Personal finance from around the web:
The 401(k) match is making a comeback, a new survey by Fidelity reports. Forty-four percent of employers who slashed or eliminated matches during the recession now say they've restored them or will do so in the next 12 months. [BusinessWire] April is Financial Literacy Month, and the Move Your Money campaign wants you to remember the virtues of community banks and credit unions. [Move Your Money] Wall MORE Ismat Sarah Mangla - Apr 1, 2010 1:40 PM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
Did you travel for work to a different state? Well, chances are you owe income taxes in the state where your job is. If that state isn't already collecting taxes from you, it might start. [Economix]
According to a recent research paper, the ratio of 40-year-olds to twentysomethings in the U.S population might affect stock market returns. [CXOAG Investing Notes]
Looking for comprehensive data on exchange-traded funds? Here MORE
Ana Patricia Ferrey - Mar 23, 2010 1:06 PM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
Hospitals and health insurers battle it out over reimbursement rates. Health insurers are threatening to drop hospitals from their networks if hospitals don't lower their demands for large rate increases. [The Wall Street Journal]
Members of the American Bankers Association join the legions of lobbyists on Capitol Hill hoping to influence new financial regulations. Bankers are against the creation of a consumer financial protection regulator and MORE
Beth Braverman - Mar 19, 2010 11:12 AM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
Banks in Los Angeles now have a new incentive to make loan modifications, open branches in poorer neighborhoods and invest in the city. Those banks that rank lowest in community investment will lose access to nearly $30 billion in city savings and pension funds. [The Huffington Post]
Think you might be eligible for a 2010 homebuyer tax credit? Follow this chart to find out. [The Consumerist]
As MORE
Beth Braverman - Mar 12, 2010 3:03 PM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
New-home construction may be edging upward, but sales aren't keeping pace. New-home sales fell 11.2 percent in January, as reported by the Commerce Department, hitting a record low. [The New York Times]
Exploding Ford Pintos, lead-laden toys -- take a trip down memory lane with "the worst product recalls of all time." This gallery might just take your mind off of your Toyota anxiety. [The Huffington MORE
Lauren Kelleher - Feb 24, 2010 1:03 PM ET
If you were to go by the headlines, you might think happy days are here again for 401(k) investors. Employer matching contributions are coming back. Account balances have recovered (mostly). And workers are continuing to save. So, you can look forward to a smoother ride from here to a dream retirement, right?
If only. Truth is, even with a newly restored match and stronger stock market, 401(k) retirement plans still won't MORE
Penelope Wang - Feb 16, 2010 8:00 AM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
Sweet savings for Valentine's Day: Five easy tips on how not to break the bank -- or disappoint -- on February 14. [Globe Investor]
To circumvent competing with unbeatable deals on the Internet, many brands are removing the price tags from listings on e-commerce sites. Consumers must put items in their "shopping cart" and proceed to the virtual checkout before they know their total. [The New MORE
Lauren Kelleher - Feb 8, 2010 12:05 PM ET
Your 401(k) retirement plan is probably your single largest financial asset. But what is it costing you to invest? $100 a year? $1,000?
If you don't know, you're not alone. More than 80% of plan participants have no idea what their 401(k) charges, an AARP survey found.
That may be about to change.
Penelope Wang - Jan 19, 2010 3:06 PM ET
Are you happy with your 401(k) plan?
According the Investment Company Institute, the mutual fund trade group, the answer is a resounding yes. In a just-released survey, the ICI found that 73% of households are "confident" that their retirement accounts, both 401(k)s and IRAs, will help them reach their retirement goals.
The ICI also found that a whopping majority of Americans (90%) are fine with the current 401(k) system, while 98% like MORE
Penelope Wang - Jan 8, 2010 4:50 PM ET
Personal finance from around the Web:
The proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency may face a much steeper battle in the Senate now that its biggest proponent, Sen. Chris Dodd, has announced he won't seek re-election this year. But the overall financial bill has better odds of passing. [The Boson Globe]
A bit of good news for parents of high school students stressing over college admissions: The financial aid application process just got MORE
Beth Braverman - Jan 8, 2010 2:54 PM ET
When I was working on MONEY's annual Best Jobs in America project a few months back, I was frustrated by a major shortcoming of the Bureau of Labor Statistics' long-term employment forecasts: They didn't take into account the nation's economic meltdown, which will no doubt have a huge impact on the nation's job market for years to come.
The problem was that the BLS's Employment Projections Summary comes out every MORE
Donna Rosato - Dec 10, 2009 5:11 PM ET
The 401(k) is enjoying a wee bit of a corporate comeback.
Fidelity Investments, which says it's the leading provider of workplace retirement savings plans in the US, disclosed Thursday morning that some of the companies which reduced their financial contributions to 401(k) plans during the financial meltdown have started ponying up money again, or at least plan to.
George Mannes - Nov 19, 2009 1:14 PM ET
Imagine the perfect gift card: Able to be used anywhere, anytime, without any restrictions. Uh, guess what? It's called cash. [The Wall Street Journal]
Beware of boilerplate requirements in mortgage commitments. Sometimes you can wriggle out of them. [Tales from the Real Estate Wars]
Has a friend or relative asked you to co-sign for a credit card or other loan? Here are four excellent questions to ask before you go through MORE
Ismat Sarah Mangla - Nov 19, 2009 11:57 AM ET
More or less buried in the massive debate over what our health care system should look like is a provision to create a national long-term care insurance program. The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act would allow people to pay an average $65 a month and, after five years, be eligible for between $50 to $100 a day in benefits. Insurers oppose the CLASS Act -- clearly, it MORE
Lisa Gibbs - Nov 11, 2009 10:55 AM ET
Reverse mortgages are increasingly the go-to solution for retirees confronting insufficient nest eggs and paltry income payouts in today's low-rate environment. Last year, the number of new Home Equity Conversion Mortgages insured by the federal government amounted to 112,000 -- more than 14 times the HECMs that were originated in 2001. The 2009 tally is expected to be even higher.
Last week's news that 2010 Social Security benefits will MORE
Carla Fried - Oct 19, 2009 11:51 AM ET
