Despite more savings, American households still have a lot of debt

Who's taking on debt for what reasons, and why paying it down is good for your financial and mental health.
Recent data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York shows the overall amount of household debt increased steadily in 2020.
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Could your emergency savings pay off your credit card debt?

Feb 25, 2021
More than half of Americans say their emergency savings could pay off their credit card debt, according to a recent poll.
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Savings take a hit as pandemic lingers

Oct 30, 2020
People bought more stuff, like cars and home office equipment, an expert says. But also, there haven’t been any more relief checks.
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For some, pandemic is a rare chance to save money

Sep 8, 2020
Many are taking the chance to build up emergency savings or save for a downpayment, while others are paying down credit card debt and student loans.
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China's big savers weather pandemic uncertainty

Jun 16, 2020
The communist government is not handing out cash to struggling workers. Many have to depend on themselves.
Zhang Lei manages an entertainment center in Shanghai, and for four months, he was not sure whether he would still have a job or not.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace

Millions are facing unemployment without savings to fall back on

Apr 2, 2020
The median U.S. household has just a couple of weeks worth of savings to tap into in a crisis.
Some economists believe the unemployment rate could hit 30% before long.
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China struggles to teach its savers that investments carry risks

May 22, 2019
Wealth management products are massively popular among the Chinese public.
A Bank of China Shanghai branch is one of the big state-owned banks that sells instruments called wealth management products, which are very popular among ordinary Chinese investors.
Charles Zhang/Marketplace

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IRS raises retirement account contribution limits

Nov 2, 2018
The IRS just raised the limit on how much you can contribute to your retirement accounts. Starting in 2019, you can put $6,000 a year into an individual retirement account and $19,000 into a 401(k) or 403(b). But a very small percentage of people take advantage of these savings plans — and a lot of […]

The best personal finance books for recent college grads

May 18, 2018
Marketplace contributor Chris Farrell shares some of his recommendations.
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