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1 week ago | 
money.com | Jordan Chussler |Julia Glum
The price of gold set a new record Friday amid a turbulent stock market, an evolving trade war and softening economic indicators. The precious metal opened Friday morning at $3,194.20 — its highest opening price in history — with intraday prices reaching as high as $3,244, putting its year-to-date gain at 38%. The ongoing rally has been bolstered by a weakened U.S. dollar, which has fallen in value by 8.39% since Inauguration Day on Jan. 20.
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2 weeks ago | 
money.com | Liliana Hall |Jordan Chussler
The stock market historically loves April. But the month's track record of strong performances is uncertain this year after President Donald Trump’s back-and-forth tariff announcements have sent U.S. stocks into a frenzy. Since 1971, April has been the second-best month of the year for the S&P 500. However, this year the month began with the index dropping 11.54% alongside a record two-day loss that wiped out $6.6 trillion in investor value.
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2 weeks ago | 
money.com | Jordan Chussler |Julia Glum
Last week's record-setting stock sell-off has compounded the major indices' year-to-date losses, increasing the risk of a full-fledged bear market and giving rise to concerns about an unwelcome chart pattern. Driven by President Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" tariff announcements, a combined $6.6 trillion in value was wiped out of the market last Thursday and Friday.
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2 weeks ago | 
money.com | Jordan Chussler |Katherine Peach
On Monday morning, the S&P 500 briefly entered a bear market, joining the Nasdaq Composite with losses exceeding 20% from recent highs. At the time of writing, the index has recovered some of those losses but remains down 18.15% from its all-time high on Feb. 19, raising concerns about the possibility of trading halts after last week's massive single-day losses.
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3 weeks ago | 
money.com | Jordan Chussler |Julia Glum
We all have our vices, and they come at a cost — literally. The average American shells out thousands of dollars annually on bad habits: a figure that is likely to continue climbing. According to Grand View Research, between 2023 and 2030, the alcoholic drinks market is expected to brow by 9.7%, the legalized recreational marijuana market is expected to grow by 25.7%, and the e-cigarette and vape market is expected to grow by 29.8%.
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3 weeks ago | 
money.com | Lindsay VanSomeren |Jordan Chussler
Sometimes the most loving thing you can do for your family is also the most difficult. That’s especially true when it comes to talking with your parents about aging. It’s easy to understand why, too. Conversations about aging flip the parent-child dynamic around, as parents become less able to take care of themselves and more reliant on others, which can have significant financial implications.
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3 weeks ago | 
money.com | Lindsay VanSomeren |Jordan Chussler
Many Americans are retiring with less cash than they would like. But in some instances, that can be offset by unexpectedly large — yet welcome — boosts in their home values. Financial planners frequently recommend reverse mortgages to help qualified older folks supplement their income in retirement. But misconceptions are commonplace. “It's not a tool for everything,” says Zachary Barton, certified financial planner and founder of Barton Financial Group.
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1 month ago | 
money.com | Jordan Chussler |Katherine Peach
Bull markets are characterized by investor optimism and sustained growth that fuels gains across most sectors. That's why the saying "anything works in a bull market" is largely true. While that does not necessarily apply to meme stocks, IPOs or other speculative investments, when the market is healthy, stocks tend to move up and to the right. But when the tide turns, finding success in a bear market — or a prolonged drop of more than 20% from a recent high — can be a daunting task.
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1 month ago | 
money.com | Jordan Chussler |Kaitlin Mulhere
More Americans are expected to reach retirement age this year than ever before. For many folks hitting that milestone, a difficult reality may await. That's because fewer people are feeling secure with their plans. According to Fidelity Investments' 2025 State of Retirement Planning study, while two-thirds of people in their planning years feel confident with their prospects, that figure is seven percentage points lower than last year.
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1 month ago | 
money.com | Jordan Chussler |Katherine Peach
Wall Street's so-called fear index is surging, contributing to ongoing uncertainty about the state of the stock market. The Chicago Board Options Exchange's CBOE Volatility Index (VIX) is a measure of the market's expected volatility based on S&P 500 options. Over the past six months, the VIX has nearly doubled from a low of 12.77 on Dec. 6 to its current reading of 27.86. For context, that represents the highest reading since last summer's market downturn when the VIX registered 38.57 on Aug. 23.
