Retail investors may already be preparing for the start of the 2026 tax filing season, which the IRS announced this week will begin on Jan. 26. Using tax-efficient investing strategies throughout the year can help minimize an investor’s tax burden and optimize their portfolio’s value for years to come, says Bill Harris, the founder and…
Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell speaks at a press conference following the Federal Open Markets Committee meeting at the Federal Reserve on Dec. 10, 2025 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images The Justice Department’s criminal investigation of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell may, at first glance, seem far removed from consumers’ finances —…
D3sign | Moment | Getty Images Read more CNBC personal finance coverage This is one of the ‘most important steps’ before tax season opens, IRS says How tax-efficient investing could boost your portfolio returns in 2026 and beyond For 2026, these new 401(k) details ‘matter more than ever,’ advisor says We’re in a ‘hiring recession,’…
Ascent/ Pks Media Inc. | Photodisc | Getty Images Many Social Security beneficiaries will soon receive their first benefit checks for 2026. Jan. 14 marks the earliest date beneficiaries can receive January payments, depending on the Social Security Administration’s schedule based on date of birth. Those checks will include a 2.8% benefit boost, thanks to…
Miodrag Ignjatovic | E+ | Getty Images After Beth Pinsker’s father died, she had her mother set up a new estate plan that included a power of attorney, a legal document that gives permission for someone to make financial decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated. Yet it wasn’t until years later, when her…
Sean Anthony Eddy | E+ | Getty Images As investors who use exchange-traded funds know, the cost can be a tiny fraction of the assets you invest. Sometimes, ETFs from different providers — i.e., Vanguard, State Street, Charles Schwab, etc. — track the same index (say, the S&P 500), which can make it tempting to…
Songsak Rohprasit | Moment | Getty Images Student loan borrowers whose debt is canceled in 2026 or later may face a significant tax bill. A law that shielded student loan forgiveness from taxation at the federal level — part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 — expired on Dec. 31, 2025. President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful…
D3sign | Moment | Getty Images A key year-end deadline is here for many investors — and skipping it could trigger an IRS penalty of up to 25%. But there’s a way to reduce or even eliminate it, experts say. Most retirees must start so-called required minimum distributions, or RMDs, from pretax accounts at age 73….
Catherine Delahaye | Digitalvision | Getty Images The first 10 drugs subject to new Medicare price negotiations will go into effect on Jan. 1, prompting substantial out-of-pocket savings for certain older Americans who rely on those medications. Enrollees in Medicare Part D prescription drug plans may see their out-of-pocket costs for the negotiated drugs fall…
When I think back on my childhood, my happiest memories aren’t tied to things I owned. They’re about the freedom of growing up in a small Ohio town where everyone knew your name and kids ran in packs. The neighborhood park was our meeting place. A few bikes tossed in a friend’s front yard signaled…
