Personal finance

Morsa Images | DigitalVision | Getty Images For some retirees, there’s an extra cost associated with Medicare premiums that can ambush their household budgets. Most Medicare enrollees pay the standard premium amounts for Part B (outpatient care) and Part D (prescription drugs). Yet an estimated 7% of Medicare’s 64.3 million beneficiaries end up paying extra

An activist holds a placard demanding a $15 an hour minimum wage and tips for restaurant workers during a rally to call for additional relief for restaurants in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 8, 2022. Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images Record high inflation has pushed the value of the federal minimum wage down to

A person shops for groceries on March 10, 2022 in the Prospect Lefferts Garden neighborhood of Brooklyn. Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images News | Getty Images Inflation hit a new 40-year high in June, and policymakers are working feverishly to tame it — perhaps even risking recession to do so.   Jerome Powell, chair

Getty Images Inflation has continued to rise, but some retirees won’t feel the brunt of many soaring costs, experts say. Annual inflation jumped by 9.1% in June, growing at the fastest pace since late 1981, the U.S. Department of Labor reported on Wednesday. Higher prices have many worried, even those earning six figures. Some 65%

Woman on her back pushing shopping cart in supermarket aisle David Espejo | Getty Images Experts are weighing the odds as to how likely a recession is and how fast it could come upon us. Most Americans — 70% — already believe an economic downturn is on its way, according to a new survey from

Skynesher | E+ | Getty Images If you’re among the millions of workers who have left their job as part of the so-called Great Resignation that’s still rumbling through the labor market, be sure not to neglect your 401(k). While you may have options for how to handle retirement savings in your ex-employer’s plan, there

Getty Images The demand for Series I bonds, an inflation-protected and nearly risk-free asset, has skyrocketed as investors seek refuge from soaring prices and stock market volatility. While annual inflation rose by 8.6% in May — the highest rate in more than four decades, according to the U.S. Department of Labor — I bonds are

In this article AMZN As Amazon gears up for Prime Day on July 12 and 13, shoppers may be less enthusiastic this year about the big annual sale. “The explosive sort of growth year over year that we’ve seen with Prime Day, we may not see that any longer,” said Nathan Burrow, senior deals editor at Wirecutter.

Momo Productions | Digitalvision | Getty Images The number of Americans who want to work full-time but are forced to work part-time jobs declined in June to its lowest in more than 20 years, according to federal data issued Friday, underscoring the strength of the labor market and the bargaining power of workers. There were

Skynesher | E+ | Getty Images It’s likely no surprise to hear that prices have been rising across the U.S. economy, whether at the grocery store or the gas pump. But just how much have your personal household costs increased, and how does that stack up against the average American’s? Calculating your personal inflation rate

designer491 | iStock | Getty Images With the threat of a recession looming, more financial experts are sharing how to prepare — including how much cash it may be smart to set aside.   The end of June marked a turbulent six months for the S&P 500 Index, which dropped by more than 20% since January,

zimmytws | iStock | Getty Images Congressional leaders can agree on one thing — Social Security needs to be fixed before the program’s funds are unable to pay full benefits in 2035. But that is where the consensus ends. Leaders from both the Republican and Democratic parties have each recently discussed the issue on Capitol