Bond yields will come down in 2024. How to prepare your portfolio

In 2023, you could plop money into a high-yield savings account and get a yield nearing 5% with little effort. Expect to work a little harder for those fixed income returns in the new year. The Federal Reserve’s series of interest rate hikes, which kicked off in 2022, made idle money profitable. One-year certificates of […]

How to send digital gift card on Amazon, Venmo or Cash App

Jeff Greenberg | Universal Images Group | Getty Images Don’t panic if you miss the window to order a gift for someone during the holidays, or are in a faraway state and don’t want to deal with shipping. It’s easy to give a digital gift card that can save you in a pinch. Many of […]

Social Security benefits for workers who have pensions may be reduced

Richard Stephen | Istock | Getty Images When Joyce Debnam’s husband passed away, she began receiving $1,400 a month in Social Security survivor benefits. Eight months later, that income unexpectedly changed. The trigger: Debnam retired from her job at the United States Postal Service in 2013 after four decades of service. That life change prompted […]

ChatGPT training is critical for workers. Here’s how to get started

Jaap Arriens | Nurphoto | Getty Images For those concerned about workers having solid generative AI skills, there’s one way to take control: on-the-job training. “Your job will not be replaced by AI. Your job will be replaced by someone else who uses AI if you don’t,” said John Blackmon, chief AI officer of custom […]

Here’s how to prevent a costly divorce

We all know divorces are not uncommon in the U.S. Some of the most public splits over the years have included those of celebrities such as Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise, and most recently, Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner. In 2021, there were nearly 700,000 […]

Here’s how to use exchange-traded funds in your portfolio, experts say

Morsa Images | Getty Images Whether you’re a new or a seasoned investor, exchange-traded funds, or ETFs, are one option for your portfolio, depending on your goals and risk tolerance, experts say.  ETFs are a wrapper for individual assets such as stocks and bonds, similar to mutual funds. However, many ETFs have better tax efficiency […]

How to save on Thanksgiving costs despite inflation

Tetra Images | Tetra Images | Getty Images Families preparing for Thanksgiving will find that turkeys are cheaper this year. The U.S. bird population recovered from last year’s avian flu, boosting supply and helping push down prices. This year, a 16-pound frozen whole turkey costs $27.35 on average, a 5.6% decrease from 2022, according to […]

How to bet on a comeback in energy stocks, which look primed for a bounce

The energy sector has been beaten down since September and is stuck in a downtrend. However, markets don’t usually go up or down in a straight line. When markets go into oversold or overbought conditions, it is common to see counter-trend rallies. In the chart below, I am using the SPDR Energy ETF (XLE) , […]

How to use Apple Watch to calculate tip and split the check

Your Apple Watch can help you calculate the tip and split a check at a restaurant with just a few taps. The feature is built right into the calculator app, and all you need to do is enter the amount of the check, the percentage you want to tip and the number of people with […]