If you’re planning on tax-loss harvesting, here’s the first number advisors say you should know

Terry Vine | Getty Images There are few bright spots for investors in a down market. But tax-loss harvesting, which allows you to offset profits with losses, may offer a silver lining. Before attempting, however, you need to know your complete tax situation, experts say. Here’s why: There’s a lesser-known 0% long-term capital gains tax…

Op-ed: Investing isn’t a game. Take risks and make wild predictions in fantasy football, not with your money

Kikoncos | Getty Images It’s Sunday morning, and my kids are checking player reports to evaluate their fantasy football lineups. They chatter about wins and losses from the previous week and rumors about a reserve player that looks ripe for a break-out. During the NFL games, they check their phones for player stats to determine…

The typical U.S. household is spending $445 more a month due to inflation. Here’s how to reduce the bite

Cavan Images | Cavan | Getty Images Inflation is causing American households to spend $445 more per month buying the same items they did a year ago, according to an estimate from Moody’s Analytics. Consumer prices jumped by 8.2% in September versus the same month in 2021, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said Thursday….

IRS: Here are the new income tax brackets for 2023

Andersen Ross | Blend Images | Getty Images Amid soaring inflation, the IRS on Tuesday announced higher federal income tax brackets and standard deductions for 2023. The agency has boosted the income thresholds for each bracket, applying to tax year 2023 for returns filed in 2024. These brackets show how much you’ll owe for federal…

How to get the ‘best of both worlds’ for Series I bond interest rates before November

RyanJLane | E+ | Getty Images After a difficult year for the stock market, investors have poured money into Series I bonds, a nearly risk-free and inflation-protected asset that’s paying a record 9.62% annual interest rate through October. With the rate expected to drop to roughly 6.48% in November, there’s a brief window to secure…

IRS sends letters to over 9 million who could miss out on valuable 2021 tax credits. Here’s how to claim that money

Anita_bonita | Istock | Getty Images More than 9 million individuals and families could be leaving money on the table by not filing a 2021 federal tax return, according to the IRS. Last week, the federal tax agency began sending letters to those people it had identified who could be missing out on payments through…

Strategies to navigate the $68 trillion ‘great wealth transfer,’ according to top-ranked advisors

Between Bill Gates’ pledge to give “virtually all” of his wealth away and Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard’s recent decision to donate his entire company to fight climate change, it’s clear views of inherited wealth have changed. Those high-profile pledges are happening as part of the greatest generational wealth transfer in history, with baby boomers set to pass to…

Can you afford a ‘second act’ after retirement? Here are some questions to ask yourself

Fg Trade | E+ | Getty Images Are you ready for a “second act” in retirement? Sadly, large numbers of Americans heading into their 60s are not — at least from a financial perspective. While the average amount of retirement savings for Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 was $408,000 in 2019, per…

Even amid inflation and recession worries, there are opportunities to build wealth, top-ranked advisors say

Geber86 | E+ | Getty Images As the U.S. economy attempts to find its footing as it emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic, two looming uncertainties have emerged: persistent high inflation and a possible recession. So it’s no surprise that financial advisors who landed on the CNBC FA 100 list for 2022 are hearing about those…

You may have ‘more money than ever’ left in a health FSA this year. What you need to know before pandemic relief expires

Getty Images Workers may want to keep an eye on the balance in their health-care flexible spending account. Temporary rules under the 2020 Cares Act that allowed you to roll over unspent FSA funds from one year to the next or gave you longer to spend the money — if your company adopted the provisions…

Series I bond interest expected to fall to roughly 6.48% in November. But that’s still a ‘really good rate,’ experts say

Morsa Images | E+ | Getty Images Despite a hotter-than-expected inflation report on Thursday, the annual interest rate for Series I bonds is expected to fall to roughly 6.48% in November, financial experts say.  While that’s down from the current 9.62% interest through Oct. 31 and lower than the 7.12% rate offered from November 2021…

How to make inflation-protected bonds work in your portfolio as interest rates rise

Insta_photos | Istock | Getty Images It’s been a tough year for bonds, including Treasury inflation-protected securities, or TIPS, an inflation-linked asset. Despite recent losses, TIPS offer portfolio diversification amid market uncertainty, experts say. Backed and issued by the U.S. government, investors can buy TIPS in five-, 10- or 30-year terms, with twice-annual payments based…