Most of our family's income comes from federal funds. My husband and I both have military retirement checks, and he's a federal civilian. Our retirement pensions are not affected by the government shutdown, but my husband's paycheck is. We're on day 37 without his income, and honestly, it's surreal. While our retirements and my job will get us through, the loss of a paycheck has prompted some adjustments in our spending.
Picture yourself standing at the front door of a pristine, single-story home with no yard work waiting for you. It's quiet. There are no kids screaming on scooters as they go by. You're stepping into an adult-only community, and if you make a decision to relocate to such a neighborhood, it has the potential to reshape the next chapter of your life - in ways both wonderful and unexpected.
In May 2025 , Suze Orman predicted that the U.S. stock market will "absolutely skyrocket" through the remainder of the year and into early 2026. She urged long-term investors to stay invested rather than sell due to fear. Orman recommended building a broadly diversified portfolio by holding at least 25 to 50 individual stocks (or using index ETFs) to take advantage of growth. She specifically highlighted large-cap growth stocks and growth-oriented ETFs (e.g., SPYG, VUG) as likely to benefit in the near future.
With an income that has hovered between $60,000 and $80,000 over the last 18 years, this Redditor admits they earn well below the average income in their area. In fact, they realize their income has barely risen, even as others around them have seen more significant financial growth each year. The caveat here for this Redditor is that they began investing from the moment they started working, all while living below their means.
When market volatility shakes our confidence and headlines scream uncertainty, I remind people that the real risk isn't the ups and downs-it's our reaction to them. In 2025, amid escalating global trade tensions, steep tariffs, stubborn inflation and a government shutdown, we've witnessed wave after wave of turbulence. Yet from decades in financial services, I've learned a simple truth: Your biggest risk isn't market volatility - it's how you respond to it. Rather than be reactive and try to time the market, it's important to stay the course.
This spring we suddenly had to move my in-laws to assisted living. My mother-in-law's dementia was spiraling, and we discovered my father-in-law also has something similar. They had done a good job covering up what a mess their lives had become the past few years, and now we're slowly unspooling it. Dear Not Thinking Clearly, My husband has power of attorney, both financial and medical. We're through all the medical hoops, and I'm now looking at their finances.
His parents are Baby Boomers who, he says, exhausted their funds five years ago - although they only told him when they were on the brink of homelessness. Because of health problems and age-related constraints that make work impossible, the user stepped in to support them and to manage their finances. He persuaded them to sell their large, debt-laden home (despite their request that he simply continue paying their mortgage). Now they live in a modest cottage near him so he can regularly assist them.
At 25, I have over $500,000 between my high-yield savings account, retirement funds, and investments. I put away my first $100,000 by 22. And I did it mostly without help after growing up in a lower-middle class household. My story is definitely not the norm. Gen Z is up against a lot: Around 13 million people in Gen Z have approximately $23,000 of student loan debt, per 2024 research from the Education Data Initiative. And the job market? Brutal.
The advice I'd always been given is that novice investors should never try to play the market, no attempts to buy low/sell high or pick additional stocks, and that seemed very sound, as I have no experience in the field, so I just kept my hands off and assumed that the fund manager was doing whatever needed to be done.
One of the most important lessons in financial independence is to allocate your money in such a way that it continues to work for you. Pick investments that keep growing your money without you having to do anything. A Redditor recently shared that they funded a dream trip through dividends, and many were happy to learn about it.
Retirement doesn't always mean the end of working life. Many seniors look for opportunities to stay active, supplement their income, or simply enjoy a new challenge. However, not everyone is up for jobs that require physical labor. Fortunately, there are plenty of easy jobs available that are perfectly suited for seniors who prefer something less physically demanding. 1. Freelance Writing Seniors with a knack for storytelling or a background in writing can find freelance writing a rewarding job.
To be honest, I'm not at all surprised this question is coming up, although it's likely to have come up dozens of times in the same subreddit, as it's been a hot topic for as long as most of us can remember. There is no question that the baby boomer generation, which ranges from those born in 1946, immediately after World War II ended, all the way to those born in 1964.
Before the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, retirees started to get hit with tax on part of their Social Security benefits after their provisional income hit a specific threshold. That threshold is $25,000 for single tax filers and $32,000 for married joint tax filers. The income that's counted in provisional income for determining if you meet the threshold includes a limited amount of non-taxable income (like MUNI bond interest), all your taxable income, and half your Social Security.
Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar will retire after this season, his 20th in the NHL, he announced Thursday. Kopitar, who helped lead the Kings to Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014, turned 38 last month. The two-way center is entering the final season of a two-year extension he signed in July 2023 after playing his entire career with Los Angeles.
You don't have to be wealthy to enjoy a pampered retired life, you just need to know where to go. With the best expat countries 2025 edition of the Global Retirement Index you can choose to settle in a country that grabs your attention and is suited to your dreams. This guide explores some of the best expat-friendly countries easy to move to in 2025 by outlining the various legal pathways for obtaining a quick residency permit and the most realistic options.
By investing $100 every month from the ages of 25 to 65 into the likes of a Roth individual retirement account (IRA), Gen Z could retire as millionaires. "With a 12% annual average rate of return-the markets can do that for you-you'd have a million dollars," she explains. Depositing a monthly investment of $100 into an account with a 12% yield would net someone approximately $1,188,342 in 40 years' time.
Many retail investors fear selloffs. But if you know where to look, pullbacks can be your best friend. If you look at any stock that pulled off a significant recovery from its trough, your natural reaction is likely "I wish I bought that dip!" However, it's understandable why many refuse to buy the dip. Many stocks that do go down turn into falling knives. When it comes to well-established dividend payers, the equation is in your favor.
I have loved every minute of every T20 game I have played for Australia, particularly the 2021 World Cup, not just because we won but the incredible group and the fun along the way. Looking ahead to an away Indian test tour, the Ashes and an ODI World Cup in 2027, I feel this is my best way forward to remain fresh, fit and at my best for those campaigns.
In July, Nicolia and Charles Connor boarded their first international flight on one-way tickets to Thailand. Their plan? To make it their new home. The couple, originally from New York but living in North Carolina at the time, didn't always expect to retire overseas. Although she had dreamed of living abroad, he needed some convincing. They only began seriously considering it after a difficult stretch in which Nicolia lost four family members in three years.
With its rock-bottom management fees and diversification across roughly 500 stocks throughout multiple market sectors, the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF ( NYSEARCA:VOO) is often considered a gold-standard exchange traded fund (ETF). However, if you're looking to beat this S&P 500 tracking fund, there are a couple of technology-centered growth ETFs with market-beating potential. Two tech funds poised for explosive growth are the Roundhill Generative AI & Technology ETF (NYSEARCA:CHAT) and the iShares Semiconductor ETF ( NASDAQ:SOXX).
In the 2020s, passive income harvesters who happen to be bullish about cryptocurrency are raving about a game-changing exchange traded fund (ETF). It's called the YieldMax MSTR Option Income Strategy ETF (NYSEARCA:MSTY), and this fund could easily tempt you with its jaw-dropping yield and frequent cash payouts. Maybe you're prepared to take big risks with the MSTY ETF, or perhaps you'd prefer to take a more conservative approach with this fascinating fund.