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What's the hardest lesson you've ever had to learn about money? What’s the most powerful one? For many folks, these lessons come from hard-earned experience. They aren’t taught in a classroom. Instead, many folks go to the school of hard knocks. It’s the learn-as-you-go way to understanding personal finance. And those lessons we pick up can shape how we think about and handle money. They can also stick with us for life. So, what are the money lessons that are never too early to know? Are there any that you still have to learn? Or get better at? Let’s find out. These essential finance lessons aren’t typically taught in school, but they’re still incredibly valuable to know as early as possible. And they can take some people a lifetime to learn. Accountability is key Pay yourself first Money isn't the only thing Want to read the rest? Click here to

What inspires you to give? Most of us give for the same basic reasons. We want to help others, make a positive difference in the world—and giving feels good. It makes us happy, and it connects us to the causes we care about. Studies show that most charitable folks give according to their values or to support causes they care about. But they don’t always have a strategy around giving. Or a way to monitor for impact. How do you make the greatest impact with your giving? If you’re not sure, you’re not alone. Many folks are passionate about giving but don’t have a defined strategy. Even though strategic giving can pave the way for thoughtful donations of money, time, and resources. And that can help you figure out how to do the most good for the causes that matter most to you. Want to create your own charitable strategy?

What do you really know about finance? How would you rate your financial literacy? Most folks say they're very knowledgeable about financial matters. But guess what? Only about 1 in 3 folks can score 80% on a simple financial literacy quiz. And only 7% answer every question right. So, how will you measure up? Can you beat 93% of your fellow Americans? Click here to take the financial literacy quiz, then come back to this article for some lessons. How did you do on the quiz? Were you surprised by any of the questions — or answers? It's OK if you couldn't get every question right. You don't have to know everything – few people do. In fact, these days, more folks are missing more questions on this quiz than they did about 10 years ago. And that's not because they're dumb. Actually, there are a couple of good reasons

Sticker shock at the grocery store? Price hikes at the pumps? Prices are going up and spending more for basics can be startling. Do you remember the first time you noticed prices increasing? It often happens so gradually that we don’t even notice. Inflation is often more complicated than we realize and it’ll be with us for the rest of our lives. So, what could prices look like in 2030? It will impact: Housing Food & Beverage Healthcare Gas & Transportation College Inflation affects far more than upfront prices. It shakes up the costs of doing business and borrowing money. And it can affect savings, bonds, and plans for the future. We often don’t notice these changes year to year, though. That’s because inflation comes in small doses. A few bucks more here, a couple hundred more there — it creeps up over time. And it’s the reason why inflation

Most of us think about retierment a lot — at least four times a week. We think about when we'll retire and how we'll spend our time in retirement. As exciting as that can be, it can also be nerve-racking to think about trying to fill up all of that free time. And no matter what we dream of, the reality of retirement doesn't always match our expectations. In fact, nearly half of us miss the mark on when we expect to retire. Most folks who get it wrong end up retiring years earlier than they expected. And that's just one miscalculation. We also tend to underestimate our psychological needs and our options for enjoying our retirement. That can make it more difficult to adjust to retirement. It can also leave us feeling unhappy and dissatisfied with the retired life we worked so hard for. So, how can we make

What would make your life better? A new house or car? A bigger paycheck or bank account? It’s easy to want more when you think of being happier and living better and there’s little doubt that money can buy some (more) happiness. But the happiness we get from money is fundamentally limited. It leaves us wanting more, and it’s not enough on its own to enjoy a truly satisfying life. The reality is a lot of the things that can make us happy and enrich our lives have nothing to do with money. The following are 7 little upgrades that can make life better in big ways: Go outside Say no to things that drain you Practice gratitude daily Prioritize self-care Don't let negativity take over Volunteer Nurture your relationships Living better doesn’t mean we have to make radical changes. And we don’t have to wait for some benchmark or

Innovation promises to alter life in some amazing and drastic ways over the next few decades. Technology is clearly getting more and more integrated into our lives, and that could make some things easier and others more complicated. It may even force us to deal with new, complex issues and challenges we never saw coming. That may be one reason why about 2 in 3 people aren’t optimistic for the future. And why we can’t help but worry about the uncertainty of it all. Even though there’s a lot we don’t know, we do know that innovation can make life better. Things were never the same after some of the biggest inventions of the last few decades — like the internet and smartphones. And we really don’t even think twice about those things today (unless they aren’t working). We also know that technology and time can change our beliefs and

For the first time in a long time, travel is becoming a real possibility. The pandemic hasn’t disappeared (and it’s not going away any time soon) but we’re turning a corner. More of us are getting vaccinated against COVID-19 every day, and more of us have a ready-to-travel mindset. After months of doing everything from home, we’re ready to get out — and really get away! And we’re not wasting time. About 2 in 3 folks say they have a trip planned within the next 3 months. Most are looking to get out of state or go abroad. That’s more than since the beginning of the pandemic. TSA airport screenings are up. As excited as we are to get out of our COViD-19 caves, we’re also anxious. We’re worried about getting sick or stuck in our destination. And we fear the unknown. These worries are valid. But we can manage

Do you think you’re telling yourself the truth about money? We may think we know the facts about our finances. But our beliefs can often overshadow the facts. Our wishes, hopes, and fears can tip the scales away from the truth. This makes it easier for us to believe what we want to about money — and it can happen without us even realizing it. The money lies we tell ourselves can change the way we think and act when it comes to finances. And since most of us rarely talk about money with our friends and family, the money lies we tell ourselves stick around. That can lock us into destructive beliefs and reinforce poor financial habits. But no matter what money lies we tell ourselves, it’s never too late to set the record straight. Click here to take a look at the 7 most common money lies we

A million dollars used to be the ultimate target for retirement portfolios. Retiring as a millionaire brought status and confidence that you could live comfortably during your golden years. If you retired with $1 million in 1970, you probably didn’t have to worry about your nest egg running out, even with a lavish lifestyle. It would be like retiring with $6.9 million today. Retire with $1 million in the ’80s, and it would have been like retiring with $3.35 million in 2021. And in 1990? A cool $1 million would have gone twice as far as it does these days. Clearly, $1 million doesn’t go as far as it used to. Just how far could it go these days? The answer depends on how and where you live. In retirement, as in real estate, location is everything (or, at least, it’s a lot). Click here to see a map that