College graduates are overestimating the salaries they’ll start out at by $50,000, report finds

Newly minted graduates are in for a shock. Although the job market and starting salaries for the Class of 2022 look significantly better than last year, they may fall far short of graduates’ expectations. Employers plan to hire about 31% more new degree holders from this year’s graduating class than they hired from the Class…

From $10,000 to $2 million: Now this 27-year-old is teaching other women her strategy

Building wealth is cool. That’s a mantra of Modern Blk Girl, a community aimed at teaching Black women the importance of investing and wealth creation that was founded by Tiffany James when she was just 25. Like most newly minted college graduates, James had student loan debt and was living just barely within her means…

More states are switching to flat income taxes. Critics say it’s relief for the wealthy

Tetra Images | Tetra images | Getty Images There’s a recent uptick in states swapping tiered income taxes for a flat tax, charging the same rate to all residents, regardless of earnings. Over the past 100 years, only four states have changed from graduated rates to flat taxes, according to the Tax Foundation. Another three…

Most adults’ top financial priority right now is nonretirement savings, survey shows

Israel Sebastian | Moment | Getty Images There are some financial goals more pressing for adults right now than bulking up their nest egg. For 2022, just 17% have made saving for retirement their top financial priority, according to First National Bank of Omaha‘s latest financial wellness survey. And nearly half of respondents — 46%…

High inflation may prompt people to change their summer vacation plans

kate_sept2004 Summer vacations plans could be in flux this year. This time, it’s not because of Covid-19. Instead, high prices due to inflation may prompt prospective travel goers to switch up their plans. In fact, 69% of adults who say they will take a vacation this summer anticipate changing their travel plans as prices have…

Just 1% of people aced this quiz on Social Security retirement benefits. Why you should test your knowledge before you claim

GlobalStock | Getty Images Deciding at what point you will collect Social Security benefits may be one of the biggest decisions you make in retirement. Yet many people who are at or near the age when they face that choice may need to brush up on the program’s rules before they do. MassMutual recently gave…

Want to lower next year’s tax bill? Boost your 401(k) contributions

Westend61 Whether you got a refund or owed money this tax season, it’s never too soon to start thinking about next year’s bill.  Boosting your 401(k) contributions for 2022 may provide two benefits: reducing your adjusted gross income while also padding your retirement savings.   What’s more, there’s a higher 401(k) employee deferral limit for 2022,…

The private and public colleges that top the list for financial aid

At the country’s top colleges, the most recent application season was the most competitive on record, but getting accepted at several schools may have been the easy part for students. Now they have less than one week to decide on which school they’ll attend ahead of National Decision Day on May 1, the deadline for…

Finally heading back to the office? How to buy new work clothes on a budget

Alxeypnferov | Istock | Getty Images As more people head back to the office, they may not be able to rely anymore on their work wardrobe from more than two years ago. Their tastes or size may have changed during the pandemic, or their company might have amended expectations around professional attire. Restocking your closet…

These 10 colleges are giving out the most financial aid this year

At the country’s top colleges, the most recent application season was the most competitive on record, but getting accepted at several schools may have been the easy part for students. Now they now have less than one week to decide on which school they’ll attend ahead of National Decision Day on May 1, the deadline…

Op-ed: Here’s why you should open a Roth IRA for your kids

Ariel Skelley | Digitalvision | Getty Images How would it feel to give your children an enormous leg up on saving for retirement while also helping them form healthy money habits? The answer could be opening a Roth individual retirement account for them. To start, a Roth IRA is a special retirement account that allows…

Amid high inflation, seniors have big hopes for prescription drug pricing reform

Jose Luis Pelaez Inc | Getty Images As midterm elections loom, advocates for voters ages 50 and up are hoping Congress will take up one issue that could help rein in rising costs — prescription drug prices. A proposal to let the government negotiate some prescription drug prices covered under Medicare was included in Democrats’…