An investor who stashed $10,000 in a portfolio tracking the Dow Jones Industrial Average at the end of 2001 and held on would have had $28,698 by the end of 2016, for a total return of 7.28 percent annualized, according to Putnam Investments. By missing out only on the Dow’s 10 best days during that

In Switzerland, tuition is less than $5,000 per year and workers earn an average annual income exceeding $80,000 — that’s $25,000 more than the average in America. Annual earnings in Ireland are about the same as in the U.S. — $55,000 — but schools are tuition-free. U.S. tuition has increased by 63 percent from 2006

A do-not-resuscitate order is a form signed by a doctor used in the event an individual suffers from a serious advanced illness. The form instructs health-care professionals not to perform CPR. Individuals may also want to consider a do not intubate order, which instructs medical personnel not to insert a tube into the body. “It’s

For many recent graduates, student loan debt is literally giving them nightmares. Over the last decade, college-loan balances in the United States have jumped to an all-time high of $1.4 trillion, according to a recent report by Experian. The average outstanding balance is $34,144, up 62 percent over the last 10 years. Those student loan

It happens during Medicare open enrollment every year: Older Americans’ mailboxes and TV screens fill up with pitches for enrolling in Medicare-related insurance. If you call the number on the ad, you’ll likely end up talking to a licensed insurance agent. The bad news is that if the person works exclusively for one insurer, you

At the same time, the IRS has also extended deadlines for certain tax payments for those who were directly hit by the blazes, as well as firefighters and relief workers who are helping the afflicted areas. The IRS relief targets seven California counties: Butte, Lake, Mendocino, Napa, Nevada, Sonoma and Yuba. Individual taxpayers and businesses

Older adults can be tempting targets for bad actors in the financial marketplace. Mortgages, debt collection and credit reports account for the bulk of complaints to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from consumers age 62 and older, according to a new analysis from the U.S. PIRG Education Fund and Frontier Group. The advocates analyzed more

Before you start spending, take stock of any obligations or costs around the inheritance, said Susan Bradley, a certified financial planner and the founder of the Sudden Money Institute in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. “If it’s not liquid, readily available money, you’re going to have a to-do list,” she said. For example, should you inherit

The 51-year-old real estate investor and owner of Swaney Consulting Group has personal reasons to hold on, at least for now. He may eventually move to a condo at the beach, but wants his future grandchildren to enjoy his pool, yard and basement. For these amenities, he spends about $18,000 annually in lawn maintenance, taxes,

“Their Social Security won’t be reduced, but Part B would take every penny of their COLA,” said Mary Johnson, a policy consultant at The Senior Citizens League. The mid-year Medicare trustees report projects premiums to remain at $134 in 2018 and 2019, although that could change. Exactly when the government will announce its 2018 Part

Consumers should take several steps to make sure that old accounts that are reopened or fraudulent accounts that are created don’t haunt them. First, pull a report from ChexSystems, a specialty consumer reporting agency. Like agencies that provide free credit reports, such as Experian, Equifax and TransUnion, ChexSystems will provide consumers with a free report

Everything from Oreos to almonds generally cost more with the fall flavor, the price comparison site found. Of course, Starbucks drinkers may be all too familiar with the upcharge for a pumpkin spice latte (affectionately dubbed PSL) when it is released each fall. The coffee chain charges as much as a dollar more for pumpkin

In other cases, cybercriminals may attack small businesses in order to access larger companies they do business with, Kaiser said. When hackers gained access to Target in 2013, for example, they did so through the company’s HVAC vendor, Kaiser said. Nearly 90 percent of businesses reported having put in place some cybersecurity protection, according to

While you might not be at the point of deciding exactly what you want retirement to look like, you can be sure you’ll need income after your nonworking years. With pensions largely going by the wayside, retiring comfortably will be based largely on how well you save. If you have access to a 401(k) plan

Americans are watching the health-care debate play out in Washington and are fearful about what the outcome could mean for their care and their wallets, according to a new survey by the Transamerica Center for Health Studies. The three biggest fears uncovered were the loss of coverage for pre-existing conditions, which was cited by 42

The total value of all bitcoins in existence (roughly 66 million) stands at about $86 billion. Add in the other few hundred cryptocurrencies and it’s a $155 billion market. Yet these new assets comprise just a fraction of the world’s multitrillion currency market. And as a new asset with a smaller pool of investors, cryptocurrencies

After back-to-back storms pummeled Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico, many people upped their charitable contributions for 2017. Now it’s time to reap the tax benefit. Daniel Borochoff, president of CharityWatch.org, predicts donations could surpass last year’s record high, driven primarily by overall economic growth, although the recent disasters will also play a role. “The giving

“Some of the traditional ways of keeping your records — in your home, or in a safety deposit box — both of those places could have been burned down or flooded,” Wright said. “It calls attention to the importance of the cloud.” Key documents you should gather include those that might be difficult of inconvenient

You’re better off renting with a roommate than buying your first home alone in cities such as San Jose and San Francisco, California, and Austin, Texas, according to a recent report by online real estate site, Trulia. When conducting their analysis, Trulia assumed buyers would be taking on a 30-year fixed rate loan, front a

The upcoming holiday season might be a good time to scratch a cool vacation off the ol’ bucket list. If that includes visiting a top tourist spot — or you just want to escape — you’ll be glad to know that some of the most popular destinations are at their most affordable during their colder

For people who want to tweak their Medicare coverage, the time to do it starts Sunday. The program’s fall open enrollment period runs from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. You should evaluate your current coverage even if you’ve been happy with it. “Insurance companies make changes every year,” said Elizabeth Gavino, founder of Lewin &

Most Americans are sitting ducks for fraud these days after repeated breaches of sensitive data from stores, websites and even a credit-reporting company. Yet few people are doing anything to protect themselves. Only about 61 million Americans — just over a quarter of all consumers — checked their credit score or credit report in the

FundName Fund Weighting in Puerto Rico debt Market Value of Puerto Rico Debt Fund Oppenheimer Rochester MD Municipal Fund 22.40% $6,946,788.00 $30,947,106.00 Oppenheimer Rochester VA Municipal Fund 20.20% $15,032,633.00 $74,412,635.00 Oppenheimer Rochester ShrtDur HY Muni Fd 18.20% $273,351,491.00 $1,497,842,170.00 Oppenheimer Rochester Fund Munis Fd 17.70% $1,020,903,948.00 $5,776,883,928.00 Oppenheimer Rochester AZ Municipal Fund 17.30% $5,345,365.00 $30,824,918.00

All those who move to a new state will want to make sure they firmly establish residency so that they don’t get hit with taxes from the state they leave behind. For individuals who move to Florida, there is a form to file with the state to make it your domicile, according to Chris Raulston,

It’s likely you’ve started hearing chatter about Medicare’s open enrollment period, which begins Sunday and runs through early December. If you’re like many older Americans, the question is whether you need to do anything. Put simply, it depends. “A lot of people won’t need to do a darn thing,” said certified financial planner Hans “John”

It is possible to land a job where you work remotely and get pretty well paid. That’s the key takeaway from Remote.co, a provider of resources for companies that offer remote telecommuting or flexible work options. Remote.co has identified eight jobs that can pay more than six figures based on salary data from PayScale.com. These

Experts say it’s typically (but not always) a good idea to apply for financial aid as early as possible. “I always ask clients, when does everybody go out to dinner? Friday night, because they just got paid,” said certified financial planner T. Eric Reich, president of Reich Asset Management in Marmora, New Jersey. “Don’t think

Keep an eye on exchange rates before going abroad to decide when to exchange your U.S. dollars for the currency of your destination. You will definitely want to show up with some of that country’s currency in hand for immediate needs (like taking a cab from the airport or buying a subway pass, for example).

If you’ve been mulling a winter vacation, now is the time to book. This is the best moment to find affordable flights ahead of the holiday season, according to two separate reports. After early October, airline fares will fluctuate and then start climbing steadily as Christmas approaches. Prices spike dramatically in the last two weeks

Whether you’re looking for permanent employment or a seasonal gig around the holidays, CareerBuilder’s latest forecast predicts an uptick in both jobs and pay. Between August and September, CareerBuilder surveyed more than 2,250 hiring managers and human resource professionals as well as 3,700 full-time workers. About 43 percent of employers plan to hire full-time, permanent