Category: personal finance

Bounce Back From Bankruptcy and Advice to Readers

Dear Mary: Please give me some pointers on bouncing back from bankruptcy. Will this have any effect on future employment opportunities?—Henry, email Dear Henry: Live on cash. Have only one credit card, and if you use it, pay it in full every month. Refuse all other offers of credit, and take on no unsecured debt….


Majority of American Taxpayers Are Anxious About Their IRS Refunds

A majority of American taxpayers are anxious about their Internal Revenue Service (IRS) refunds this year, as they expect to see lower amounts. As tax season quickly approaches, millions of American are stressed out about their filings this year, as the economy is in the period of high inflation. At least 69 percent of those…


How to Save on Heating This Winter

By Erin Bendig From Kiplinger’s Personal Finance With energy prices increasing, many people are looking for ways to save on heating bills this winter. One solution: Turn off your heat when you’re away from home. The idea that your heater works harder to heat a cold house than it does to keep a home warm…


What’s Going on With Mortgage Rates in 2023?

With the 2022 mortgage rate peaking at 7.12 percent and inflation at 6.5 percent by the end of December 2022, it was a tumultuous economic year. The hot housing market slowed down in many markets primarily due to high mortgage rates. But what will 2023 bring for mortgage rates? Is there relief on the way?…


Closing Prices for Crude Oil, Gold and Other Commodities (Mar. 1)

Benchmark U.S. crude oil for April delivery rose 64 cents to $77.69 a barrel Wednesday. Brent crude for May delivery rose 86 cents to $84.31 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline for April delivery rose 3 cents to $2.67 a gallon. April heating oil rose 6 cents to $2.87 a gallon. April natural gas rose 6 cents…


PREMIERING 3/2 at 7:30PM ET: Jeffrey Tucker: $6 Trillion Created Unprecedented Inflation, All to Feed the ‘Lockdown Machine’

“While we slept—while we thought the world was just fine—what was actually happening was a tremendous distortion of the production structures.” I sit down with Jeffrey Tucker, senior economics columnist for The Epoch Times and founder and president of The Brownstone Institute. Tucker says labor supply problems are approaching catastrophic levels with historically low worker-to-population…


More Questionable Advice From the SSA

I hate writing columns that are critical of some of my former colleagues who are still working for the Social Security Administration. But doggone it, if they are going to keep handing out bad advice, someone’s got to take them to task—and give the right answers to people who are seeking help about their Social…


Tax-Filing Facts for Working Families

Tax season can be nerve-wracking for many American families. There are a lot of deductions that need to be taken advantage of, and the tax laws constantly change. There are some changes this year that will affect your return. For example, COVID-era tax breaks have expired, which may reduce some families’ refunds. But it’s not…


Closing Prices for Crude Oil, Gold and Other Commodities (Feb. 28)

Benchmark U.S. crude oil for April delivery rose $1.37 to $77.05 a barrel Tuesday. Brent crude for April delivery rose $1.44 to $83.89 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline for March delivery rose 6 cents to $2.43 a gallon. March heating oil was unchanged at $2.82 a gallon. April natural gas rose 2 cents to $2.75 per…


How to Protect Your 401(K) From a Stock Market Recession

Retiring with a sizeable retirement fund is something you are looking forward to in the future. Until you retire, you naturally watch your money to ensure it continues to grow. You want to know it is safe, because it is not always guaranteed. Oftentimes, your retirement money is in a 410(k), but even this investment…