Brace yourself for a cautionary holiday tale.A few years ago, a group of friends pooled their money to give me a gift certificate to a popular spa chain during a bleak period in my life. It was enough to cover a few treatments, including a massage, facial and mani-pedi, so…

OBSERVATIONS FROM THE FINTECH SNARK TANK Prediction: By the end of this decade, bank-fintech partnerships will be a thing of the past. This prediction flies in the face of recent industry trends. Fintech partnerships have been an important objective for banks for the past few years. Cornerstone Advisors’ 2023 What’s…

When it comes to 401(k) fund options, more can be less in terms of your ability to make good investment choices. Certainly, employers have been generous in the number of options they offer in 401(k)s. According to a recent survey, “in 2020, the average large 401(k) plan offered 28 investment…

A North Dakota woman recently was charged with killing her boyfriend to get his inheritance. The man was expected to inherit $30 million, and officials believe her plan was to make a claim that she was his common-law wife so she could get the money from his estate, per an…

If you have a big wad in a pretax IRA, sit down with your accountant now. Taxes are likely headed higher. By William Baldwin, Forbes Staff Tax rates are going up. Do your conversions now. That’s a starting point in the complex game of IRA manipulation. But the general rule…

The world lost an investment legend and font of knowledge last week with the passing of Charlie Munger at the age of 99. He was best known as Warren Buffett’s partner in building Berkshire Hathaway from its humble roots as a New England textile maker into the ninth largest company…

Mortgage rates dropped for the fifth consecutive week to entice buyers back, but homes remain in short supply, according to Freddie Mac.  The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 7.22% for the week ending Nov. 30, according to Freddie Mac’s latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey. That’s a decrease from the previous week…

I must get at least one email a week saying that I have a delivery item that is waiting for me at the Post Office or some warehouse. I never click on the link, which will grab my financial information and charge me a fee. It’s a perennial scam these…

Fandom can both have huge benefits, and deep, deep risk. When investing, it’s best to leave your fandom for other activities. This downside to fandom became obviously apparent to me this week, when it was reported that Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has agreed to sell a majority stake of…

The U.S. Supreme Court will soon hear oral arguments in a case that raises a question most people have likely never even considered: Can your income be taxed before you receive it? The answer is usually no, but sometimes it’s yes. This is an important question because if Congress cannot…