Personal finance

Jose Luis Pelaez | Stone | Getty Images For many people, retirement planning is all about money: how to invest, how much to save, when to claim Social Security, how to best withdraw from accounts. The list goes on. Finances in retirement are an acute fear. About 2 in 3 people worry more about running

Noam Galai / Noamgalai.com | Moment | Getty Images Roth individual retirement account conversions are up in 2024 — but there are key things to know before converting funds, experts say. There was a 44% year-over-year increase in the number of Roth conversions during the first quarter of 2024, according to data from Fidelity Investments. 

Alessandro Biascioli | Istock | Getty Images When it comes to claiming Social Security retirement benefits, experts agree it’s generally best to delay. Yet many people still claim early — either at the earliest possible age of 62 or before their full retirement age. Those early claims result in reduced Social Security benefits for life.

Woman at home looking at the bills and taxes.  Hirurg | E+ | Getty Images As buy now, pay later programs become more common, some shoppers are using this payment structure to make ends meet. Americans owe $17.5 trillion across credit cards, mortgages, auto loans and other forms of debt, according to the Federal Reserve

Ryanjlane | E+ | Getty Images Sometimes, it pays to pay with cash.   More merchants are offering a lower price to customers who use cash rather than credit card for a purchase. That means opting for paper over plastic may save you money in some cases. Just how much? Typically, cash discounts run about