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Student loans have been looming in the background for more than five years, ever since payment requirements were suspended during the pandemic.

During that five-year period, borrowers had several opportunities to reorganize their debts, based on more generous income provisions, to lower the monthly payments. Many took advantage of those plans, ...Read more

In the midst of all the advice about not panicking over stock market volatility lies a hidden vulnerability: Most people have very little idea about how exposed they are to the stock market!

In fact, if you ask people to just give an estimate of what percentage of their non-housing assets are invested in the stock market, you often get a blank ...Read more

When interest rates move, either higher or lower, the effect is felt quickly throughout the economy, affecting mortgage rates and housing demand, changing the cost of products we buy, and causing shifts in consumer confidence.

But the most significant impact of higher interest rates is on our annual federal budget deficit. The U.S. national ...Read more

Since you’re reading this column, I’m making the assumption that you’re concerned about your finances and attuned to the economic news. But this is financial literacy month, and there’s a quick way to test your knowledge of the basics.

The short seven-question “test” below was created by the FINRA Investor Education Foundation. More...Read more

There’s a fine line between fear and optimism, between financial fact and emotion. The whipsaw headlines these days make it even more difficult to plan for your future and protect your finances.

It’s not your fault that your emotions may overwhelm your good judgment. No matter what your political persuasion, the sudden policy reversals are ...Read more

In recent weeks you’ve been on a wild and bumpy ride in the stock market. And it’s not over yet. The first shock of the breadth and depth of the tariff announcement sank equities over a number of days into territory approaching a bear market. Then the market staged a huge rally on the announcement that most tariffs were being delayed, in ...Read more

There has been so much confusion about potential — and real — changes to Social Security that I am writing this column — and will consistently update it at TerrySavage.com — with the latest real-time, FACTUAL information, and answers to your questions.

I continue to believe that members of Congress from both parties will realize the ...Read more

What are the odds? It’s a question you should ask yourself when making any financial decision — from investing in the stock market to buying a house. What are the odds that this decision makes sense? What are the odds of profit? What are the odds of a loss?

If we each had a crystal ball, it would take all the uncertainty out of important ...Read more

Gold has now traded at over $3,000. It’s a shame the “original gold bug,” James Dines, is not alive to see his forecast come true. Dines was a noted author, editor and precious metals mining expert, and this column is written in his memory — and in appreciation of the lessons he taught me so many years ago.

To sum up his philosophy, ...Read more

There’s good news and bad news for Social Security recipients. And since the bad news is actually horrible, I’ll start with that.

I hope you remember Social Security Horror Stories — a series of columns that led to a book written with Social Security expert Larry Kotlikoff, and an appearance on "60 Minutes."

We revealed that the federal ...Read more

It’s been a significantly long time since the United States last went through a recession — longer than the average gap between economic slowdowns, if you don’t count the pandemic recession of 2020, which lasted only two months but saw GDP decline by about 20%.

If you don’t count the brief pandemic recession, it has now been an ...Read more

The most frightening place for identity theft to occur is around your tax return. You typically find out when someone else has filed a tax return using your Social Security number — and likely claimed a refund.

But sometimes the Internal Revenue Service will catch the fraud first, or at least they will notify you that they suspect fraud. You�...Read more

The stock market seems to be taking uncertainty in stride, as I write this column. Neither economic concerns over the impact of tariffs nor the political concerns revolving around the rule of law have so far dented enthusiasm for American stocks.

It’s been a long time since we’ve seen a bear market, and this column is not in the business of...Read more