Retire with MONEY

3 Key Budget Moves for Surviving a Job Loss, According to Financial Planners by Ingrid Case When you lose a job, the bills don’t vanish along with your income. If you’re one of the millions Americans who are out of work during the COVID-19 pandemic, you still need to provide the essentials for yourself and your family. That may mean taking special steps to fix your budget, including cutting back on expenses and looking for extra sources of income.

"You're Probably Already Saving Money During Quarantine. Here's How to Take it a Step Further" by Julia Glum Here are some things I have done while in coronavirus quarantine: --dyed (part of) my hair purple --started learning embroidery --reorganized my bookshelf --baked pretzels from scratch --painted my nails sparkly blue --participated in three Zoom happy hours --ordered a restaurant margarita for delivery Before this, my life looked a lot different.

How to Use Your Stimulus Check in the Smartest Way Possible, According to Financial Experts by Prachi Bhardwaj As you’ve probably heard, the U.S. government is about to put some extra cash in American taxpayers’ pockets. To provide much-needed relief in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, lawmakers approved a multi-trillion-dollar stimulus package that includes checks of up to $1,200 per individual.

Student Loans and the CARES Act: Here's How Coronavirus Relief Will Actually Work by Kaitlin Mulhere In the span of two weeks, the government’s coronavirus assistance for student loans escalated quickly: first, it was waiving interest on some student loans, then suspending payments for two months, and then, most recently, stopping payments for six months. About one-in-six American adults carries student debt, and they owe an average monthly payment of nearly $400.

"Here's What to Do if Your Company Cuts its 401(k) Match During Coronavirus" by Chris Taylor In the investing world, it’s one of the few rules of thumb that applies to everyone: If you have a 401(k) plan, invest at least up to the level of the company match. It’s free money, after all.

6 Medical Alert Systems That Can Help You Keep Tabs on Loved Ones From Afar — and How Much They Cost by Paul Schrodt Medical alert systems are growing in popularity as the coronavirus pandemic makes it harder to have physical contact with older loved ones. They promise reassurance with a touch of a button that connects a user to a dispatcher who can send emergency help or contact family and friends.

"Now Is the Perfect Time to Convert Your IRA to a Roth" by Ingrid Case. With coronavirus tanking the stock market, it doesn’t feel like a great time to be an investor. One potentially smart move you can make right now? Convert your IRA to a Roth. Like a traditional individual retirement account, a Roth IRA gives you a tax break to save for retirement. It differs from a traditional IRA in one key respect: taxes. With traditional IRA, you contribute pre-tax dollars.

"Use Your Quarantine to Knock out These 8 Annoying Money Tasks" by Julia Glum Today, I’m trying to look on the bright side. This coronavirus isolation thing sucks, but it’s not all bad. I basically never have to get out of sweatpants, so I’m always dressed for a nap. I’ve been going for walks outside, which has allowed me to discover a dog park near my house I’d never seen before.

How to Know When the Stock Market Has REALLY Hit Rock Bottom by Rob Curran With the coronavirus wreaking havoc on the U.S. economy, it had been one of the darkest months for stock-market investors in memory. Then in the past few days, everything seemed to change — or did it? After hitting to a low of 18,592 last Monday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rallied for two straight days, including an 11% return on Tuesday alone.

Falling Interest Rates Are Tough on Retirees. These Are Your Best Moves by Rob Curran Living on fixed income is never easy. Now, with markets in chaos and interest rate falling, financial advisers have a message for retirees: Your portfolio needs to shelter in place. In the most volatile environment since the 2008 financial crisis, investors have to resist the “reach for yield” more than ever and only shop for the very highest quality bonds and stocks, strategists say.

'You're Retired, Your Portfolio Isn't.' Suze Orman's New Rules for Retirement by Elizabeth O'Brien Suze Orman was nearing 65 when she pulled the plug — literally — on her high-profile career. The certified financial planner and television personality wondered if she would be happy out of the spotlight, and rather than ease into retirement, she decided to find out right away. “One day I shut everything down,” she tells MONEY. “I stopped going on QVC.

From Deliveries to Gift Cards, Here's What Small Businesses Are Doing to Cope with Coronavirus by Ingrid Case On a typical March day, Jane and Dave Danielson can count on around 100 customers at their bookstore, Eagle Harbor Book Co., on an island just across Puget Sound from Seattle. That was before fear of coronavirus gripped Washington State — so far one of the worst-hit areas in the U.S. On Tuesday, the couple rung up just 10 shoppers. Meanwhile, orders are down 60%.

Can't Pay Your Credit Card Bill Because of Coronavirus? Here's What to Do by Martha C. White With fears of coranavirus sweeping the U.S., millions of Americans who seemed financially secure just a month ago may be suddenly facing a cash crunch. If credit card debt is one of your worries, card issuers may be willing to listen.

"A $500 Annual Fee and Hours on Hold? Travel Rewards Credit Card Holders Fume Over Coronavirus Cancellations" by Martha C. White Holders of premium travel rewards credit cards took to social media in droves last week to vent their frustration at being unable to get customers service assistance canceling trips in the wake of the growing coronavirus threat, which was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization.

President Trump Promised to Waive Student Loan Interest. Here's Everything You Need to Know by Kaitlin Mulhere The Trump Administration has waived interest on federal student loans in an effort to help alleviate economic hardships brought on by the spread of the new coronavirus. The move came after some Democratic senators had proposed suspending all monthly student loan payments for six months as part of a broader economic relief package. It also sent officials at the U.S.