Advisors

Consumers have remained remarkably resilient amid a series interest rate hikes aimed at cooling inflation. However, there are recent signs of a shift. Shoppers are still buying more than last year, but spending growth is slowing as the economy settles down, according to Jack Kleinhenz, the National Retail Federation’s chief economist. “There are ongoing economic

A Miami supermarket in July 2023. Joe Raedle | Getty Images News | Getty Images The forecast for the post-pandemic U.S. economy once called for a recession. Now many experts are backing off those predictions. In the latest about-face, 69% of economists surveyed by the National Association for Business Economics said they see a “soft

Maki_shmaki | Istock | Getty Images Consider this a public service announcement for all treasure hunters: Uncle Sam wants a piece of your loot. Someone who makes a valuable discovery — whether gold coins, meteorites or even cash — generally owes tax on that haul, which is known as “found” property. The tax is twofold:

After falling sharply last year, retirement account balances are bouncing back in 2023 — but there are still signs of trouble. Helped in part by improved market conditions, retirement account balances increased in the first half of the year. However, the share of participants that tapped hardship withdrawals rose, as well, according to recent reports

dowell | Moment | Getty Images If you’re sitting on profitable assets, there’s a lesser-known tax-gain harvesting strategy, which can help rebalance your portfolio or trim future taxes. While tax-loss harvesting can be popular during a stock market downturn, tax-gain harvesting — or strategically selling appreciated brokerage account assets — can also be beneficial, depending

After more than a year of recession predictions, some experts have backed off past forecasts and now embrace what’s known as a “soft landing” for the economy. Even so, one financial advisor is stressing the importance of preparing for future stock market volatility. A soft landing could include an economic slowdown and unemployment ticking higher

Djelics | E+ | Getty Images Income-hungry investors have long flocked to mortgage-backed real estate investment trusts — and why not? Many of them pay a handsome, double-digit dividend. But such vehicles haven’t done so well lately. That’s because when interest rates rise and yields balloon, their valuations tend to suffer, which is what happened

In this article CARS 7270.T-JP 6201.T-JP IHEB-AU 7203.T-JP Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT There are more than 275 million cars on the road in the U.S. But in recent years, car ownership has gotten more expensive than ever — due to the Covid-19 pandemic, supply chain issues, stubborn inflation and the Federal Reserve’s interest

Students on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Jonathan Drake | Reuters Like many would-be college students, Abigail Mokuba, 16, says “cost is a concern” when it comes to which schools to consider. The rising high school senior from Baltimore said she is still researching colleges but plans to apply

Artistgndphotography | E+ | Getty Images When it comes to retirement savings, the gap between the haves and the have-nots has widened, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office. The median retirement account balance for high-income households was nine times that of middle-income households in 2019 — $605,000 compared with $64,300, respectively,

Twenty/20 After facing the reality of how expensive fresh flowers could be when planning her own wedding, Della Larca founded Florèal Blooms, her luxury silk flower rental business, three and half years ago from her basement in Butler, New Jersey. Larca’s business swelled last year, and she recently moved to a larger workspace to accommodate

A class at Princeton University in New Jersey. Princeton University, Office of Communications When it comes to elite college admissions, most expert agree: The Supreme Court’s ruling on the affirmative action admission policies of Harvard University and the University of North Carolina could have an immediate impact on who gets in and why. And that may have far-reaching