Personal finance

President Joe Biden speaks during a virtual Covid Summit of the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 22, 2021 in Washington. Alex Wong | Getty Images News | Getty Images The wealthiest 400 American families paid an 8.2% average rate on their federal individual income taxes from 2010 to 2018, according to a White House

mediaphotos | E+ | Getty Images Many popular tax-planning strategies are on the chopping block as Democrats debate how to pay for their $3.5 trillion spending package. However, now is the time to consider year-end moves to lower next year’s tax bill, regardless of what happens in Congress. “Year-end tax planning should be done every

Valeriy_G | iStock | Getty Images If you have a big wad of cash to invest, you may wonder whether you should put all of it to work immediately or spread out over time. Regardless of what the markets are doing, you’re more likely to end up with a higher balance down the road by

President Joe Biden addresses the 76th Session of the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 21, 2021 in New York. Eduardo Munoz-Pool/Getty Images President Joe Biden and House Democrats have unveiled plans to raise taxes on households with more than $400,000 of annual income, and cut or maintain taxes for those below the line. But what’s

Even though the Federal Reserve didn’t raise its benchmark rate Wednesday, your borrowing costs may still start to head higher. Rising prices brought on by the economic recovery are paving the way for the central bank to unwind last year’s bond buying. While the central bank said that interest rates will stay near zero for now,

Frederic J. Brown | AFP | Getty Images Whoever is holding the winning ticket for the $432 million Mega Millions jackpot is about to discover what a huge tax bill really looks like. A single Mega Millions ticket sold in New York City matched all six numbers in Tuesday night’s drawing to nab the top

Halfpoint Images | Moment | Getty Images New data on the monthly child tax credit payments shows how parents earning up to $50,000 a year are using the extra money. They’re investing it. The monthly checks started in July, and include up to $300 per child under age 6 and $250 per month for children

skynesher New retirees — or anyone on the verge of retiring — may want to consider what an extended stock market dip would mean for their portfolio over the long-term. While the market has partially rebounded from Monday’s slide, it’s a good reminder that down markets can pose significant “sequence of returns” risk in the

The Good Brigade | DigitalVision | Getty Images Roth accounts are after-tax accounts with unique benefits for retirement savers. Namely, investments grow tax-free, and withdrawals aren’t subject to tax during one’s retirement years. But there are some key differences between Roth savings in a 401(k) plan and in an individual retirement account. Here are some

In this article TSLA Jeff Bezos, left, and Elon Musk Getty Images; Reuters The wealthiest Americans may be dodging as much as $163 billion in income taxes every year, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, and many leverage tax laws to do it legally, financial experts say. Although U.S. levies increase with income,

Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images News | Getty Images A tax package unveiled by House Democrats would forbid individual retirement accounts from holding certain private investments typically reserved for the wealthy. While proponents think the proposal would raise investor protection and reduce an the use of an IRA as a tax shelter for the rich,

The clock is ticking on the federal debt ceiling. Lawmakers have until the end of this month to raise the debt limit once again. In a Wall Street Journal op-ed Sunday, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said failing to act could spark an economic catastrophe. While the legal cap on how much the U.S. can borrow doesn’t impact what