Category: personal finance

Closing Prices for Crude Oil, Gold and Other Commodities (Dec. 14)

Benchmark U.S. crude oil for January delivery rose $1.89 to $77.28 a barrel Wednesday. Brent crude for February delivery rose $2.02 to $82.70 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline for January delivery rose 8 cents to $2.24 a gallon. January heating oil rose 18 cents to $3.28 a gallon. January natural gas fell 51 cents to $6.43…


Senate Panel Told FTX Crash Not a ‘One-Off’ Amid Debate Over Tighter Crypto Regulation

At a Senate hearing Wednesday on the collapse of crypto platform FTX, expert testimony provided differing views on the loosely regulated crypto industry, with some arguing it poses big risks to customers and financial stability and must be more tightly controlled or banned outright, while others calling for a softer touch. The Senate Committee on…


My Social Security Holiday Gift Ideas for You

My holiday gift guide doesn’t include a box of chocolates or tickets for a Caribbean cruise. This is a boring old Social Security column, after all, so my gift suggestions are related to that government pension program. Near the top of my list is my absolute favorite Social Security publication. Called “Fast Facts and Figures…


Why China and Others Are Selling US Dollars and Buying Gold

Some interesting recent data remind us of the importance of paying attention to what governments actually do, not just what they say. Central banks are on a gold-buying spree, and they are using their U.S. dollar foreign reserves to fund it. According to a report by the World Gold Council, central banks have bought more…


Investing: Custom-Made Indexes for Cost-Conscious Index Investors

By Robert Frick From Kiplinger’s Personal Finance A growing number of investment firms now offer Main Street investors a strategy called “personalized” or “direct” indexing that typically requires buying and trading stocks directly, mimicking an index. Investment firms and advisers have long offered this strategy to the wealthy for an annual fee that often exceeds…


Closing Prices for Crude Oil, Gold and Other Commodities (Dec. 13)

Benchmark U.S. crude oil for January delivery rose $2.22 to $75.39 a barrel Tuesday. Brent crude for February delivery rose $2.69 to $80.68 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline for January delivery rose 8 cents to $2.16 a gallon. January heating oil rose 12 cents to $3.09 a gallon. January natural gas rose 35 cents to $6.94…


Personal or Business Tax Filing: Which to Choose

Filing taxes can be stressful. But when you’re a small business, knowing the line between personal filing or business filing can seem a little blurry. This is especially true if you’re a sole proprietor. But it doesn’t have to be confusing; there are different requirements for filing depending on how your business is organized. Business…


How to Repair Your Credit and Improve Your Credit Score

Your credit score is a three-digit number between 300 and 850, generated by a mathematical algorithm (a mostly secret formula) based on information in your credit report compared with information on tens of millions of other people. The resulting number is said to be a highly accurate prediction of how likely you are to pay…


Closing Prices for Crude Oil, Gold and Other Commodities (Dec. 12)

Benchmark U.S. crude oil for January delivery rose $2.15 to $73.17 a barrel Monday. Brent crude for February delivery rose $1.89 to $77.99 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline for January delivery rose 2 cents to $2.08 a gallon. January heating oil rose 17 cents to $2.97 a gallon. January natural gas rose 34 cents to $6.59…


101 Christmas Gift Ideas Under $40

It is important to consider price when shopping for a gift. It becomes especially important when your holiday shopping list is long. Along with your personal finances and the number of people you’re shopping for, you can stay within budget in a number of ways. Since the holidays are already a stressful time, here are 101…