The IRS has sent more than 78 million refunds. Here’s how to check the status of yours

Getty Images If you filed a last-minute tax return, you may see your 2021 refund faster than you’d expect.  Nine out of 10 refunds have arrived within 21 days this season, according to the IRS. As of April 15, the agency has issued more than 78 million refunds worth over $242 billion in total, and…

Getting close to retirement? Be sure your plan includes managing this risk

Musketeer | Getty Images For anyone who’s nearing retirement and watching the stock market nervously, those jitters may mean it’s time to review your portfolio. While stocks over time offer the best opportunity for long-term growth despite periods of volatility, a persisting market downturn heading into retirement can be problematic if you’re tapping those assets…

74% of people do not think they will ever achieve high-net-worth status, survey finds

cdwheatley | E+ | Getty Images People have wide-ranging views of what it means to be “high net worth,” according to a survey from digital wealth manager Personal Capital. Yet most people — 74% — don’t see themselves ever fitting into that category. When 2,209 adults were asked what they would consider high net worth,…

Consumer complaints up 31% since 2018 about collection attempts for medical debt not actually owed, federal watchdog finds

Fizkes | Istock | Getty Images For some consumers, medical debt they don’t even owe appears to ends up haunting them anyway. Complaints jumped 31% from 2018 to 2021 about debt collectors attempting to get consumers to fork over amounts that already were paid or otherwise not owed, according to a new report from the…

Inflation is impacting health-care costsĀ in retirement. Here’s how to fight it

Prices for gas, food and housing have skyrocketed in the last year. Less noticeable, to some, is the rising cost of health care.  Medicare, the U.S. government’s national health insurance program for Americans age 65 and over, imposed a 14.5% increase in premiums for Part B (outpatient care coverage) for 2022, a record high and…

72% of six-figure earners are men, while 57% of workers making under $25,000 are women, survey finds

Many Americans agree it now takes a six-figure salary — at least — to get by amid today’s rising prices and economic uncertainty. Yet, 72% of six-figure earners are men, according to a recent report by MagnifyMoney that’s based on an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. For every woman who makes at least $100,000,…

Inflation is taking a big bite from retirees’ pension income

MoMo Productions | DigitalVision | Getty Images Inflation is taking a substantial bite from the income retirees get from pensions. Many pensions periodically increase recipients’ payment amounts by offering a cost-of-living adjustment. But those raises are small relative to the 8.5% annual inflation rate in March, the highest in over 40 years. Some plans, especially…

‘Don’t immediately reach for your checkbook.’ Here’s what to do when relatives ask you for money

Liubomyr Vorona | Istock | Getty Images Money and family – what two subjects bring up more for us? And so when a relative comes to you asking for financial help, and the two are combined, it’s only natural to feel overwhelmed. “Being solicited for money from someone you love can cause discomfort that you…

42% of women investors say they got started during the pandemic, survey shows

Nazar_ab | Istock | Getty Images For some women, it appears the pandemic has had a silver lining: Getting started with investing.  Roughly 2 in 5 (42%) current female investors took the plunge either in 2020 or 2021, according to a recent survey from social investing app eToro. And half of all women said they…

You can’t contribute to a health savings account once you’re on Medicare. A bipartisan bill in Congress would change that

Mixmedia | E+ | Getty Images There’s a renewed push in Congress to let Medicare beneficiaries set aside pre-tax money for medical expenses. Called the Health Savings for Seniors Act and introduced this month in the House, the bipartisan bill revives past legislative efforts to let individuals on Medicare contribute to health savings accounts, or…

Here’s the type of insurance you’ll need at each stage of life, experts say

Eric Audras / Getty Images What type of insurance should you have at different stages of your life? When asked, financial advisors pointed to disability and life insurance as most important kind of coverage at any stage, as they apply throughout our lives. In addition, advisors discussed often overlooked considerations for different points in your…