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☆ More than two-thirds of Americans’ financial situation did not improve or stayed the same in 2022 — here's how to better your finances in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Jasmin Suknanan | Jason Stauffer | Benji Stawski | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

With a higher credit score, you can qualify for better interest rates on your credit card, mortgage, or loan, better loan terms and sometimes even higher funding amounts. One of the most important ways to increase your credit score is to continue making on-time payments on any existing debt. So if you've spent $5,000 on a credit card with a credit limit of $10,000, your credit utilization rate is 50%. Keep in mind that it can take some time to see drastic improvements in your credit score, however, every little score bump helps. Another way to put a little extra money in your pocket is by using a cash-back or rewards credit card.

Tax-loss harvesting, portfolio lines of credit, 529 college savings plans available Check mark icon A check mark. Competitive mobile and online offerings for digital investors and traders Check mark icon A check mark. Access to Certified Financial Planners at no additional charge Check mark icon A check mark. Low-cost, hands-off investment account that combines automated features with management from a team of human investment professionals Check mark icon A check mark. We compared nearly two dozen brokerages, placing heavy weighting on their advisory and trading fees, investment philosophy, investment options, and types of accounts available.

☆ How to Invest in Stocks
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +23 min

Set your time frameWhen you’re ready to invest in stocks, it’s natural to start by looking at how the stock market has performed recently. If you’re saving for the long-term: Invest in stocksOn the other hand, if you have a long-term financial goal—especially retirement, but any goal a decade or more out—you can afford to invest in the stock market. Decide how much risk to takeJust because you have time to invest in stocks doesn’t mean you have the stomach. Return Best Year Worst Year Years with a loss 100% Stocks 12.3% 54.2% -43.1% 25/96 80% Stocks 11.1% 45.4% -34.9% 24/96 60% Stocks 9.9% 36.7% -26.6% 22/96 40% Stocks 8.7% 35.9% -18.4% 19/96 20% Stocks 7.5% 40.7% -10.1% 16/96 100% Bonds 6.3% 45.5% -0.8% 20/96 VanguardStep 3. Most ETFs are index funds, meaning they merely aim to match the returns of a stock market index, although some target very narrow slices of the market, such as just tech stocks or just energy stocks.

While these events are out of our control, there are still steps you can take in 2023 to feel a little more confident and prepared with our finances. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) Earn up to 4.11% APYMinimum balance NoneMonthly fee NoneMaximum transactions NoneExcessive transactions fee NoneOverdraft fees N/AOffer checking account? Check your credit scoreChecking your credit score can be especially important if you plan on applying for a mortgage, loan, apartment or a new credit card later in the year. Experian Boost® Learn More On Experian's secure site Cost FreeAverage credit score increase 13 points, though results varyCredit report affected Experian®Credit scoring model used FICO® Score Results will vary. Bottom lineWhile 2022 was a financially tumultuous year with many twists and turns, there are steps every individual can take to walk into 2023 feeling a little more prepared.

☆ How to Build an Emergency Fund
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +8 min

“Covid really drove home the importance of having an emergency fund,” says Diana Linn, a wealth advisor in Newton, Mass. But the rest of setting up an emergency fund, from estimating your needs to opening an account, is relatively simple. Chen recommends multiple emergency funds, with different time frames and purposes: a short-term fund for any last-minute necessary purchase like a new car battery that you’d otherwise charge on a credit card; a midterm fund for repairs, like a new water heater; and a long-term emergency fund for when you lose your job. Decide how to reach your savings targetThe surest way to build up an emergency fund is to regularly put aside a portion of your earnings into an emergency savings account, preferably as an automatic debit from a checking account. Decide where to keep your emergency fundThere are several savings vehicles you can use for your emergency fund, both online and otherwise.

☆ 2023 should be a brighter year for the traditional 60/40 portfolio
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Carmen Reinicke | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Investors who stuck to the traditional portfolio breakdown of 60% allocated to stocks and 40% allocated to bonds were hit hard this year as both asset classes shed value. Bonds also lost value for investors this year, going against the traditional correlation where they act as a hedge to stock market volatility. Still, most analysts don't expect the year to yield a worse performance than 2022 for the standard 60/40 portfolio. That bodes well for investors who still have a traditional portfolio balance. And even though the traditional 60/40 portfolio had a dismal 2022, investors shouldn't write it off.

Student loan debt has become such an issue that the Biden Administration has been attempting to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt per eligible borrower and has continually extended the student loan repayment pause. Ways employers are currently assisting with student debt management"Employers are increasingly offering student loan contribution plans as a direct way to help borrowers pay down student loan debt," Scruggs says. How other employers can help employees manage student loan debtOne of the simplest and most affordable ways employers can help employees is to share information on what employees need to know about their student loans. "There are many ways to help employees manage and pay down student loan debt. However, note that if you refinance federal student loans you'll lose federal protections, like the current student loan payment freeze and potential student loan forgiveness.

☆ 21% of investors don't think they pay investing-related fees. Here's why they're wrong — and how it costs them
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Damircudic | E+ | Getty ImagesMore than a fifth of investors don't think they pay any fees for their investment accounts, an industry survey has found. An additional 17% of investors in the recent poll said they didn't know how much they paid in fees. These firms — whether an investment fund or financial advisor, for example — generally levy investment fees of some kind. Here's the good news for many investors: Even if you haven't been paying attention to fees, they've likely declined over time. This is largely due to investors' preferences for low-cost funds, particularly so-called index funds, Morningstar said.

☆ How to invest in cryptocurrency like a financial planner: 'Do so with caution'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Ryan Ermey | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Even if you don't directly work with a financial advisor, it could be worth paying attention to what they're saying about markets and investing. Take the recent announcement regarding cryptocurrency from the CFP Board, the professional organization for certified financial planners. Planners providing advice on crypto-related investments, the board ruled, are neither required to or barred from providing advice related to crypto, but "should do so with caution." If a group of financial professionals are treading carefully around crypto, it may make sense for you to follow suit. Here are the crypto risks that financial pros are most worried about, and how they're approaching crypto on behalf of their clients.

Insider's experts choose the best products and services to help make smart decisions with your money (here’s how). Welcome to Personal Finance Insider, a biweekly newsletter that connects you with the stories, strategies, and tips you need to be better with money. Financial planner Alex Alba told Insider it's important to pad your emergency fund, especially if you're worried about layoffs. Financial planner Pamela Capalad recommends a high-yield savings account for this purpose. High-yield savings are offered by major banks, and many accounts are currently paying 3% or more.

They fired their financial advisor and decided to manage their investments independently. "Investing in index funds had been around for decades but had been cast as a boring, predictable, and lazy approach to investing. While Julien's financial advisor wasn't intentionally malicious, Julien was shocked to learn that his financial advisor wasn't legally obligated to make recommendations in his best interest. That's index funds — kind of boring, but a safer place for your cash over the long run. "When you're investing in index funds, you're betting on the fact that overall a given index will continue to deliver favorable results," the couple writes.

☆ $2 billion Powerball jackpot winner: The 3 smartest moves to make first—and 1 thing to avoid
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

In fact, lottery winners are more likely to declare bankruptcy within three to five years than the average American, according to 2011 academic study. Get professional financial adviceHire a financial team consisting of a fiduciary financial planner, estate planning attorney and accountant "at a minimum," says Brady. A fiduciary financial planner can be found on the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors's website, Collado says. These tips can help people find a financial planner that's a good fit for their needs. But everyone's situation is different, which is why consulting a financial planner is a good first step.

On a live-streamed Twitter Spaces call, Elon Musk announced that he may add a high-yield savings feature to Twitter. Money earned from paywalled content would sit in the creator's account, which would function like a high-yield savings account. A high-yield savings account helps you earn passive incomeA high-yield savings account is a type of savings account that pays much higher interest rates than a regular savings account. Musk apparently plans on offering high-yield savings account to Twitter users who plan on keeping their cash there, once Twitter's content paywalls are established. The Tesla CEO's plans to add paywalled content, new payment systems, and a high-yield savings account could incite further backlash.

☆ 55% of Americans are behind on saving for retirement—and that's OK
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Mike Winters | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Around 55% of Americans say they're behind on saving for retirement, a recent Bankrate survey found. She's had clients who didn't start seriously saving until their 40s who are now on track to comfortably retire. How to get your savings back on trackIf you want to catch up on saving for retirement, you'll first need a well-defined goal. To get a basic idea of how much you need, a retirement savings calculator is a good place to start. Since life is full of unexpected expenses, you can never have too much money put away for retirement, she says.

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☆ There's still time for big savers to use 'after-tax contributions' to funnel more into 401(k) plans for 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Kate Dore | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

BartekSzewczyk | GettyAfter-tax versus Roth accountsAfter-tax contributions are different than Roth 401(k) plans. For 2022, if you're under 50, you can defer up to $20,500 of your salary into your plan's regular pretax or Roth 401(k) account. The percentage of plans offering a Roth 401(k) saving option has surged over the past decade. watch nowHowever, some plans offer additional after-tax contributions to your traditional 401(k), which allows you to save more than the $20,500 cap. In 2021, roughly 21% of company plans offered after-tax 401(k) contributions, compared to about 20% of plans in 2020, the survey found.

☆ How to Find a Financial Advisor
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( ) www.wsj.com time to read: +12 min

Read on to get started:Types of financial advisorsMany financial professionals, including financial planners, securities brokers, investment managers, and insurance brokers call themselves financial advisors so it’s important to know exactly what services an advisor provides before hiring one. Financial advisor designationsThere are myriad designations for financial advisors but only a handful that indicate the expertise most consumers need. Advisor fees and minimumsHow a financial advisor gets paid can be as important as how much you pay them because you want an advisor whose paramount consideration is your best interest, not their own, and whether or not that is the case is largely determined by how you pay them. How to find a financial advisorFinding a financial advisor is not so different from finding any other specialized service you’re in the market for. The right financial advisor can help navigate your financial life, from budgeting everyday spending to fulfilling long-term financial goals over a lifetime including the purchase of a home and a comfortable retirement.

☆ Americans think you need $1.7 million to retire comfortably—here's how much you need to save each month to get there by 65
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Cheyenne Devon | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

On average, American workers think they'll need $1.7 million saved for retirement, but a little less than half believe they're likely to meet their savings goals, according to a recent Charles Schwab study. That's understandable: Financial planners typically recommend saving between 10% and 15% of your gross annual salary for retirement, which is no small feat. Workers with employer-sponsored retirement plans only contribute around 7% of their income toward their retirement fund on average, according to Vanguard's "How America Saves 2022" report. With this in mind, CNBC calculated how much you'd need to put away to save $1.7 million by 65, as well as how much you'd need to earn to accomplish this without saving more than 15% of your income. Here's how much you need to put away each month to save $1.7 million by 65.

☆ What a record 8.7% Social Security cost-of-living adjustment could mean for taxes on benefits
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Lorie Konish | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Halfpoint | Istock | Getty ImagesRetirees who rely on Social Security benefits for income will get some relief from record high inflation when an 8.7% cost-of-living adjustment kicks in next year. How Social Security benefits are taxedSocial Security benefits are taxed based on a formula known as "combined" or "provisional" income. That is calculated by taking your adjusted gross income and adding non-taxable interest and half of your Social Security benefits. Taxes on Social Security benefits apply to single taxpayers starting with $25,000 in combined income, and married taxpayers starting with $32,000 in combined income. watch nowFor individuals with more than $34,000 in combined income and couples with over $44,000, up to 85% of their Social Security benefits may be taxed.

I know I'll need passive income to support myself if I want to retire early. I asked financial planners who work with millionaires which passive income streams are most lucrative. That's why financial planner Darren Colananni says it's one of the most common passive income streams among millionaires. "You can get a tax deduction on the rental income by depreciating the property," which means deducting the cost of buying or improving a rental property, says Colananni. Social Security, collected strategicallyA passive income stream that most American workers get when they retire, Social Security, is one that millionaires also bank on, according to financial planner Scott Sturgeon.

☆ Citizens is targeting wealthy clients with the launch of a new private bank. Here's how the firm is beefing up its wealth management business.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Carter Johnson | Hayley Cuccinello | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

On Tuesday, Citizens said it plans to launch a new private bank by the end of the year. Citizens Private Client will cater to customers with $200,000 more in deposits or investments. Citizens Private Client is intended to retain these customers as their financial needs become more complex. Private banking is a profitable business with relatively stable revenue that is often based on fees. The new private bank program is the latest step in Citizens' strategy to beef up its wealth management offerings.

I want to retire before I'm 50 — I'm in my 30s now — so I asked financial planners how to mitigate risk. In order to make sure I'm managing as much risk now as possible, here's what financial planners say I need to consider if I want to retire early as a millionaire. As I continue to grow my investment portfolio, financial planner Evon Mendrin says that it's a good idea to diversify my portfolio even further to help with risk. Secure the right insuranceWhen planning for the future, it's easy to forget what we need right now to handle any potential financial emergencies. By the time you reach 50, either have a plan for long-term care out of your retirement funds or a long-term care insurance policy in place."

For years, the LGBTQ+ community has had to focus more on survival than wealth-building. Why we need to build wealth in the LGBTQ+ communityIf you hear words like "wealth" and "investing" and cringe, you're not alone. Here's one: Wealth in our culture means security and power, and the LGBTQ+ community can wield those to make a difference. Here are some tips for building wealth within the LGBTQ+ community. Search for fee-only, fiduciary advisors in your ZIP code, and filter for terms like "LGBTQ family."

☆ The CNBC FA 100 ranking recognizes advisory firms that help clients navigate their financial lives
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-04 | by ( Kelli Grant | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The top-ranked advisors on the CNBC list have an average 30 years in business and collectively have more than $300 billion in assets under management. The CNBC FA 100 recognizes those advisory firms that best help people navigate their financial lives. Working with an advisor has financial benefitsThe pandemic spurred consumer interest in working with a financial advisor. Yet reports indicate that many consumers aren't thinking about an advisor as their first choice for financial help. How, and how much, you pay for financial advice can also vary widely by advisor and the scope of services.

High-yield savings accounts can earn significantly more interest on cash you need in the short term. Dozens of banks offer high-yield savings accounts, but we compared three of the most popular. To help out, we compared three of the most popular high-yield savings accounts on offer today: the Ally High Yield Savings Account, a favorite among financial planners and super savers; , investment bank Goldman Sachs' online savings account; and the Wealthfront Cash Account by the popular robo-advisor. Below you'll find each of these high-yield savings accounts compared on a variety of metrics. That's because interest rates on savings accounts fluctuate depending on inflation and the government's interest-rate benchmark.

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