The federal student loan system is, in a word, a mess right now. Between ongoing court challenges and the pending change in presidential administrations, several student loan forgiveness and repayment programs are blocked by courts or stuck in administrative limbo. Borrowers can still qualify for student loan forgiveness despite the ongoing turmoil. But whether someone will receive any relief very much depends on the specific program. And untangling which programs are available, and which ones are not, is no easy task. Here’s a breakdown. Student Loan Forgiveness Under The SAVE Plan Is Blocked The SAVE plan was the Biden administration’s…

It may come as a surprise to many people, but insider trading is not specifically defined by any statute. It is understood to describe trading in stocks or securities by people with access to material and confidential non-public information. Following the stock market crash of 1929 Congress passed the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 with the intention of curbing abuses that led to the crash. Clarifying Section 10(b) of the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted Rule 10b-5 which made it illegal engage in fraud in connection…

Another SECURE Act might be in the works in Congress. Extremely large bipartisan majorities ensured passage of the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act in 2019 and the SECURE Act 2.0 in 2022. The two laws made numerous changes to qualified retirement plans, including 401(k)s and IRAs. The main goals of the laws were to make it easier for more people to participate in tax-favored retirement plans, increase contributions for some people, delay required minimum distributions, and allow penalty-free distributions in more situations. Not all the changes were favorable for taxpayers. To offset some of the lost…

Egg prices are on the rise at the most inconvenient time of the year. As holiday bakers push demand for eggs to its annual high, farmers battle the resurgence of a highly contagious and deadly bird flu that’s claimed roughly 5% of the U.S. flock of egg-laying hens in just three months.Since October, multiple outbreaks spanning six states, including Arizona, California, Iowa, Oregon, Utah and Washington, affected nearly 16.7 million egg-laying hens. Because of where the outbreaks occurred — in multiple states whose animal welfare laws require eggs produced or sold there come from cage-free hens — they’ve had an…

A survey of nearly 2,000 American retirees conducted for What The Happiest Retirees Know revealed insights into their habits and behaviors. No topic was off limits, even those often seen as taboo: money, social media, sex, love, faith, and diet. The responses were candid and transformative for anyone willing to use them as a guide for their own retirement. One clear throughline was that a lack of curiosity does not seem to bode well for retirement happiness. An inquisitive, adventurous spirit appears to be the special sauce as long as it’s channeled and catalyzed in a healthy way. This intrepid…

Wall Street’s second-largest exchange now faces a dramatic shift in its push for diverse board leadership representation. Nasdaq’s groundbreaking board diversity rules hit a major roadblock as the U.S. appeals court ruled that it could not impose rules requiring companies listed on the exchange to have women and minority directors on their boards or explain why they do not. The Breakdown You Need To Know: Constitutional drama stayed backstage while statutory grounds stole the spotlight as the Nasdaq rules were challenged by the National Center for Public Policy Research and Alliance for Fair Board Recruitment. Fresh off the Supreme Court’s…

As the Trump administration gears up to take over the White House in January of 2025, many student borrowers are wondering what comes next. Some are especially concerned about Trump’s intentions to abolish the U.S. Department of Education, as well as some of his past remarks about the future of student loan forgiveness. The Biden Administration attempted a lot of reforms to help student loan borrowers, but the results have been mixed. The administration’s never-ending attempts to forgive student loan debt have created constant upheaval, and signature programs like the Saving On a Valuable Education (SAVE) income-driven repayment plan, are…

There’s been growing activity in antitrust. The would-be acquisition of Albertsons, the second-largest U.S. grocery operator, by number one Kroger was knocked asunder by a court. That may become a more unusual action with the replacement of Chair Lina Khan, whose term is over. Donald Trump’s choice of the next FTC chair, current Commissioner Andrew Ferguson, has been talking about investigating online social media platforms “for unfair acts or practices relating to their opaque, unpredictable processes for banning users and censoring content.” But no matter what exactly the new administration decides to do, it’s unlikely to address a growing problem…

Tax savings via retirement accounts are great when you are accumulating wealth. However, the tax situation is not so fun when you are finally required to start making withdrawals based on your age. If you are charitably minded and looking to minimize taxes on your retirement account withdrawals, a strategy of qualified charitable distributions (QCD) may help you pay fewer taxes over your lifetime. New clients of mine typically donate more than $100,000 per year to various charities. One of the reasons the couple hired me was because their previous basic financial advisor didn’t offer tax-planning advice or guidance. This…

Let me begin this article by saying that I am not a naturally generous person. As a finance professor, it may not be surprising to learn that saving is what comes most natural to me. Ever since I was a child, I have always focused on conserving everything, not year end giving. This pattern has held true even until now. For example, if you give me a bottle of sunscreen, I will “annuitize it” immediately and figure out what the least amount of sunscreen I can use so that I can stretch it out over the longest period. Unnatural Year…