I’m still working at 75: Do I need to take RMDs from my 401(k)?
Dear Fix My Portfolio, I retired from the U.S. Postal Service in 2004 and have a yearly pension from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). I also work part time at a big hardware chain and have a portion of my salary placed in the company’s 401(k). I have been working there for four years […]
Last year, one woman told MarketWatch she was on hold for 7 hours, but the IRS says customer service will improve this tax season. And now? A big test lies ahead.
Last year, tax preparer Kathy Brown called the Internal Revenue Service, and took her daughter to a gymnastics class while her husband stayed on hold, ready to patch in Brown once an employee picked up.Seven hours later, after sitting through the gymnastics class and returning home, the Warsaw, Ky.-based enrolled agent found her husband still […]
Households earning $100,000 or more are cutting spending more aggressively. What’s going on?
We want to hear from readers who have stories to share about the effects of increasing costs and a changing economy. If you’d like to share your experience, write to readerstories@marketwatch.com. Please include your name and the best way to reach you. A reporter may be in touch. Higher-earning households are feeling the inflationary pinch. Consumer […]
Opinion: I took Social Security at 62 and now regret it. Is there a way to increase my Social Security benefit?
Recently I had a conversation with Sue, an acquaintance who started receiving her Social Security benefit at age 62. Sue’s now 63, and she told me that she thinks she might have made a mistake. The problem is that she has realized that starting Social Security early reduced the benefit significantly, and she’d been wondering if it was possible to […]
‘I am angry’: I’m an unmarried stay-at-home mother in a 20-year relationship, but my boyfriend won’t put my name on the deed of our house. Am I unreasonable?
I have been in my relationship for almost 20 years. For personal reasons, we are not married but we have a 10-year-old child. When our child was born, we decided that I would be a stay-at-home parent because my low-paying job didn’t cover the costs of child care, and at the time, we were stretched. […]
‘We’re headed for a family feud’: My father offered his 3 kids equal monetary gifts. My siblings took cash. I took stock. It’s soared in value — now they’re crying foul
Dear Quentin, Several years before my father’s death, he offered me and my two siblings each an early “cash gift” from his estate in the amount of whatever the maximum non-taxable amount was at the time. He was an active investor and offered the gift in the form of the stock instead of cash. My siblings […]
Opinion: Cognitive decline in a loved one: how to spot it, what to do
Both as a financial adviser and in my prior role as an attorney, I’ve seen families struggle with cognitive decline of an aging parent. Financial and estate planning can’t take away the heartache, but they can help families avoid some wrenching situations.In this article, I’ll share two scenarios drawn from real-life circumstances I’ve observed. One […]
‘Overbought and overpriced.’ Why this investor sees a bubble popping for this popular group of stocks
Investors wouldn’t be blamed for sizing up the first losing week in three for the S&P 500 and decide to start the weekend early. And stock futures are just barely positive.Who can blame them after the mixed bag of data this week that has reigniting worries in some corners about whether the Fed could push […]
UnitedHealth’s EMIS Group acquisition faces U.K. competition probe
The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority will investigate the acquisition of EMIS Group PLC by UnitedHealth Group Inc., it said Friday. The CMA said it will investigate if the deal may result in a substantial lessening of competition, and set a deadline of March 17 for its phase-one decision. The watchdog has invited the parties […]
Mortgage rates fall to lowest level since September 2022 and here’s how the Girl Scouts will keep women rolling in dough throughout their lives — beyond selling cookies
Hi, MarketWatchers. Don’t miss these top stories.Mortgage rates fall to lowest level since September 2022 — giving ‘much-needed boost’ to housing market The 30-year mortgage rate is averaging at 6.15%, Freddie Mac said in its latest weekly survey on Thursday. Read More ‘I have $30K in my savings account’: I’m 56, divorced, unemployed and mother […]