News

Teachers spending big on classroom supplies can look forward to broader tax breaks - but there's a catch

Once tax-filing season kicks off in January, the federal tax and spending package that became law last month will give teachers like Fulmer a broader write-off for school supplies they purchase out of ...

My wife and I are in our 50s and have $11 million. We're not leaving it to our kids. Is that wrong?

A super-duper first-world problem incoming. My spouse and I ( 51 and 59) have a household net worth of around $11 million, which includes oversized college funds for our two teenagers. We have retired ...

My aunt barely spends any money. Will we receive the contents of her safe-deposit box when she dies?

'I am asking for my mom, who is on a fixed income. It would be a nice boon.' "Mind you, we have no idea which bank it's even at." (Photo subject is a model.) ...

'I'm confused!' Why does President Trump want a rate cut so badly?

Here's a letter from a weary Moneyist reader in the aftermath of the latest inflation data: "I'm confused! Inflation numbers are up and the stock market is also up, supposedly because Wall Street ...

3 ways to make sure the 'great wealth transfer' enriches your family

Too many families treat wealth disclosure like a surprise party: grand reveal, stunned heirs - then silence. Thiegs argues for the opposite: start early, keep it simple and maintain transparency. -- ...

'She has no immediate family': Will my mother receive the contents of my aunt's safe-deposit box after she dies?

"Safe-deposit boxes often have restricted access after the owner's death," says the AARP. "When the person passes away, the box is typically sealed until the probate process begins. That can result in ...
Opinion

What has Trump done to save Social Security? Sadly, nothing.

Later, President Trump talked about purging the system of Social Security accounts supposedly aged over 120 years, or even over 160. But this issue has already been beaten to death. Technologies have ...

The rich already know how private equity mints money - and it's not from a 401(k)

It is a big deal - opening part of America's $12.4 trillion defined-contribution market to private-asset managers. The largest private-equity firms and other asset managers are salivating at the ...

Here's what it's like to invest in private equity - and why you don't want it in your 401(k)

It's not just about risk and fees, but about knowing how much you have and having access to your money when you need it . Having private-equity investments in yo ...

If you're feeling FOMO, envy and greed about record stock prices, you're not alone. That's how market bubbles form.

Some stock-market contrarians reassuringly say that investors' current concern that the S&P 500 SPX, the Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA and the Nasdaq COMP are all forming a frothy U.S. market ...

Smart Investor: Undervalued Stocks That Crushed Earnings, Berkshire’s UnitedHealth Buy, and a New Record for Stocks

Sign up for my weekly Smart Investor newsletter here. This week’s highlights: The Morningstar US Market Index gained another ...

You could receive up to $7,500 from the AT&T settlement. Here's how class-action suits work.

AT&T customers may be eligible for a piece of a $177 million class-action settlement stemming from two data breaches in 2024. And it could take them only a few minutes to make their claim. But why ...