Is 62 your lucky number? If you're eligible, that's the earliest age you can start receiving Social Security retirement benefits. Although collecting early retirement benefits makes sense for some people, there's a major drawback to consider: If you start collecting benefits early, your monthly retirement benefit will be permanently reduced. So before you put down the tools of your trade, there are some factors you'll need to weigh before deciding whether to start collecting benefits early.
April brings more than possible rain showers. It also marks Financial Literacy Month in the U.S. Whether you’re interested in a quick refresher or seeking to learn something new, it may be worth the effort to brush up on some financial concepts that give you a broader knowledge base from which to make financial decisions. Here are several ways to invest in your financial education for this Financial Literacy Month.
Here is a statement that is bound to cause you to raise your eyebrows: Your long-term financial success may depend less on the structure of your portfolio than on your ability to adapt your behavior to changing economic times. At the very foundation of your financial well-being lies your behavior. In fact, one can plausibly argue that the dominate determinants of long term, real life, investment returns are not market behavior, but investment behavior.
The Federal Reserve plans to unwind its bond borrowing since inflation has hit the highest level since 1980. While interest rates will stay near zero, for now, the Fed will start raising interest rates as early as March 2022. With a strong labor market and December 2021's inflation rate near 7%, the target range for the Federal Funds Rate will begin to increase as a way to help contain soaring inflation.
March is National Credit Education Month in the U.S., which makes it the perfect opportunity to brush up on your credit basics. Whether you're a credit novice or well-versed in the art of the FICO score, here are four ways to potentially boost your credit IQ.
This year's National Consumer Protection Week is March 6th through March 12th. It's a time to educate people about their rights as consumers and how to make informed decisions about their money. Whether it's taking a hard look at your finances or having the information to avoid scams, taking control of your consumer life is critical.
March 1st is Refired, Not Retired Day. It is a day for those retired or close to retirement to start thinking about their next stage in life. It is a day not to reinvent, rekindle, and refire your life, focusing on what is ahead instead of what is behind you.
Developing effective strategies for pursuing your goals within the limits of your particular financial circumstances can be difficult. Each stage of your life may create new financial challenges. Sending your child to college, remodeling your home, caring for an elderly relative, or starting your own business are objectives that may require a certain amount of capital, according to your needs.
February is Black History Month, which is a time to celebrate achievements by those of Black or African American heritage and recognize their central role in United States history. While it is important to celebrate Black History in February, it should be celebrated every day of the year. Read this blog to learn about great Black-owned home-based businesses in the US you can follow and support!
Let’s be honest for a second: the DJIA, the S&P 500, NASDAQ, and the Russell 2000 all delivered one of the most surprising years in recent history. And while many are happy to see 2021 in the rear-view mirror, the 2021 performance for the major U.S. indices was nothing short of impressive, especially given the headwinds of COVID-19.
On December 15, 2021, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Federal Reserve System made a significant shift in monetary policy in response to rising inflation. The Committee accelerated the reduction of its bond-buying program in order to tighten the money supply and projected three increases in the benchmark federal funds rate in 2022, followed by three more increases in 2023. Both steps were more aggressive than previous FOMC actions or projections.
COVID-19 severely impacted the office commercial real estate market because more workers were simply performing their jobs remotely. In fact, as of September 2021, the National Association of Realtors estimates that over 20.3 million workers worked remotely compared to 8.9 million in 2019.
