Municipal bonds are popular among retirees and near-retirees as they seek to reduce market risk and position assets for a lower tax bill. One way to diversify across this sector is to invest in municipal bond mutual and exchange-traded funds. In 2021 alone, that’s where investors placed a record-high $96.8 billion of their money. With…

In mid-to-late January, investors experienced one of those common but utterly nerve-wracking pullbacks in the stock market. An accumulation of factors — inflationary pressure, potential adjustments to monetary policy, geopolitical concerns — combined to put the stock market into a tailspin. If there is one reminder that might provide investors comfort, it’s that none of this…

In recent months, Procter & Gamble has raised prices for its Tide, Gain, Downy and Bounce product portfolio. It recently announced that this spring, consumers also will start paying more for many of its personal health care brands. The company is hardly alone. Nestle, Danone, Unilever and other consumers goods giants say their prices will…

As America’s work environment continues to evolve, one thing that has become evident is that — in many cases — the work-from-home (WFH) model has proved to be effective and even cost efficient. However, many companies with significant investments in their office buildings and campuses are not likely to want their employees to keep working…

In the summer of 2020, the Federal Reserve announced its new approach to monetary policy on inflation. The Fed previously used a 2% inflation target. If inflation rates fluctuated above or below 2%, it would contemplate a change in the federal funds rate (FFR) to either restrict or enhance money flow in the economy. The…

In 2019, the millennial generation (born from 1981 to 1996) surpassed the number of baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) in the United States. Today, one in four people is a millennial. Many millennials came of age at the turn of the millennium, which means they were aware of the fallout from the 9/11…

People have many different reasons for getting married or not getting married. But for some committed couples, it can come down to a few basic points. One of those is finances. If they hold very different opinions or have contradictory habits when it comes to spending money, finances can become a deal breaker — much…

The last month of 2021 was filled with lots of new information — the new omicron variant of the coronavirus first hit U.S. shores, along with cautions that its level of vaccine resistance is best mitigated by a booster shot. That’s good news for the fully vaccinated. The unvaccinated, unfortunately, are months away from that level…

It seems that millions of taxpayers still have not received their tax refunds from 2020 and even 2019. A major reason is due to the defunding of the IRS. Between 2010 and 2019, the department’s funding was cut by 20% in inflation-adjusted dollars, which has led to a 22% reduction of staff. Not only has…