The Financial Stability Roadmap

Everything you need to know about money in a pandemic-focused economy

Shot of a young businessman looking thoughtful while using a digital tablet in a modern office.

What To Do If You’ve Been Unemployed for More Than a Year: 5 Ways To Get Your Career Back on Track

Despite all the headlines about how today’s tight labor market has employers handing over CEO pay packages to any applicant with a pulse, it’s not quite that easy — especially if you’re just now climbing back onto the horse after a year or more out of the game. If you’re feeling overwhelmed about where to begin after a long spell on the sidelines of the labor force, don’t worry — GOBankingRates asked the experts to point you in the right direction. Read: These 10 Career Fields Are Adding the Most WFH Jobs in 2021 Find Out: 22 Tips for Landing a Job…

By Andrew Lisa

Serious Asian Senior Couple thinking about their Debts, retirement planning, personal finance, and/or budget with laptop computer.

How To Pivot Your Retirement Plan If You’re Behind on Savings

By Brooke Barley

A mature woman at her kitchen table, focused on laptop finances, with coffee, drinks, and books in background.

How To Recover After a Long Stretch of Bad Financial Luck

By Andrew Lisa

Cropped shot of an unrecognizable man using a smartphone and a laptop while working from home.

How To Create a Budget — and Stick To It — This Month

By Gabrielle Olya

Person sitting at a table using a digital tablet to invest in stocks, representing online investing and finance.

Where To Invest Your Money When Inflation Is High — and What Investments To Avoid

By Vance Cariaga

Staying on Top of Your Personal Finances

Don’t Splurge Just Yet

Determine Your New ‘Normal’

When to Refinance

Stick to Your Budget

7 Areas Where You Should Continue To Be Financially Conservative While the Economy Recovers

By Andrew Lisa

A woman sitting at her table leans over a calculator as she calculates expenses next to her computer and notebook

How To Determine Your New ‘Financial Normal’ After the Pandemic

By Andrew Lisa

A Closer Look

Save For Your Future

Small Business Recovery

A Pandemic Job Loss Inspired This Tennessee Coffee Shop Owner — and Now Business Is Booming

By Gabrielle Olya

A Midwest Handmade Bow Company Brings Extra Sparkle to Customers Who Helped It Through the Pandemic

By Gabrielle Olya

Saving for the Future

Shot of a glass jar filled with cash laying on a table with a sticker on it saying Emergency Fund

Ways To Build an Emergency Fund on an Average Salary

An emergency fund is money set aside to pay for an emergency situation or unexpected expense that isn’t included in your everyday budget. Not having this type of fund in place could easily decimate your budget for months to come, especially if you suddenly have to pay hundreds of dollars for a medical expense or car repair. Rachel Cruze: 15 Things To Sell in Your Home To Make MoneyHow To Get Free Money: 15 Proven Ways And if the prospect of having to come up with extra money to cover unexpected expenses alarms you, you’re not alone: 37% of American…

By Cynthia Measom

Maximizing Your 401(k): 20 Tips and Tricks for Better Returns

Though retirement planning is filled with options, a 401(k) plan is one of the most powerful tools available for building a secure financial future. It’s a tax-advantaged retirement account offered by many employers, allowing you to save and invest a portion of your paycheck before taxes are taken out. However, to truly maximize the benefits of your 401(k), it’s important to be strategic.The earlier you start contributing to your 401(k), the better. Time is your greatest ally when it comes to investing because of the power of compound interest. Even small contributions made early in your career can grow significantly…

By Roger Wohlner

Money Business shopping and saving concept.

10 Easy Ways To Save $400 Every Month

By Cynthia Measom

MORE FROM GOBANKINGRATES

A Krispy Kreme store is seen in Times Square in Manhattan, New York City.

From Kohl’s to Krispy Kreme: Are These 5 New ‘Meme Stocks’ Worth Your Investment Dollars?

By Ellie Diamond

A photo of the economic stimulus check that was sent to US citizens during the covid-19/coronavirus quarantine.

Here’s the Truth About the $600 Tariff Checks, According to One Money Expert

By Vance Cariaga

Pepsi-Cola bottling plant in Edmonston, Maryland, America - 05 Nov 2010

5 Stocks To Provide Stable Income Amid Trump’s Trade Policies, According to Experts

By Marc Guberti

Chinese and United Stases cargo containers reflecting trade war and restrictions in export and import.

4 Ways Trump’s Trade Deal With China Impacts Retirees

By Kerra Bolton

Are you retirement ready?

Getting Back to Work

25 Best Cities To Move to With Cheap Housing and a Strong Job Market

With many American families struggling with high rent, credit card debt and student loans, it might be difficult to find an affordable place to lay down roots.Learn More: 6 Key Signs a Housing Market Will Soon Have Massive Price DropsTry This: How Middle-Class Earners Are Quietly Becoming Millionaires — and How You Can, TooFinding a place to live with good-paying jobs and affordable housing is certainly a delicate balance. Many U.S. cities have one or the other, with American families assuming that a city with decent wages will come with high housing costs. But luckily, there are plenty of cities…

By Gabrielle Olya

These 7 Side Hustle Apps Will Make You Extra Cash

If you’re looking to earn some extra cash without having to compromise your schedule, there are several side hustle apps you may want to consider. With these money-making apps, you can get started quickly with little to no initial costs. While these apps may not make you rich, it’s worth taking a look at some of the easy ways of earning money that you can access with your phone. Read: How to Build A Financial Plan From Zero 7 Best Side Hustle Apps for Extra Cash Looking for the best app for side hustles? Here are seven apps that let…

By Lydia Kibet

What a $100K Salary Looks Like After Taxes in Your State

A six-figure salary is a goal for many people. However, even if you have gotten to a place in you’re life where you’re making a six-figure salary, you might be taking home a lot less after taxes, depending on the state you live in.Check Out: What Salary Single People Need To Live Comfortably in 100 Major US CitiesTry This: Use This Checklist to See if Your Family Is Financially SecureIf federal taxes seem to take a big enough chunk, there are also FICA deductions and Social Security taxes — and you might have to pay state and local taxes, depending…

By Jordan Rosenfeld

Smiling indian girl student professional employee typing on laptop sit at home office table, happy hindu woman studying e learning online software using technology app for work education concept.

Top Mistakes Remote Job Seekers Make on Their Resumes

It turns out that a whole lot of people who got a taste of remote work during the pandemic have no intention of going back to the office without a fight. A recent study from FlexJobs found that a full 65% of employees now want to work from home full time while the other third prefer a hybrid schedule. Nearly three out of five were ready to quit immediately if working from home was no longer an option post-pandemic. Read: Companies That Let You Work From AnywhereSee: When These Big Companies Are Planning To Return To the Office In short,…

By Andrew Lisa

Mid adult man uses desktop PC to work from home stock photo

27 Most Lucrative Side Gigs for People Over 50

If you think the side hustle was born to serve the millennial generation, that might be true. Everywhere you turn these days, it seems like millennials — ages 29 to 44 — have at least one additional way to make money outside their main jobs.Consider This: Cutting Out These 9 Expenses Will Save Retirees Over $29,000 a YearCheck Out: 6 Unusual Ways To Make Extra Money That Actually WorkHowever, other age groups are interested in side gigs as ways to make extra money, too. Baby boomers — or adults ages 61 to 79 — are getting their hustle on, whether to earn a…

By Cynthia Measom

The Biggest Salary Negotiation Mistakes You’re Making

With the COVID-19 pandemic still going strong, it’s a very tough time to be looking for a new job. But don’t let the struggle inhibit you from doing what you can to get good pay and benefits. Even in a shaky economy, hiring managers expect candidates to negotiate terms. Good To Know: 20 Jobs Where You Can Make $60,000 Out of College “(E)ven with a much larger group of applicants, finding the right candidate for the role is more important than ever,” said Cynthia Spraggs, CEO of Virtira and author of “How To Work From Home And Actually Get SH*T…

By Nicole Spector

MORE FROM GOBANKINGRATES