Finance

Understanding tax credits can be incredibly complex, yet to ensure one can benefit from all that is available it is crucial to know what opportunities lie within the U.S. tax system.  Understanding Tax Credits Tax credits are not mere deductions; they are even more valuable. As Eric Bronnenkant, head of tax at Betterment, states, “This […]

Buying a home can be a daunting financial challenge, especially for teachers. Fortunately, several programs offer substantial aid, making homeownership more accessible for educators.  Understanding the Good Neighbor Next Door Program The Good Neighbor Next Door initiative provides eligible educators with a remarkable opportunity to purchase homes at half their appraised value. This program, however, […]

The road to retirement is a crucial aspect of financial planning, involving a variety of factors that influence when and how you can comfortably retire.  Early Entry into the Workforce: A Head Start Beginning your career at 18 can significantly shape your retirement journey. An early start allows more years to contribute to Social Security, […]

Although American companies wouldn’t usually be so keen to invest in China, there’s a surprising beacon of hope for Beijing as American fast-food chains set their sights on a market of 1.4 billion people. Fast Food Frenzy In the wake of a poor 2023 for the Chinese economy, major American fast-food chains, including KFC, McDonald’s, […]

In the United States, the gender pay gap has hardly improved in the last 20 years, with women earning a mere 82% of what men do. Here’s the full story. Stability Over Two Decades For the past 20 years, the gender pay gap has lingered at 82 cents per dollar earned by men. However, a […]

Before COVID-19, nearly half of all working women — 28 million — worked in jobs paying low wages. Sadly, that hasn’t changed in three years. It’s even worse for women of color. Even in traditionally higher-paying and more equitable industries and careers, women are typically paid 92 cents for every dollar a man earns. Disrupted […]

The Federal Reserve’s internal watchdog has concluded a lengthy investigation, clearing two former policymakers, Robert Kaplan and Eric Rosengren, of legal wrongdoing in their 2020 personal trading activities.  A Thorough Examination Unveiled The report revealed that Robert Kaplan, then president of the Dallas Fed, executed multiple transactions exceeding $1 million during the onset of the […]

In the last month of 2023, prices unexpectedly went up in the U.S., showing how tricky it is for our economy to recover smoothly. An expert warned that because things are unpredictable, investors need to be more careful with their expectations. A Reminder of Uncertainty The CPI’s 0.3 percent increase in December, reported by the […]

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has discovered a loophole in overdraft fees, where banks have been charging U.S. customers more than they need to. A proposed rule has the potential to save consumers up to $3.5 billion annually, here’s the full story. A Long-Standing Issue For years, consumers with a lower income have been […]

As employees relished their year-end bonuses in 2023, the joy was tinged with a realization that the average bonus had dwindled to $2,145 from $2,730 in 2022 and $3,583 in 2019, as revealed by Gusto, a payroll software firm. Here’s the full story. The Changing Job Market  Year-end bonus checks are now smaller, reflecting the […]