Investing News

Data breaches have become increasingly common, and you need to know how to protect yourself. Since hackers are going after the companies that hold your information, it’s hard to stop them from getting it. All the same, there are a number of ways to minimize the damage and protect yourself from credit card hacks and

The Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) is a fund that invests in the stocks of some of the largest companies within the United States. Vanguard’s (VOO) is an exchange traded fund (ETF) that tracks the S&P 500 index by owning all of the equities within the S&P. An index is a hypothetical portfolio of stocks

What Is Credit Repair? Credit repair is a process for rebuilding your credit and improving your credit score after they’ve been damaged by poor credit habits, financial setbacks, identity theft, or credit reporting errors. While bogus credit repair offers are a favorite ploy of scam artists, the process itself is legal. There are legitimate credit

Credit repair involves removing or correcting inaccurate information from your credit report to provide a fair and complete picture of your finances, taking steps to boost your credit score, and resolving to avoid credit problems in the future. You can do this yourself or hire a company that specializes in credit repair to do it

The FOMC’s dot plot, which is perhaps the most boring but the most terrifying chart in economics and investing right now, is the summary of where members of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) expect the federal funds rate to be over the next three years. It’s an estimate, not a mandate. Still, the most

Credit repair companies offer to help consumers improve their credit scores in return for a fee. Some are legitimate businesses, while others are little more than scams. Here is what a credit repair company can, and can’t, do for you. Key Takeaways Legitimate credit repair companies can help you remove inaccurate information from your credit

If you are overwhelmed by your debts, you’re not alone. The average American has more than $92,000 in debt, including credit cards, student loans, and personal loans.  If you’re struggling to pay off your balances, one option is to work with a nonprofit credit counseling agency and enroll in a debt management plan. With this

Money Market Fund vs. Money Market Account (MMA) vs. Savings Account: An Overview  You may be wondering where you should keep the money that you’ve started to accumulate. Some of the most popular options are money market funds, money market accounts (MMAs), and regular savings accounts. All three are highly liquid places to park cash,

One boring little word seems to be the key to many personal finance quests: Save. Want to buy a new home? Save for a down payment. Send your kids to college? Save from the day they’re born. Retire on an island retreat? Save, save, and save some more. Key Takeaways Some argue Americans are saving

When investors think of a multinational e-commerce company, Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) is the name that generally first comes to mind. The company, which initially opened as an online bookstore, has been at the forefront of online commerce for the better part of two decades. However, traditional brick-and-mortar discount retailer Walmart Inc. (WMT) has been keeping pace online

The outsized Baby Boomer generation, named for the big increase in birth rates after World War II, has always made waves. The Boomers’ golden years will be no different. Born between 1946 and 1964, this vast cohort came of age in the 1960s and 1970s and began to qualify for Social Security benefits in 2008.

Social Security is a federal benefits program in the United States that was founded in 1935. While the program also includes disability income, it is most commonly associated with monthly retirement benefits paid out until death. The Social Security system is funded through payroll taxes. The Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) mandates a 12.4% levy

Savings and loan institutions–also referred to as S&Ls, thrift banks, savings banks, or savings institutions–provide many of the same services to customers as commercial banks, including deposits, loans, mortgages, checks, and debit cards. However, S&Ls place a stronger emphasis on residential mortgages, whereas commercial banks tend to concentrate on working with large businesses and on unsecured

Private vs. Federal College Loans: An Overview While a college education is a priority for many people, the ever-increasing cost threatens to push it out of financial reach. If you don’t have the savings to cover the cost of a college education, check out loan options. Key Takeaways You can obtain a student loan through

Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) is a global semiconductor company. It sells microprocessors, chipsets, graphics processing units (GPUs), development services, server and embedded processors, and technology for game consoles. The company has two major segments: Computing and Graphics; and Enterprise, Embedded and Semi-Custom. The top shareholders of AMD are Dr. Lisa T. Su, Harry A.

Marriott has launched two new credit cards, albeit with most of the same features, through its partners Chase and American Express. The Marriott Bonvoy Bevy American Express Card and Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful Credit Card from Chase offer better rewards rates than the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit Card, enhanced elite status, and a bonus every time

According to the 2021-2022 American Pet Products Association (APPA) National Pet Owners Survey, 70% of U.S. households own a pet, which equates to nearly 90.5 million homes. These households spent a total of $123.6 billion in 2021 and $103.6 billion in 2020, spending more every year since 2018. Veterinary care was the second-largest category of

What Is the Glass-Steagall Act? The Glass-Steagall Act, passed in 1933, forced commercial banks to refrain from investment banking activities in order to protect depositors from potential losses caused by bank speculation in stocks. Glass-Steagall was largely repealed in 1999 although some parts of it remain, including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., which guarantees bank

Long ago, in the dawn of the Internet age, pirates ruled the digital waves and music-lovers found, to their delight, that anything could be downloaded for free. Sales of recorded music crashed. Every musician was playing the blues. Those days are over, but the road to a business model that works for Internet companies, music

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) own a basket of properties, ranging from malls to movie theaters, apartment buildings to office parks, hotels to hospitals. A REIT may specialize in a certain real estate sector, or it may diversify into a variety of property types. Investing in REITs is appealing for several reasons, especially for income-oriented