Personal Finance

Today's infographic dives deep into the rabbit hole of fees associated with the investing products sold to most people saving for retirement, while also showing that these same Wall Street products often can’t beat the performance of the market.

Bron Suchecki, in an interview with Gregor Gregerson, discusses: •gold confiscation (like when FDR issued Executive Order 6102 in 1933), •how likely it is to happen again and •the possible impact of the occurrence of a gold confiscation event on different assets: bullion, jewelry, mining stocks and numismatics.

Although the median household income in 2016 was $60,000, the average American family actually owes more than $100,000 in debt. Habitually buying more than you can afford, and juggling bills or relying on loans and credit cards...could get you to the point where it feels like you’re working simply to pay bills. No one wants to feel that way. Therefore, you need to break the debt cycle and start living within your means. Just how do you do that? There are a lot of ways you can get there, but here are a few suggestions:

Many investors have seen their net worth...decline sharply as a result of the current stock market correction. If you are among them, don’t panic. While there is nothing you can do to avoid the stock market from crashing you can take steps to prevent further losses and get back on the road to recovery. Here is a 7-step plan.

Today’s infographic from Thermosoft uses data from a survey of 2,000 Americans to show what “making it” means to them – and in the process, it gives us a baseline for what success means to the average person.

When a company matches the money you contribute to your 401(k) plan, up to a certain amount, these matching funds can be a very powerful way to save money over time for retirement and, as such, it's important to take advantage of a company's full 401(k) match if you can. Every company has different policies regarding these matching funds, and things can often be confusing for new investors. Here are some key things to know.

President Trump recently announced new tariffs on imports of steel and aluminum, in a move that got mixed reviews from business and political leaders. The new tariffs would increase levies on aluminum by 10% and steel by 25%. There is much debate about the sensibility of these tariffs, but rather than wade into that morass, let's examine what tariffs are and how they impact the economy and your investments.

Most people are familiar with the most common kinds of insurance — home, auto, life, and health insurance but there are many additional insurance policies available for things that are probably not covered by your everyday basic policies. Depending on your risk exposure, additional insurance coverage could be worth the cost. Here are some less well known kinds of insurance you might want to consider.

The Student Loan Debt and Housing Report 2017 by the National Association of Realtors and the nonprofit group American Student Assistance shows the obvious: Student debt delays household formation, home buying, and saving. [Here are the details summarized for a fast and easy read].

Investing is about taking advantage of higher rates of return and benefiting from the power of compound interest over long periods of time. It’s also about finding the best ways to mitigate the risk via diversification, being patient, etc. Today's infographic outlines the difference between saving and investing, and provides some basic tips on how to get started in the market.