My Adult Children Support Me Financially. Can I Collect Social Security as Their Dependent?
Even if your adult son or daughter helps pay your bills, you can’t collect Social Security on their work record while they’re alive. After their death, you may qualify for parent’s benefits if you’re 62 or older and they covered at least half of your living expenses.1 Here are the general requirements and an example… read more…
My Husband Died. Here’s How Much of His Social Security I Can Actually Claim.
Losing your spouse can change the size of your Social Security benefit. You cannot collect their full amount and your own at the same time, but you generally get whichever is larger. Claiming survivor benefits before your full retirement age (FRA) could reduce that check for as long as you collect it. Here’s how much… read more…
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…
What You Need to Know About CFP® Practice Exams
Taking CFP® practice exams gives candidates a chance to assess their readiness for exam day, test their understanding of financial planning concepts and identify knowledge gaps. Practice tests are designed to simulate the exam experience, with questions covering each core subject area. You may complete one or more practice exams, along with shorter quizzes or… read more…
Editor's Picks
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…
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…
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…
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
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…
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…
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…
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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