Additional reporting by Patricia Louis, Optimization Editor, Forbes Advisor. If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year, prepare yourself for a more expensive feast. Food prices continue to be a pain point for many Americans, with groceries up 25% since March 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. While the rate of increase has slowed in 2024, prices are still climbing due to less-than-stellar crop conditions, increased consumer demand and supply chain issues. As you make your shopping list, here’s what you can expect to spend more on, as well as a few tips to prevent them from gobbling up…

Estate planning is the process of organizing how your assets—like your money, property, and belongings—will be managed and distributed after you pass away or if you become unable to make decisions for yourself. If you are not familiar with your estate plan or haven’t reviewed it recently, you are not alone. Many families execute documents and there is no need to change them for years. As you finalize your divorce and your family dynamics evolve, it is important to take time to revisit your plan to ensure your loved ones are taken care of according to your preferences. Your former…

Some of the most profound truths are those, once revealed, that seem self-evident. And that may also be the most potent gift possessed by the greatest writers and thinkers—the ability to reveal something we already know with such clarity that we can act on it. One of my favorite contemporary thinkers, Shane Parrish, recently shared a quote from one of the greatest writers of (at least) the 20th century, C. S. Lewis, that can be a helpful guide in any number of pursuits, especially financial wellness. Implicit in his counsel is the answer to the question, “How do we fix…

Financially successful people find ways to get out of credit card debt. However, staying out of credit card debt is more challenging than ever. Many merchants no longer take cash making the cash envelope system difficult to implement. We use credit cards for everything: checking out in online shopping carts, tapping at grocery stores, and swiping at restaurants. It’s no wonder that the average credit card balance is over $10,800 per household as of August 2024, according to a WalletHub credit card debt survey. With fees and new charges, your balance continues to grow unless you pay off the whole…

Markets are on fire but if you’re nervous about scorching returns slipping away, here’s an easy guide to buying some protection. By John Dobosz, Forbes Staff Wizards of wealth creation like Warren Buffett counsel that the key to stock market success is to buy into a great business, sit back and let it make you rich. It’s sound advice, but even people as patient as Buffett sell stocks from time to time, as Berkshire Hathaway did in 2024, trimming stakes in big gainers like Apple and Bank of America, and completely ditching other stocks like Snowflake. If you’ve been holding…

If it feels like prices are on a roller coaster ride during the holidays, you’re not imagining things. Strategies such as dynamic pricing and surge pricing mean that prices may change based on supply and demand, competitor pricing and a shopper’s browsing habits or location. Some price changes happen at regular intervals, while others happen in real time. Black Friday is “the perfect storm for using dynamic pricing,” says Lisa Bolton, a professor of marketing at Pennsylvania State University. How will dynamic and surge pricing impact your Black Friday shopping experience this year? Dynamic pricing vs. surge pricing: You’ll see…

There has been extensive monitoring on when the economy — the political and punditry proxy for life — will get back to that happy pre-pandemic “normal.” When prices and interest rates will recede, and people can stop sweating because many millions have been. When shelter will be far more affordable again. Sadly, it’s not going to happen. This is not the fault of President-Elect Trump, current President Biden, people on the left, people on the right. The country and world are going through systemic changes and have been for a long time. Seeds planted and forgotten long ago have germinated.…

A Health Savings Account (HSA) is one of the most powerful yet underutilized tools in personal financial planning. Many people overlook the HSA, possibly confusing it with a Flexible Spending Account (FSA). However, an HSA stands out because it: · reduces your income tax bill when saved, · grows tax-deferred while invested, · withdraws tax-free when used for qualified medical expenses, making it a unique triple tax-advantaged account. Let’s explore how an HSA can support long-term medical savings—particularly for retirement. The Short-Term Tax Advantages of Health Savings Accounts Who doesn’t appreciate a current year tax break? To take advantage of…

The Biden administration is preparing to reopen access to two critical programs in December that would provide additional pathways to eventual student loan forgiveness. Since August, millions of borrowers have been stuck in limbo as a result of a court battle over the SAVE plan. One of the Biden administration’s key initiatives to reduce the burden of student debt, SAVE is the newest income-driven repayment (or IDR) plan. The program lowers monthly payments, waives excess interest, and allows for student loan forgiveness after 10 to 25 years in repayment, depending on the type of loans and the original balance. The…

As we get deeper into the holiday season, it may feel like your expenses are piling up. Reducing your monthly bills can be one way to ease the pressure on your budget. Lowering your bills might be easier than you think. With a phone call and a little preparation, you may be able to save money on internet, phone, cable or utility bills — and maybe others. Talking to your service providers could, for example, get you a lower rate or promotional discount, or point you toward a financial assistance program. Use these expert tips to negotiate better deals with…