The United States is the second-largest energy consumer on the planet. Over the past dozen years, domestic production of oil and natural gas has grown thanks in part to the innovation of shale extraction. The surge in energy production has been further advanced by lower costs of renewable sources, such as wind and solar power.…

If you’ve been lucky enough to receive employer-subsidized health insurance throughout your career, retirement may be a bit of an eye-opener. Many retirees expect Medicare to cover all their health care expenses, but it doesn’t. You’ll pay a premium for comparable coverage, plus you may have to contribute to deductibles and copays throughout the year.…

As we enter a new year, it’s time to start thinking about smart tax moves to help minimize what you’ll owe Uncle Sam on April 15, 2020. Given the fact that the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act went into effect only last year, taxpayers are still learning the ins, outs and potential undiscovered advantages…

Married or single, women are finding that taking an active role in their financial futures is critical. About 80% of married women outlive their husbands, and nearly half of all widows say they wish they’d been more involved in managing their finances when their spouse was alive. Whether you have a career or rely on…

Three pivotal economic events of 2019 were: (1) the prolonged trade dispute between the U.S. and China; (2) the series of three interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve; and (3) chatter about a possible 2020 recession. It remains to be seen whether a recession is on the way, but if you’re concerned about market…

The financial hardships of the Great Recession forced many people to start thinking outside the box. The “sharing economy” gained popularity in the late 2000s because it provided more affordable means to travel, maintain homes and access piecemeal work for small businesses. This was the beginning of Airbnb, Uber and other community-based platforms that enable…

A concerted effort to draw American manufacturing operations back to the U.S. over the past three years has done little to move the needle. In fact, a recent report from the Department of Commerce reveals that the manufacturing sector is at its lowest representation of the national economy in 72 years — a mere 11%…

Sometimes it feels as though we don’t learn from our past financial mistakes. Back in 2008, as a contributor to the recession, consumer debt reached a record high of $12.68 trillion. As of the end of the second quarter in 2019, Americans surpassed that number by $1.2 trillion; we now stand at $13.86 trillion in…

According to the United Nations, across the globe, people older than 65 now outnumber children under five for the first time in history. In 1960, the average woman gave birth to five children in her lifetime; by 2017, that ratio had dropped to 2.4 children per woman. Meanwhile, our life expectancy has increased around the…