Skynesher | E+ | Getty Images New government data shows a surprisingly strong job market for the month of January. But there are signs of weakness in the labor market, based on tens of thousands of workers who have been laid off since 2024 started. U.S. employers announced 82,307 job cuts in January, up from … Read more
Brand X Pictures | Stockbyte | Getty Images When faced with an unexpected $1,000 expense, more than one-third of Americans would borrow the money, according to a new Bankrate survey. That may include tapping their credit cards, seeking money from friends or family or taking out a personal loan. Most would not turn to cash … Read more
Mark Edward Atkinson | Tetra Images | Getty Images What to watch for with ‘two check’ months SSI recipients must comply with strict rules. Individuals have a $2,000 limit on resources they may own such as property, stocks, bonds or bank accounts. For couples, the limit is $3,000. These thresholds have not changed since 1989. … Read more
Young woman counting money. Jose Luis Pelaez Inc As the calendar turns to a new year, many Americans are vowing to change their money habits. To that point, 48% of investors recently surveyed by Allianz Life Insurance Company say they are more likely to make and keep a financial resolution in 2024 to either save … Read more
Betsie Van der Meer | Getty If you’re a last-minute holiday shopper still checking off the remaining gifts on your list, beware: You could be putting yourself at risk for fraud. “Procrastination is, quite frankly, one of the keys to success for crooks,” Paul Fabara, chief risk officer at Visa, recently told CNBC. “They assume that … Read more
A shopper carries several bags in the Magnificent Mile shopping district of Chicago on Dec. 2, 2023. Taylor Glascock | Bloomberg | Getty Images The U.S. economy has remained remarkably strong but affordability is worse than it has ever been, some social media users say, even when compared to The Great Depression. One of TikTok’s … Read more
Market optimism over the potential for interest rate cuts next year is dangerously overdone, according to former FDIC Chair Sheila Bair. Bair, who ran the FDIC during the 2008 financial crisis, suggested Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell was irresponsibly dovish at last week’s policy meeting by creating “irrational exuberance” among investors. “The focus still needs … Read more
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As Tennessee leads many states in financial literacy in public high schools, Junior Achievement of Middle Tennessee aims to boost those lessons through career, entrepreneurship and personal finance programs. Speaking to high school students in December at Junior Achievement’s Finance Park program in Nashville, CNBC’s senior personal finance correspondent Sharon Epperson shared … Read more
Alistair Berg | Digitalvision | Getty Images For years, interest rates were low, inflation was steady and both financial markets and economic conditions were relatively stable. Then the Covid-19 pandemic turned everything on its head. Inflation began to soar and central banks around the world hiked interest rates in an effort to halt rising prices. … Read more
Morsa Images | Digitalvision | Getty Images Current SSI asset limits ‘lock people in poverty’ Current SSI asset limits are extremely low — $2,000 for individuals and $3,000 per couple. Those thresholds apply to all kinds of assets, including cash, bank accounts, investments and household goods. Beneficiaries who go over the limits are suspended or … Read more
