Personal Finance

You've been saving for your child's higher education for a long time, and now it's time to start tapping it to pay for college costs. We all learn by doing, but when it comes to tax-advantaged savings such as a 529 College Savings Plan (where the IRS is looking over your shoulder), it's best not to make any rookie mistakes. Keep these tips in mind as you make your freshman withdrawals from your 529 savings account.

In case you missed it, Senior Citizen's Day was August 21. Designated by President Ronald Reagan in 1988, the day offers a time to pay tribute to the many contributions seniors make to their communities, and to bring awareness to issues of particular importance to America’s older citizens. One of those issues is investor protection. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) offers three helpful resources for seniors that they can use year round.

Millennials have their financial work cut out for them. Compared to older generations, America's younger adults (those aged 18 - 34) are more financially vulnerable and face greater financial challenges. That's the less-than-rosy picture painted by findings from the National Financial Capability Study (NFCS), released in July by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation.

Boiler room-style calls are characterized by high pressure sales pitches from people who call you out of the blue, working from a list or simply dialing from a phone book. FINRA is issuing this alert because we have seen an increase in aggressive calls touting the next hot stock. Callers tend to target seniors, and have been all-too successful in conning them into buying penny stocks and other speculative investments.

Age may be "nothing but a number," but when it comes to retirement planning some of those numbers are very important. Here are a few age milestones that it pays to be aware of, whether you are already retired, or charting your retirement course.

Findings from the National Financial Capability Study (NFCS), released this month by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation (FINRA Foundation), reveal that many Americans demonstrate relatively low levels of financial literacy and have difficulty applying financial decision-making skills to real-life situations.

The financial circumstances of Americans have improved over the last several years—but some groups, including woman, millennials, African-Americans and Hispanics—are struggling. These findings come from the National Financial Capability Study, released this month by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation.

When you place an order to buy or sell securities, you may get more—or less—than you bargained for. Understanding the benefits and risks of various types of orders can help you avoid unintended losses and better ensure your trades are executed in a timely manner and at a price with which you are comfortable.

There are certain risks that go along with online dating. But did you know that investment fraud is one of them? Do some checking before you trust someone with your heart—or your money.

According to a new report by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), one in five borrowers from auto title loan companies have their vehicles seized when they fall behind on repayment of their loans. The CFPB report illustrates just how difficult it is for many borrowers to avoid getting caught in the title-loan trap.