Investors flock to green energy funds as Congress passes climate bill. What to know as assets reach ‘new territory’

The expansion of renewables comes at a time when concerns about the speed of the planet’s shift away from fossil fuels have been heightened following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Imaginima | E+ | Getty Images There’s been a surge of interest in green energy funds as President Joe Biden prepares to sign a bill allocating…

Here’s how ABLE accounts, special needs trusts differ … and how they can work together

Because of astronomical costs of care and support — often more than $100,000 per year — most individuals with disabilities will need government assistance such as Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid. However, they must shelter their assets carefully to not be disqualified from these programs. That’s where special needs trusts and ABLE accounts come in….

Op-ed: Dividend stocks are a smart option for yield-hungry retired investors

Geber86 | E+ | Getty Images Investors have obviously taken a beating so far in 2022. Technology stocks, cryptocurrencies and nearly everything else that shot up during the free money, zero-interest-rate era has cratered, while other market segments haven’t fared much better. This, of course, isn’t the first time in the recent past that equities…

A wake-up call: Your financial plan can help ‘stress test’ your retirement strategy through inflation, market downturn

North Carolina retiree Connie Gores prepares for a visit with her grandchildren. CNBC Jerry Frasier Connie Gores was in her mid-50s, with one daughter in college and another newly graduated, when she became keenly focused on preparing for retirement.  Gores, who worked in higher education and was a college president, met with a financial advisor…

Economic worries further older Americans’ pandemic-era plans to delay retirement, survey finds

Yacobchuk | Istock | Getty Images What is retirement? When does it start? And how has Covid-19 affected Americans’ retirement plans? An ongoing survey of U.S. retirees and near-retirees suggests there’s a wide range of opinions on these fundamental questions and a rapidly changing perspective on what retirement will look like in the future. Last…

Op-ed: This ‘unfamiliar’ type of bond fund may offer opportunities for fixed-income investors

Yellow Dog Productions | The Image Bank | Getty Images Investors discouraged by a bond market where yields are savaged by inflation may find relief in what, for many, is an unfamiliar fixed-income vehicle: closed-end municipal bond funds. These funds, less common than the open-ended variety, are offered by large financial services companies. Some are…

After the impact Covid-19, most women see money as a tool to effect change, survey shows

Getty Images Over the past couple of years, the effects of Covid-19, social activism and economic uncertainty have profoundly impacted women’s attitudes about their finances, according to a UBS survey. Nearly 9 in 10 women believe money is a tool to achieve their personal “purpose,” the report uncovered, polling 1,400 women investors in January and…

Women prefer values-based investing. Here’s what that might mean for their wealth

Mint Images | Mint Images Rf | Getty Images Women prefer investing in a way that helps the environment and does social good, some studies have found. Such values-based investing could help raise women’s general enthusiasm for investing and boost long-term wealth, according to financial experts.   About 52% of women would rather invest in…

This is what women must do to overcome the retirement savings shortfall, says a financial pro

The gender wage gap has remained remarkably stubborn for decades and, inevitably, becomes a significant shortfall at retirement. In 2020, women made 83 cents for every dollar earned by men, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The gap persists despite women’s increasing levels of education and even widens among higher-income workers. By the end of her career, a full-time…

It’s a daunting time for retirees, who face the biggest inflation threat, financial advisors say

MoMo Productions | Stone | Getty Images Retirees and those planning to retire soon are the people most threatened by high inflation, investment managers and financial experts said at CNBC’s Financial Advisor Summit. Inflation means a dollar today can buy fewer groceries and other household staples than it did a year ago, on average. Some…

Investors have access to more actively managed exchange-traded funds. Here’s how they may help during market volatility

Bloom Productions Amid ongoing market volatility, actively managed exchange-traded funds may have a place in your portfolio. Most ETFs, which trade throughout the day like stocks, are passively managed — which means a fund’s performance generally mirrors the ups and downs of whichever index it tracks. A small but growing share, however, are employing active…

Despite the bitcoin selloff, it’s still an asset class that is accessible to anyone, says blockchain educator

Cleve Mesidor. Tom Williams | Cq-roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images Cleve Mesidor was working in the Obama administration in 2013 when she first heard about bitcoin. From the beginning, the concept excited her. Within a few years, she’d leave politics and enter the cryptocurrency space with a mission to make the new financial world…