How to write a good AI prompt for personal finance
Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images Many Americans are turning to artificial intelligence for financial advice. But getting good or bad advice depends a lot on how well users write their instructions — or prompts — to AI platforms. “I think that there’s a real art and science to prompt engineering,” Andrew Lo, director of […]
How Gen Z investors can cope with stock market volatility
Specker/vedfelt | Digitalvision | Getty Images Amid the U.S. war with Iran, some young investors have gotten their first taste of market volatility. “An early decline can make the market feel unusually dangerous when volatility is a normal part of long-term investing,” said certified financial planner Douglas Boneparth, president and founder of Bone Fide Wealth, a […]
National College Decision Day: How to maximize aid
Students at Stanford University in California. Erin Lubin | Bloomberg | Getty Images In the weeks leading up to National College Decision Day on May 1, students will weigh the pros and cons of each school. But the deciding factor often comes down to cost. For a majority of college hopefuls and their families, the financial […]
How investors can approach markets’ ‘choppy, bumpy ride’: analyst
Trevor Williams | DigitalVision | Getty Images The stock market rallied on Tuesday, the last trading day of March, inspired by hopes for an end to the Iran war. But it was not an easy month for investors. In March, the S&P 500, Dow Jones and Nasdaq indices each fell around 5% — capping off […]
How to minimize the pain of travel disruptions
People wait in long TSA lines as the partial government shutdown continues for several weeks at airports like Chicago O’Hare in Illinois, March 9, 2026 Peter Zay/ | Anadolu | Getty Images The first three months of the year have brought significant disruptions for travelers. The Iran war, cartel violence in Mexico, the U.S. military […]
How to protect personal information, as data breaches hit a new high
Fertnig | E+ | Getty Images It’s the letter most consumers dread receiving — the notification that your personal information has been involved in a data breach. About 80% of respondents to a new survey said they received at least one data breach notice in the prior 12 months, according to the Identity Theft Resource […]
How to access your IRS online account before tax season opens
D3sign | Moment | Getty Images Read more CNBC personal finance coverage This is one of the ‘most important steps’ before tax season opens, IRS says How tax-efficient investing could boost your portfolio returns in 2026 and beyond For 2026, these new 401(k) details ‘matter more than ever,’ advisor says We’re in a ‘hiring recession,’ […]
Student loan forgiveness is taxable again: How to prepare
Songsak Rohprasit | Moment | Getty Images Student loan borrowers whose debt is canceled in 2026 or later may face a significant tax bill. A law that shielded student loan forgiveness from taxation at the federal level — part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 — expired on Dec. 31, 2025. President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful […]
How to claim money from ‘Trump accounts’ program
Tech CEO Michael Dell and his wife Susan pledged Tuesday to contribute $6.25 billion to so-called Trump accounts, a type of tax-advantaged savings account for children. The commitment will expand access to seed money for eligible children too old to qualify for the $1,000 grants that are set to come from the Department of the Treasury. With the additional funds, […]
How to keep premium tax credits
Andresr | E+ | Getty Images The so-called subsidy cliff for Affordable Care Act health insurance premiums is about to return in 2026. But there are steps households can take to avoid the cliff — and potentially save thousands of dollars on premiums next year, according to financial planners. The subsidy cliff refers to the […]