Julia Glum

4 days ago | money.com | Pete Grieve |Julia Glum

U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites and recent escalations in the Iran-Israel conflict have introduced fresh uncertainty into the global oil market. As the world waited to see how Iran would respond to Saturday's intervention, experts warned Monday morning that the cost of gasoline would likely rise this week. But Iran's weaker-than-expected retaliation diminished those initial fears.

1 week ago | money.com | Martha C. White |Julia Glum

Funding that Social Security relies on to pay benefits will run out one year earlier than previously projected, according to a new report published Wednesday. In its annual update, the Social Security Board of Trustees said the reserves in two trust funds tapped to supplement a shortfall in revenue will now be depleted in 2034, up from an estimate of 2035 last year.

1 week ago | money.com | Adam Hardy |Julia Glum

The wealth gap between homeowners and renters in the U.S. has never been wider. The typical homeowner now has a net worth that's 43 times greater than that of the average renter, according to an analysis of federal data by the National Association of Realtors. Net worth is a measure of total wealth that looks at the value of assets (such as homes) and liabilities (such as debts). In 2025, the net worth of homeowners is $430,000 on average, compared to the $10,000 net worth of renters.

2 weeks ago | money.com | Pete Grieve |Julia Glum

The past three summers, American travelers were able to take advantage of favorable currency exchange rates, allowing them to do and see more during international trips without breaking the bank. Not anymore. Briefly, in 2022, you could exchange $1 for slightly more than 1 euro. The conversion rate is now $1 to 0.87 euros, so the items you buy in Europe now essentially cost 15% more than when the currencies were at parity.

2 weeks ago | money.com | Katherine Peach |Julia Glum

The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment — commonly referred to as the COLA — for 2026 is now projected to be 2.5%, according to updated forecasts from The Senior Citizens League, or TSCL, and independent Social Security analyst Mary Johnson. The adjustment comes amid signs that inflation, while moderating from the highs of 2022, remains persistent enough to impact older adults' purchasing power — particularly as new tariffs begin to influence consumer prices.