Advisors

MoMo Productions Parents may soon start getting monthly payments from the IRS, due to a recent change to the child tax credit. IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig said Tuesday that the agency was on track to start issuing that aid in July. Here’s what taxpayers need to know about the tax credit and income stream. Child

Tanya Constantine | Tetra images | Getty Images For a while there, it looked like tax season might not deliver the usual refund euphoria that a majority of Americans have become accustomed to receiving each year. With so many people drawing unemployment benefits last year and changes around tax withholding meaning less is being pulled

Luis Alvarez | DigitalVision | Getty Images Ivory Johnson was one of the many financial advisors who were forced to pivot quickly when the pandemic hit the U.S. more than a year ago. In a business that is often relationship-driven, Covid largely put a halt to in-person meetings for advisors, including Johnson. However, the shift

Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images Stocks are booming and seniors are struggling with long-term unemployment. Taken together, poor job prospects and a healthy nest egg may make it seem like a good time to retire. In fact, it may be a particularly dangerous time for Americans to do so, according to financial experts. More

Win McNamee | Getty Images News | Getty Images Taxes on retirement savings are inevitable — it’s really a question of now or later. President Joe Biden’s tax plan may make it better to pay Uncle Sam now. Taxpayers can do that by saving in a Roth account or converting a traditional, pre-tax account to

Sawitree Pamee / EyeEm | EyeEm | Getty Images The recent ascent of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies has enriched early investors with returns more akin to the lottery than your typical bread-and-butter investment. After all, a $10,000 investment at $100 per bitcoin would currently be worth an estimated $5 million. Of course, when an asset

Jim McGuire | Getty Images When faced with a quiz on Social Security claiming rules, many people who are on the brink of retirement fail. MassMutual recently gave a 12-question true/false quiz to 1,500 people ages 55 to 65 who have not yet claimed their benefits. Just 3% of the respondents were able to answer

aldomurillo | E+ | Getty Images Retired, vaccinated and ready to hit the road? Don’t forget to check whether your Medicare plan will travel with you. While coverage when you’re away from home depends partly on where you’re headed, it also hinges on the specifics of your coverage. Whether the care you receive is routine

Constantine Johnny | Moment | Getty Images The IRS may be extending the deadline to file your annual taxes for 2020 to May 17, but there’s no time like now to get started on them — no matter your circumstances. Perhaps you owe money that you don’t currently have. Maybe your life has been turned

Jamie Grill | The Image Bank | Getty Images The financial uncertainty created by the global pandemic has made an impact on Americans of all generations and income levels. Even as the economy starts to show signs of recovery, too many Americans are still unemployed, and the uncertainty over the shape of economic recovery lingers.

fstop123 | E+ | Getty Images Despite concern over rising bond yields, many investors see today as the best of times. The economy is growing and should get stronger as stimulus checks and child-care tax credits help millions of American families. More people are getting vaccinated daily, raising the prospect of a more open economy. 

Getty Images Between stimulus checks and expanded tax credits in the latest Covid-relief package, most U.S. households are poised to get some extra cash. The amount? An average of $3,450 for the bottom 60% of earners ($65,000 or less), according to research from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. The number reflects direct stimulus

Supoj Buranaprapapong | Getty Images It’s always nice getting a raise, but it could affect your ability to save for retirement through your 401(k) plan. Highly compensated employees — those making more than $130,000 annually — may not be able to contribute the maximum to their tax-deferred retirement plan if their lower-paid colleagues aren’t diligently

Rosamund Pike accepts the Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical/Comedy, award for “I Care a Lot” via video from Ben Stiller at the 78th Annual Golden Globe Awards on Feb. 28, 2021 in New York. Peter Kramer/NBC | NBCUniversal | Getty Images The Netflix movie “I Care A Lot” provides insight on how to

recep-bg | E+ | Getty Images Spring typically represents a new beginning, a fresh start and a bright outlook for the future. This also indicates that the time is approaching for hundreds of thousands of high school seniors to decide on what college they will be attending. As a wealth advisor and parent of one

Tetra Images | Tetra images | Getty Images A few years ago, I had a client tell me he invested in a fancy bowling alley — the new party hot spot in town. It’s since shut down. Another client shared that he joined the board of a start-up and they’re looking to raise capital. He

fstop123 | E+ | Getty Images If you pulled money from your 401(k) plan or individual retirement account last year to get through tough times, now is the time to consider next steps. The federal CARES Act that was passed in March 2020 put in place very favorable terms for qualified retirement plan participants under

US President-elect Joe Biden speaks at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Delaware on January 7, 2021, to announce key nominees for the Justice Department. Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images President-elect Joe Biden’s stimulus proposal includes a bevy of tax credits aimed at stabilizing the finances for American families. Biden’s pandemic aid plan, to

Alistair Berg | DigitalVision | Getty Images Many jobless workers are about to find out they could owe federal and state taxes on their 2020 unemployment income. The news might be particularly unexpected for independent contractors and self-employed people who normally aren’t eligible for state benefits, but may have received Pandemic Unemployment Assistance through the

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers at a game against the LA Clippers at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on July 30, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Mike Ehrmann | Getty Images In a search for revenue, state tax departments have set their sights on a tempting target: professional athletes. “If you’re