How to use required minimum distributions to improve your portfolio

Richard Drury | Digitalvision | Getty Images After funneling money into pretax retirement accounts, you will eventually face mandatory withdrawals in retirement known as required minimum distributions, or RMDs. Since RMDs can trigger higher taxes, the withdrawals can be a nuisance for some retirees who do not need the money. But the yearly activity could […]

How to cut down your wedding guest list to save money

Victor Dyomin | Moment | Getty Images Many wedding costs, such as meals, invitations and favors, are based on your headcount. The average cost of a wedding ceremony and reception in 2023 was $35,000, according to The Knot 2023 Real Weddings Study. The total cost is a $5,000 increase from 2022. “The No. 1 way to save money on […]

Here’s how to get lower interest rates without a Fed rate cut

The Federal Reserve left rates unchanged last week and signaled that only one cut is expected before the end of the year. That means anyone who carries a balance on their credit card won’t be getting much of a break from sky-high interest charges. “Consumers need to understand that the cavalry isn’t coming anytime soon, […]

Here’s how to avoid surprises with home maintenance costs

Senior couple repairing kitchen cabinet at home Momo Productions | Digitalvision | Getty Images Alex Marrero and his wife bought their first home this spring in Coral Springs, Florida — and the couple has already spent nearly $17,000 on home maintenance, repairs and installations.  While they knew they needed to do improvements from “the minute […]

NOAA expects 4 to 7 major hurricanes in 2024. How to prepare your home

Hurricane Irma strikes Miami, Florida, in 2017. Warren Faidley | Getty Images Hurricane season has officially begun. With scientists predicting yet another active year for storms, making your home hurricane resistant has become a more valuable precaution. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in its forecast May 23 that it expects an 85% chance […]

Morgan Stanley on how to play the global nuclear power renaissance

While promises of a nuclear renaissance have failed to deliver in the past, there are signals that this time around the hype may actually be real, according to Morgan Stanley. The firm’s analysts see Curtiss-Wright , a company that supplies nuclear plants with crucial parts, as a potential winner in the space. The investment bank […]

We’re in a ‘vibecession,’ experts say. Here’s how to invest

The U.S. economy has remained remarkably strong. Boosted by a strong labor market, the country has continued to expand since the Covid-19 pandemic, sidestepping earlier recessionary forecasts even after a series of Federal Reserve interest rate increases. And yet, consumer sentiment recently sank to a six-month low. That disconnect is what Joyce Chang, JPMorgan’s chair of global research, calls a “vibecession.” […]

How to effectively use credit cards for summer travel

Klaus Vedfelt | Digitalvision | Getty Images If you plan to spend money on travel as the days get longer, sunnier and warmer, be careful: It could leave you with high-interest debt you will still be paying off through the fall and winter. Almost half (45%) of Americans plan to take a summer trip requiring […]