Lordhenrivoton | E+ | Getty Images If you’re eager to save more for retirement, you could be overlooking ways to maximize your 401(k) plan, including key changes for 2025. Some 40% of Americans are behind on retirement planning and savings, according to a CNBC poll conducted by SurveyMonkey, which polled 6,657 U.S. adults in August.
Personal finance
Djelics | E+ | Getty Images Retirees can expect to see some big changes in 2025 when it comes to their Social Security and Medicare benefits. President Joe Biden is expected to sign a bill that will increase Social Security benefits for certain pensioners. Additionally, the annual Social Security cost-of-living adjustment goes into effect for
D3sign | Moment | Getty Images Stocks soared in 2024. Congratulations! After taking a victory lap, it may be time to adjust your portfolio — because those heady returns likely threw your investment allocations out of whack. The S&P 500, a stock index of the largest public U.S. companies by market capitalization, gained 23% in
Hobo_018 | E+ | Getty Images The U.S. Department of Education recently announced that it was reopening two student loan repayment plans, leaving borrowers with more choices to tackle their debt. Those options are: the Pay As You Earn Repayment Plan and the Income-Contingent Repayment Plan. They’re both income-driven repayment plans, which means they set
Ezra Bailey | Stone | Getty Images Opening presents during the holidays is of course a lot of fun. But for many, opening those credit card statements will be just the opposite. Months before the holidays hit, consumers were already bracing for the anticipated costs. More than half of 2024 holiday shoppers, or 55%, felt
Getty Images Personal finances are top of mind for many households as they get set to ring in the new year. About 38% of Americans ranked financial stability as their No. 1 focus area for 2025, according to a recent Allianz Life survey. CNBC reached out to certified financial planners on its Financial Advisor Council
Janet Yellen, U.S. Treasury secretary, on a tour of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) in Vienna, Virginia, on Jan. 8, 2024. Valerie Plesch/Bloomberg via Getty Images An upcoming Treasury Department deadline for millions of small businesses to fulfill a new reporting requirement on “beneficial ownership information” was delayed again, following a court order that
J Studios | Digitalvision | Getty Images In Saïd Sayrafiezadeh’s fictional short story, “Minimum Payment Due,” the main character is trapped in credit card debt and desperate for a way out. The fact that the experience is common — more than a third, or 38%, of adults in the U.S. have credit card debt, according
Hill Street Studios | Getty Images Keith Harris, a 17-year-old high school senior at KIPP DC College Preparatory, has studied accounting, investing and budgeting, among other basic lessons, like his English, history and math curriculum. Harris is enrolled in his high school’s NAF Academy of Business, a rigorous three-year finance program with a work-based learning
A woman shops at a Target store in Chicago on Nov. 26, 2024. Kamil Krzaczynski | AFP | Getty Images Heading into the holidays, many Americans were already saddled with record-breaking credit card debt. And yet, consumer spending is set to reach a fresh high this season. The National Retail Federation reported last week that
Filippobacci | E+ | Getty Images Retirement savers, take note: more employers have added a Roth savings option to their workplace 401(k) plans. And, due to a legislative change, it’s likely the remaining holdouts will soon offer it, too. About 93% of 401(k) plans offered a Roth account in 2023, according to an annual poll
After a strong start to the holiday season, consumer spending is on track to reach record levels this year. But many of those purchases will soon be returned. December’s peak shopping days are closely followed by the busiest month for sending items back, which experts dub “Returnuary.” This year, returns are expected to amount to 17%