sending…
Prasit Photo | Moment | Getty Images Demand for exchange-traded funds is soaring as investors shift to lower-cost, tax-friendly options that are easier to buy and sell. But many people don’t know what they are purchasing, and mistakes could hurt their returns, financial experts say. The ETF market has surpassed $11 trillion, near a…
Americans may feel somewhat removed from the Federal Reserve, but the central bank’s moves have a ripple effect on many types of consumer products, most notably the credit cards in their wallet. Nearly half of American households have credit card debt and pay more than 20% in interest, on average, on their revolving balances —…
Workers walk through the crypt of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Valerie Plesch | Bloomberg | Getty Images With a union lawsuit against the Trump administration on hold during the government shutdown, borrowers’ wait times for student loan forgiveness may get even longer. The American Federation of Teachers’…
