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The Disability Awareness Council in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, assists individuals with disabilities in the community, offering aid ranging from transportation to housing advocacy. But for now, many services are on hold.”Because of the shutdown and cuts, core disability services that people rely on every week are either paused, reduced or running with unpaid labor,” said Timothy Miles, the organization’s director and board liaison.As the standoff in Washington drags on, many nonprofits have lost access to federal grants and must make tough decisions about what aid they can offer and for how long.At the same time, the shutdown has put…

Sdi Productions | Istock | Getty ImagesAmid growing consumer interest in alternative investments, financial advisors say it’s important to find the right way to invest.Alternative investments are a broad category that covers many assets outside traditional holdings of cash, stock and bonds. Alts include private-market assets, real estate, commodities such as gold and oil, and cryptocurrencies, among others.Investing in these products can entail added risks and complexities, advisors said. One smart way to get exposure to them is a more traditional vehicle: exchange-traded funds.More from ETF Strategist:Here’s a look at other stories offering insight on ETFs for investors.The strategy represents…

When Nedra Agnew was working in the U.S. foreign service, her trajectory seemed clear: she was on a path that could one day have led to an ambassadorship. Then, in the early 2000s, her partner at the time was a financial advisor and was looking for a trainee with a CFP to join his team. She wasn’t looking for another job at the time, but Agnew specialized in administrative work, crisis management and dealing with people. “I remember having the thought, there’s no reason why I can’t be successful in this career,” she recalls. She took a meeting with a…

Inflation edged higher in September amid a jump in gasoline prices and other essentials such as electricity, while President Donald Trump’s tariffs put pressure on prices for physical goods such as clothing and furniture, economists said.The consumer price index, a key inflation barometer, rose 3% in September from a year earlier, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday. That’s an increase from 2.9% in August but below economists’ expectations.”Core” commodities — which exclude volatile food and energy prices — also rose 3% in September from a year earlier.”Inflation is uncomfortably high and is set to accelerate further in the coming months,” said Mark Zandi, chief…

If you inherited an individual retirement account, there is a key change for 2025 that — without action on your part before year-end — could trigger an IRS penalty of up to 25%.Starting in 2025, certain non-spouse heirs, including adult children, must start taking required minimum distributions, or RMDs, while emptying their inherited IRA over 10 years, according to IRS regulations released in 2024.   The change comes as investors prepare for the “great wealth transfer,” with more than $100 trillion expected to flow to heirs through 2048, according to a December report from Cerulli Associates. Much of that wealth will…

A tight futures market can turn headlines into wild price swings. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)AFP via Getty Images Oil prices jumped Thursday after President Donald Trump’s administration announced new sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil. The Treasury Department said the move was a response to Moscow’s lack of progress toward ending the war in Ukraine. Brent futures rose 5.7% to $66.15 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) gained 6% to $61.95. It was oil’s biggest one-day gain since June 13 and, if it holds,…

People shop in Bayonne, New Jersey on April 8, 2025.Charly Triballeau | Afp | Getty ImagesSocial Security and Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries will soon find out how much their benefit checks will increase next year.Due to the federal government shutdown, the Social Security 2026 cost-of-living adjustment announcement, initially scheduled for Oct. 15, has been postponed to Friday. Nearly 75 million beneficiaries will see the COLA reflected in their January checks.Experts have estimated the Social Security COLA for 2026 may be in the range of 2.7% to 2.8%, based on the latest available consumer price index data. That’s in line with…

Fcafotodigital | E+ | Getty ImagesThe Senate this week unanimously passed a bill to fix IRS notices for filers who make simple mistakes on their tax returns.The legislation, known as the Internal Revenue Service Math and Taxpayer Help Act, or IRS MATH Act, cleared the House earlier this year. It is now headed to President Donald Trump’s desk for signature.Currently, the IRS sends filers so-called “math error notices” when it finds basic math or clerical mistakes on tax returns. The notices cover the agency’s proposed changes and additional taxes owed.During tax year 2023, the IRS sent more than one million…

Some states have warned that families who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, may soon miss out on benefits due to the federal government shutdown.”Starting October 16, SNAP benefits will not be paid until the federal government shutdown ends and funds are released to PA,” according to a notice on Pennsylvania’s state website dated Oct. 17. The Texas Health and Human Services site notes, “SNAP benefits for November won’t be issued if the federal government shutdown continues past Oct. 27.”Nevada, North Dakota, New Jersey and New York, among others, have issued similar announcements about potential delays or missed benefits.A pop-up notice on…

A Warner Bros (Discovery) flag is fluttering outside the TVN broadcaster headquarters in Warsaw, Poland, on August 6, 2024. Warner Bros Discovery is looking to offload smaller assets in a bid to avoid a breakup of the company. (Photo by Aleksander Kalka/NurPhoto via Getty Images)NurPhoto via Getty ImagesWarner Brothers Discovery stock is up 91% so far this year. The company’s stock could rise another 50% – to a market capitalization of $75 billion, Bank of America analyst Jessica Reif Ehrlich suggested to the New York Times.After turning down a second takeover offer from Paramount on Tuesday, Warner Brothers Discovery has…