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The DOJ just charged 324 defendants in the largest Medicare fraud takedown ever — $14.6 billion that’s now reaching retirees’ statements

The Department of Justice’s 2025 healthcare fraud takedown charged 324 defendants with $14.6 billion in losses — more than double the $6 billion record set one year earlier. For Medicare beneficiaries, it is increasingly…

Don Lair · 4 months ago

A man with glasses and a beige sweater sits at a wooden desk, writing on papers with a pen. A silver laptop displaying a financial portfolio dashboard, a calculator, a coffee mug, and a notebook are on the desk. A bookshelf filled with books and a sunlit window are visible in the background.

A $360,000 Portfolio That Quietly Pays You More Than the Average Social Security Check

The average retired worker collects about $2,071 a month from Social Security 2026, or roughly $24,852 a year. That sets the benchmark. The real question is how much capital, invested at what yield, can…

Drew Wood · 4 months ago

A smiling middle-aged man in glasses and a blue sweater points with a pen at a white digital tablet held by a smiling blonde woman in a white polka-dot blouse. They are sitting at a glass table with financial charts and graphs on paper, and a yellow mug. A gray sofa is in the blurred background.

27% of Americans Own ETFs but Allocate Just 6%, Here’s Why That Costs Them Retirement Income

The Charles Schwab Modern Wealth Survey 2025 found that 27% of American investors own ETFs, yet those funds account for only 6% of the average portfolio. Individual stocks: 25%; mutual funds: 13%; cryptocurrency: 10%.…

David Beren · 4 months ago

Debt wording on the top of decreasing coins stacking with down arrow and percentage for debt reducing concept.

Seven Out of Every Ten Dollars of Americans $18.8 Trillion Debt Is Tied To A House

American households closed out 2025 owing $18.8 trillion, and that number did not get there by accident. Debt has climbed by $4.6 trillion since the end of 2019, a borrowing pace that would have…

David Beren · 4 months ago

Smiling young business woman wearing a shirt looking at camera standing in classroom. Curly Arab teacher or professor posing for portrait in front of whiteboard. Holding a notebook, marker

A $1.25 Million Dividend Portfolio That Pays More Than the Average Teacher Earns in a Year

The average U.S. public school teacher earns roughly $74,500 a year for about 180 instructional days of work, according to NEA data. A $1.25 million dividend portfolio, properly constructed, can generate roughly the same…

Drew Wood · 4 months ago

A blurred, distressed man with hands on his head sits in the background, out of focus. In the foreground, a clear, pink piggy bank sits on a wooden desk. A window is visible on the left, and a potted plant and notebook are on the right, all slightly out of focus.

The IRA and 401(k) Tax Trap That Catches Retirees off Guard

Traditional 401(k) and IRA accounts come with a hidden cost that surprises many retirees: Required Minimum Distributions that force taxable withdrawals at age 73 or 75, potentially pushing income into a higher bracket, triggering…

Christy Bieber · 4 months ago

A close-up shot of a financial candlestick chart on white paper with a grid pattern. The word 'DIVIDENDS' is prominently written in large black letters across the lower left. A black pen rests diagonally across the paper, pointing towards the word. The chart features red and blue candlesticks, along with multiple colored trend lines in blue, pink, and green. A blurred black calculator is visible in the upper right background.

How to Build $1,000 a Month in Dividend Income

A thousand dollars a month can cover a car payment, a midrange health insurance premium, utilities, internet, and phone bills, or fund home renovations or travel. Replacing that with dividend income requires a specific…

Drew Wood · 4 months ago

A smiling man and a young boy, wearing a graduation cap, are seated at a white table. The boy is looking at the man and pressing buttons on a green calculator, while the man holds a small black graduation cap over a pink piggy bank. On the table, there's also a glass jar with 'COLLEGE' written on it and money inside, a notebook, and a yellow cup with pencils. The background features a modern wooden shelf unit.

Is College Still Worth It? Ron Lieber’s Advice for Parents Navigating Shifting Job Market

The unemployment rate sits at around 4.3%, technically inside the band the Federal Reserve calls a healthy labor market. Yet anyone helping a teenager pick a college major right now feels a distinct shift…

Carl Sullivan · 4 months ago

A man and a woman are seated on a dark gray sofa, engaged in a serious discussion. The man, wearing a navy sweater over a white collared shirt, gestures with his right hand as he speaks, looking towards the woman. The woman, in a white short-sleeved top and blue jeans, sits with a concerned expression, her hand near her chin, listening intently. A third person, partially visible on the far right, observes the interaction. The setting appears to be an indoor counseling or therapy room.

Caleb Hammer Confronts Husband Hiding an AI Girlfriend From His Wife

Financial infidelity used to mean a hidden credit card or a secret checking account. Now AI is involved. On a recent episode of the Financial Audit YouTube show, host Caleb Hammer sat across from…

Carl Sullivan · 4 months ago

A senior couple sits at a wooden kitchen table. The woman, with grey hair and a yellow shirt, smiles while looking at papers. The man, with grey hair, glasses, and an orange polo shirt, holds and reads the papers. An open laptop, a white mug, a notebook, and a plate with two croissants are also on the table. The background shows a bright kitchen with white cabinets and wicker pendant lights.

A Couple With $3.1 Million Disagrees on Whether to Take Social Security at 62 or 70

At 62, with $3.1 million saved and a comfortable life ahead, this couple faces one of the most consequential financial decisions of their retirement: when to claim Social Security. He wants to start at…

Drew Wood · 4 months ago

portrait of a confident man in a dark suit smirking and gesturing with one hand against a clean textured background.

This health insurer lost 2 million customers — and made $1.5 Billion anyway. Here’s how

When Centene Corporation reported its first-quarter results in late April, the numbers told two stories that seemed impossible to reconcile. The St. Louis-based insurer had hemorrhaged customers, watching its Affordable Care Act marketplace membership…

Don Lair · 4 months ago

A bearded man with a ponytail, wearing a light blue dress shirt and an ID badge, sits at a white desk in an office, intently looking at a computer monitor. The screen displays financial market graphs, predominantly showing a downward trend in red, along with other data panels. His hands are clasped under his chin in a thoughtful pose. A white desk lamp, a white mug, a notebook, a keyboard, and a computer mouse are also on the desk. Other blurred office workers and city buildings are visible in the background.

Ben Carlson Calls Out the Goldman Survey That Says 40% of $500K Earners Live Paycheck-to-Paycheck. The Definition Is the Problem.

On Animal Spirits Episode 462, Ritholtz Wealth Management’s Ben Carlson did something most commentators skipped: he actually read the Goldman Sachs survey behind the viral headline that 40% of Americans earning over $500,000 live…

Omor Ibne Ehsan · 4 months ago

Three people are seated around a round wooden table, engaged in a discussion while reviewing documents. A man in a gray suit, facing away from the camera, sits on the left. Across from him, an older man with gray hair and a beard, wearing a plaid shirt, holds papers and smiles towards an older woman with dreadlocks, wearing a gray sweater. A silver laptop, a black smartphone, a black insulated mug, and a small potted plant are visible on the table, with bright windows in the background.

Personal Finance

All Personal Finance Articles

The DOJ just charged 324 defendants in the largest Medicare fraud takedown ever — $14.6 billion that’s now reaching retirees’ statements

A $360,000 Portfolio That Quietly Pays You More Than the Average Social Security Check

27% of Americans Own ETFs but Allocate Just 6%, Here’s Why That Costs Them Retirement Income

Seven Out of Every Ten Dollars of Americans $18.8 Trillion Debt Is Tied To A House

A $1.25 Million Dividend Portfolio That Pays More Than the Average Teacher Earns in a Year

The IRA and 401(k) Tax Trap That Catches Retirees off Guard

How to Build $1,000 a Month in Dividend Income

Is College Still Worth It? Ron Lieber’s Advice for Parents Navigating Shifting Job Market

Caleb Hammer Confronts Husband Hiding an AI Girlfriend From His Wife

A Couple With $3.1 Million Disagrees on Whether to Take Social Security at 62 or 70

This health insurer lost 2 million customers — and made $1.5 Billion anyway. Here’s how

Ben Carlson Calls Out the Goldman Survey That Says 40% of $500K Earners Live Paycheck-to-Paycheck. The Definition Is the Problem.

I Have $7.5 Million in a Traditional IRA at 60 — How Aggressively Should I Do Roth Conversions?

The 143% Wealth Gain Under 35 Masks a Harsh Reality: $370,000 Behind the Oldest Americans

“If a 2% Market Move Makes You Question Your Retirement Plan, You Don’t Have One”