Milky Way | Moment | Getty Images Roth individual retirement account conversions can potentially reduce lifetime taxes. But the strategy isn’t right for everyone, and the choice is now more complex amid updates from President Donald Trump‘s “big beautiful bill” and other changes. Roth conversions transfer pretax or nondeductible IRA funds into a Roth IRA,…
A sign points to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Lower Manhattan, New York City. 400tmax | Istock Unreleased | Getty Images In Judge Sarah Sharer Curley’s nearly three decades presiding over bankruptcy cases, some were especially painful to witness, she said — such as the 73-year-old woman who stood before her in 2012 with a…
A version of this article first appeared in ″CNBC’s Money 101 Newsletter with Sharon Epperson,″ an eight-week series with monthly updates to help improve your financial well-being. Subscribe now to receive the series in your inbox. It is also available in Spanish. Consumer spending has helped keep the U.S. economy resilient. Yet research shows debt…
A volunteer sorts items for donation at Fuquay Varina Emergency Food Pantry in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, on June 30, 2026. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Affordability is a major theme of the upcoming midterm elections. But not all households are feeling the financial strain equally — and that could have implications for how people…
Traders celebrating at the New York Stock Exchange on April 15, 2026, as the S&P 500 closed above the 7,000 level for the first time. NYSE Long-term investors who follow one simple piece of advice have tended to benefit from it: as the market twists and turns, do nothing. But the S&P 500 of today,…
When Bryanna Hambrick bought a three-bedroom, two-bathroom single-family home in Columbus, Ohio, in 2022, she hoped that life milestone would help her save money on rent and build wealth. “Society puts a lot of pressure on you to have property, get married, have kids,” said the 35-year-old. “Life wasn’t giving me those other things, so…
Bill Oxford | Istock Unreleased | Getty Images U.S. Postal Service postmark practices that were formalized in a December 2025 rule could mean a longer delay between when something is mailed and when it’s postmarked — a distinction that matters for tax returns, mail-in ballots and other time-sensitive documents. The issue may crop up as…
When Stephanie Thomas went to college more than 25 years ago, she relied on some financial help from her parents, student loans and a part-time job as a gymnastics coach to cover most of the tab. Even so, by graduation she had amassed about $20,000 in student loans — “good debt” she was manageably able…
America’s — really, humanity’s — relationship with debt is a long, complicated narrative. People have long debated what makes debt “good” or “bad.” The definition has changed over time, from ancient Greece to medieval Europe to the turn of the 20th century and into the modern age. Ancient Roman law, for instance, generally viewed debt…
Student loans have long been considered “good debt.” But soaring tuition costs, recent changes to the federal lending system and a volatile job market are forcing a generation to question that logic. Historically, funding a college education led to higher-paying jobs and greater economic opportunity. However, the math for many has shifted over time, making…