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Americans tend to overspend during the holiday shopping season, and this year will be no different, according to some forecasts.Despite concerns about the economy, President Donald Trump’s latest wave of tariff hikes and persistent inflation, holiday spending between November and December is expected to rise 3.7% to 4.2% and surpass $1 trillion for the first time, according to the National Retail Federation.”American consumers may be cautious in sentiment, yet remain fundamentally strong and continue to drive U.S. economic activity,” Matthew Shay, NRF’s president and CEO, said in a statement.However, other reports show that growing concerns about trade uncertainty and increased prices will weigh…

What the September 2025 jobs report reveals about the US labor market and economic outlook.Getty ImagesWe finally have the jobs report for September 2025, delayed by nearly 7 weeks because of the federal government shutdown. In some ways, it is already obsolete, as we are almost through the end of November.Still, the report offers us some information on where the labor market stood in the early fall, filling in some missing data that we badly needed to see.At first glance, the report seems positive, as 119,000 payroll jobs were added that month; this is the largest payroll increase we’ve seen…

Insta_photos | Istock | Getty ImagesRetirement account balances, which sank at the start of 2025 amid wild market swings, hit record highs in the third quarter, according to the latest data from Fidelity Investments, the nation’s largest provider of 401(k) savings plans.The average 401(k) balance jumped 9% from a year ago to $144,400, an all-time high, Fidelity found.The average individual retirement account balance also rose 7% year over year to $137,902.Fidelity’s report showed increased interest in Roth 401(k)s and IRAs, particularly among younger savers.Like a traditional 401(k), Roth 401(k)s let you contribute up to $24,500, which is the new, higher limit for 2026. But a key difference is that contributions to a…

US Secretary of Education Linda McMahon attends the International Women of Courage Awards Ceremony at the State Department in Washington, DC, on April 1, 2025. Brendan Smialowski | Afp | Getty ImagesWhen the U.S. Department of Education announced this week that it would transfer much of its programs to other agencies, it didn’t appear that the country’s federal student loan portfolio would be impacted. However, financial aid experts and consumer advocates are still worried for borrowers. More than 40 million Americans hold student loans, and the outstanding debt exceeds $1.6 trillion. “What is concerning is the destabilization of the Department of…

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang delivers a keynote address at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada on January 6, 2025. Nvidia is expected to post another strong quarter, driven by surging demand for its AI-powered chips, particularly in data centers. Analysts remain bullish on the company’s growth trajectory, though regulatory risks and high valuations could temper investor enthusiasm.AFP via Getty ImagesNvidia is scheduled to report earnings after Wednesday’s close. The stock hit a record high of $212.19 in October 2025 and is now trading near $181. Shares are prone to big moves after earnings and can gap higher…

WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 27: NVIDIA founder, President and CEO Jensen Huang speaks about the future of artificial intelligence and its effect on energy consumption and production at the Bipartisan Policy Center on September 27, 2024 in Washington, DC. Huang said that machine learning uses a large amount of energy but that artificial intelligence will save energy in the long run due to it’s efficient computing abilities. Founded in California in 1993, NVIDIA is the world’s most valuable publicly traded company, with a market capitalization of over $3.3 trillion. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)Getty ImagesNvidia is set to report third…

Momo Productions | Digitalvision | Getty ImagesIf you’re thinking about putting money into bond exchange traded funds (ETFs) rather than mutual funds, you’re not alone.Fixed-income ETFs have pulled in nearly $344 billion through Oct. 31 this year, compared with $138 billion going into fixed income mutual funds, according to Morningstar Direct. It’s part of the larger trend of investors preferring ETFs: In October alone, about $74 billion flowed out of mutual funds, while ETFs attracted $166 billion.And while ETFs have some advantages over mutual funds, and bonds are viewed as safer investments than stocks, experts say it’s important to know…

The frenzy to finance AI’s data centers and GPUs is jamming bond markets. As issuance surges, capacity limits designed to ensure diversification and reduce risks could turn the boom into a credit contagion.The AI boom has lifted markets to one record high after another. Investors are piling in. Companies are building data centers at a feverish pace. Bankers, jaws agape, are drooling over the fees only a once in a generation debt binge can provide. But the buildout comes with risks that ordinary people rarely think about. At the WSJ Tech Live conference in Laguna Beach this October, OpenAI finance…

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon smiles during the signing event for an executive order to shut down the Department of Education next to U.S. President Donald Trump, in the East Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 20, 2025. Carlos Barria | ReutersThe Trump administration says it will transfer much of the U.S. Department of Education’s programs to other agencies, a move experts say is part of President Donald Trump’s directive to dismantle the agency.During a press call with reporters on Tuesday, a senior administration official said the administration had signed agreements with four other federal agencies,…

Halfpoint Images | Moment | Getty ImagesA new “high pressure” scam seeks to convince individuals that their Social Security numbers may be suspended due to criminal activities, according to a new warning.”Be aware! It’s a scam!” the Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration said in a recent alert.The scheme involves emails sent with the subject line, “Alert: Social Security Account Issues Detected.” An attachment with fake letterhead purporting to represent the SSA OIG warns recipients that their Social Security number may be suspended within 24 hours and that their case may be referred for criminal prosecution.The…