What ‘No Spend September’ is and how to know if you should participate

Solstock | E+ | Getty Images Victoria Szafarski currently has $10,000 in credit card debt.  The New Yorker’s outstanding balance peaked at $25,000 last year, before she took on a second job as a waitress for a few months. The extra cash Szafarski brought in helped her make headway paying down the debt and increase […]

How to retool your 60/40 portfolio for income generation, per BlackRock

Investors with an eye toward income generation — especially as they look toward retirement — may want to consider fine-tuning their “balanced” portfolios, according to recent research from BlackRock. The S & P 500 has surged 17% in 2024, rising on exuberance around tech and the artificial intelligence trade. Tech darling Nvidia , up more […]

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 […]