With student debt at $1 trillion and counting, and tuition rising 8% a year, it seems impossible that anyone would not know about the smartest college savings tool out there: the 529 plan. Alas, stunning numbers of Americans are in the dark.
Financial Education
Boomers have got the message: For most people, it makes sense to delay Social Security benefits to age 70 if possible. More made the choice to delay in 2011 than at any time since 1976. Here’s how you can afford to wait too.
A useful new government website has just gone live, offering easy teaching points for parents who want to help their kids grow up knowing a thing or two about compound interest and 19 other key financial concepts.
More young Americans – even those earning between $50,000 and $75,000 – are using payday lenders, prepaid debit cards and other questionable financial services. But there are better alternatives to those “alternatives.”
One of the biggest flaws in most people’s retirement plan is something that previous generations rarely worried about: monthly income guaranteed for life. But the fix is in, and before long your 401(k) may look a lot more like your dad’s pension.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is testing a new website that it hopes will answer all your money questions in the near future. Here’s your chance to let them know what you need most.
A stirring commencement speech in the heartland lays out the path to business success. Keep learning and just do the right thing are a good start. But there is more.
To save on costs, last year the government stopped mailing future Social Security benefits estimates to workers each year. Now that information is online. It’s a good starting place when planning your retirement.
Colleges are slamming graduating students with credit card offers that sound sincere but amount to a hard sell. Yes, the right card will help build a good credit score. But watch out for the accompanying advice on how to go about it.
Coming soon to a magazine, newspaper or Web page near you: emotionally charged public-service messages designed to jolt parents into having “the talk” with their kids. Not that talk. The tougher one about how to budget, save and otherwise manage money.
A new survey from Visa ranks 28 nations by their commitment to financial education. The U.S. finishes fourth. But everyone fails.
