MoneyWatch

More than half of Americans who earned college diplomas find themselves working in jobs that don’t require a bachelor’s degree or utilize the skills acquired in obtaining one. What’s worse, they can get stuck there for the entirety of their careers. If a graduate’s first job is in a low-paying field or out-of-line with a worker’s interests, it could pigeonhole …

United Airlines said Friday it is increasing checked bag fees on all flights in North America, joining other carriers that have recently boosted such charges. Economy class passengers on domestic United Airlines flights will now pay an additional $5, raising the cost for their first checked bag to $40. The fee for a second checked bag will also rise $5, …

H&R Block marketed its tax-preparation products as free yet deleted the data of customers as way to pressure them into paying for pricier services, the Federal Trade Commission alleged on Friday. The tax-preparation software giant’s online tax-filing products lead users to costlier products made for more complicated tax filings, even if they don’t need the additional forms and schedules offered, …

Debt can be challenging and the idea of debt relief can be an attractive one. After all, if you’re struggling to make your payments each month and someone offers you a way out, it makes sense to listen to what they have to say. And, while there are plenty of legitimate debt relief services, it’s also important to be cognizant …

These days, investors have a lot of asset options to choose from, including traditional investments, like stocks and bonds, and alternative assets, like cryptocurrency. And, while too many choices can be overwhelming, in this case, it’s a good thing. After all, diversification is a key strategy when building a portfolio that can withstand losses due to economic fluctuations, so you …

The economy of recent years has left many Americans looking for new ways to protect and grow their savings. Seniors, in particular, many of whom rely on a tight budget made up of retirement savings and Social Security, need to be particularly careful with where they store their money and where they invest it. While traditional savings vehicles like high-yield …

When it comes to investing strategies, it makes sense for investors to continually seek opportunities that strike a balance between security and return on investment. After all, a well-balanced portfolio is a crucial component of a good investment strategy, as it’s important to try and reduce risk from more volatile assets by adding safe investments to the mix. And, one …

More than 120,000 biometric gun safes sold by retailers nationwide are being recalled amid reports of unauthorized users opening them — including a six-year-old boy — posing a serious safety hazard and risk of death. The U.S. Consumer Product and Safety Commission on Thursday announced four separate recalls of biometric safes, with the companies that imported the Chinese-manufactured safe collectively …

Retirement is a time to savor the fruits of your labor, but if you’re facing looming debt, it can cast a shadow on your golden years. And, if that debt comes with a high interest rate, the costs can compound quickly — especially if you haven’t budgeted to pay it off in full as part of your retirement plan. But …

An Oklahoma man used his computer skills to defraud Uncle Sam, hacking into a government auction site to lower the price of vehicles and jewelry he’d successfully bid on from thousands of dollars down to one buck, federal prosecutors said. Evan James Coker, 41, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in a scheme involving online auctions run by the General Service …