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Eligibility rules, payment methods and tax treatment for the $5,000 dividend have not been set.
Financial Planning

Trump Midterm Election Dividend: How It Could Work and What You May Get

President Donald Trump announced on Sept. 9 that every adult U.S. citizen would receive a $5,000 payment if Republicans keep control of both the House and Senate in the 2026 midterm elections.1 That could mean $10,000 for a married couple. At the moment, there is no approved check, rebate or tax credit to claim. The… read more…

Estate planning attorney and client going over estate planning documents.
Estate Planning

High-Net-Worth Estate Planning Attorney: Services and Examples

High-net-worth estate planning often requires more than drafting a basic will. Families with substantial wealth may need coordinated strategies for transferring assets, managing taxes and preparing for incapacity. An estate planning attorney can help organize those moving parts. They will create legal documents designed around the family’s goals, beneficiaries and financial circumstances. A financial advisor… read more…

Blocks spelling out "Individual Retirement Account (IRA)."
Inheritance

Non-Spouse Beneficiary IRA: Estate Planning Rules

Inheriting an IRA from someone other than a spouse creates both opportunity and a complicated set of withdrawal rules. Adult children, grandchildren, siblings and other beneficiaries generally cannot simply add the inherited money to their own IRA. Instead, the beneficiary’s classification, the type of IRA, and whether the original owner reached their required beginning date… read more…

The Trump administration is pursuing child care aid for stay-at-home parents through federal rulemaking, not new legislation from Congress.
Tax Policy

Trump Stay-at-Home Parent Payment: How It Could Work and What You May Get

If you stay home with your children while your spouse works full time, a proposed Trump administration rule could make your family eligible for federal child-care assistance. The aid would come from the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), a federal-state program that helps lower- and middle-income working families pay for child care. That program… read more…

Editor's Picks

A couple determining whether they need a CFA vs. CFP®.
Certifications & Licenses

CFA vs. CFP®: Which Do You Need?

Chartered financial analyst (CFA) and certified financial planner (CFP) are common certifications for individuals working in finance, namely financial advisors. These are designed to tell a client (or employer) that the holder has received education in certain types of financial… read more…

Clients meeting with an advisor from a wealth management firm.
Brokerage

6 Tips for Choosing a Wealth Management Firm

Wealth management firms are all different, with their own specializations and services. As a result, the process for choosing a wealth manager is a very personal one. Wealth managers work closely together with their clients to identify financial goals and… read more…

A fee-only financial planner doesn't earn commissions for recommending certain products.
Advisor Fees & Costs

What Is a Fee-Only Financial Planner?

If a financial planner, financial advisor or another type of financial professional is fee-only, that means they receive compensation solely from the fees clients pay for their services. They do not earn commissions for recommending certain products. A fee-only structure… read more…

Investment Property
Real Estate Investing

Why First Homes Could Be Investment Properties

If you’re young and looking to purchase a new home to live in, you may want to consider turning it into an investment property. While most people wait until after they’ve bought their first or second home to begin investing in… read more…

Data Articles and Studies

Passenger giving directions to the driver.
Income

Where Americans Are Hustling — 2026 Study

As the cost of living rises, one job is no longer enough for some workers to keep up with household expenses. As of 2026, 8.6 million Americans, or 5.3% of employed workers, hold multiple jobs. But multiple jobholding varies by region. In some states, second jobs remain relatively uncommon, while in others, workers are holding… read more…

Two female colleagues talking in the office.
Data Studies

Best and Worst Cities for Women in Tech — 2026 Study

Women remain underrepresented in the tech sector. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, women make up “nearly half of the total U.S. workforce … [but] just 22.6% of the high tech workforce.” Opportunities for women in tech can vary considerably by location, and these differences shape access to jobs, career advancement and earning potential.… read more…

Worried senior couple on the couch, looking at documents.
Income

Where Americans Are Broke — 2026 Study

Having a negative net worth means a household owes more than it owns, and high debt relative to assets is associated with greater perceived depression, more stress and poorer health. For nearly two decades before the Great Recession, the share of U.S. households whose debts equaled or exceeded their assets held fairly steady, then rose… read more…

"Welcome to Texas" road sign.
Income

Where Wages are Growing — and Falling — in Texas

Everything’s bigger in Texas, but when it comes to income, some parts of the Lone Star State are more synonymous with Texas-sized paychecks than others. Economic opportunity can vary sharply by county, shaping how far earnings go and where workers see the strongest gains.   SmartAsset compared average weekly wages for private-sector workers across 252 of… read more…

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