logo
Can you pass a seven-question quiz on financial literacy? Most Americans could not.

Can you pass a seven-question quiz on financial literacy? Most Americans could not.

USA Today19-04-2025
Can you pass a seven-question quiz on financial literacy? Most Americans could not.
Show Caption
Hide Caption
Here's what causes stagflation and why the US may be at risk for it
The U.S. may be at risk for stagflation – a combination of slow growth and inflation. Here's what happened the last time the country experienced it.
Just the FAQs, USA TODAY
Many American consumers fail to grasp the basic math of inflation, according to a large-scale study of financial literacy.
The FINRA Investor Education Foundation, a financial education nonprofit, administered a seven-question quiz to 25,500 adults in recent months, testing their knowledge of consumer finance. The results: Three in ten test-takers missed a simple question about interest rates. Two in five flubbed a question about inflation. An item on compound interest stumped 71% of consumers.
The inflation question asked,
Imagine that the interest rate on your savings account was 1% per year, and inflation was 2% per year. After 1 year, how much would you be able to buy with the money in this account?
More than today
Exactly the same
Less than today
Don't know
The correct answer is 'less than today.' If inflation is higher than the interest rate on your savings account, your purchasing power goes down over time.
Fifty-eight percent of respondents got the question right, in a quiz administered in 2024 by the FINRA foundation. The group released its findings in April 2025.
Many Americans don't know how inflation, interest rates interact
The notion that two-fifths of Americans might not understand the relationship between inflation, interest rates and purchasing power worries financial experts.
'I think it's a lack of being able to connect the dots between economic forces like inflation and how they apply to our everyday lives,' said Caleb Silver, editor in chief of Investopedia, the financial journalism site. 'I take this all the way back to what we're taught in high school, or what we're not taught.'
American consumers should educate themselves on the sometimes-tricky math of inflation and interest rates, the experts say, because both metrics have been on the rise.
Inflation spiked to a 40-year high in 2022. Interest rates reached a two-decade high in 2023.
Financial literacy can save consumers from credit card debt
A consumer who doesn't understand interest rates risks falling into debt on credit cards, which carry an average rate of 20%, according to Bankrate.
Here's another question from the FINRA quiz:
Suppose you owe $1,000 on a loan and the interest rate you are charged is 20% per year, compounded annually. If you didn't pay anything off, at this interest rate, how many years would it take for the amount you owe to double?
Less than 2 years
2 to 4 years
5 to 9 years
10 or more years
Don't know
The correct answer is '2 to 4 years.' At 20% interest, a $1,000 debt becomes a $2,000 debt in that span.
Roughly three in 10 test-takers got it right.
The problem with not understanding interest rates is the risk of 'your debt getting out of control through compounding interest,' said Gary Mottola, research director at FINRA foundation. FINRA stands for Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, a group that oversees brokers.
Financial education can help consumers make investment choices
Consumers who don't understand interest rates might also miss opportunities to earn money, by opening a high-yield savings account or investing in the stock market.
One item on the FINRA quiz tested consumers on their understanding of diversification, a fundamental concept of investing:
True or false: Buying a single company's stock usually provides a safer return than a stock mutual fund.
Only two-fifths of quiz-takers divined the correct answer: It is generally riskier to invest in a single stock, and safer to spread risk across many stocks in a mutual fund.
'A lot of people don't understand what it means to have a truly diversified portfolio,' said Silver of Investopedia.
One of the easier quiz questions asked,
Suppose you have $100 in a savings account earning 2 percent interest a year. After five years, how much would you have?
More than $102
Exactly $102
Less than $102
Don't know
The correct answer: 'More than $102.' More than 30% of respondents got it wrong.
And here is the most difficult question on the quiz, answered correctly by only 25% of consumers:
If interest rates rise, what will typically happen to bond prices? Rise, fall, stay the same, or is there no relationship?
The bond market is notoriously complex. As Investopedia explains, bonds have an inverse relationship to interest rates. When interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall.
Nationwide, 27% of quiz-takers got the right answers on at least five of seven questions. Only 4% answered all seven correctly.
Here are the states with the strongest, weakest financial literacy
The FINRA foundation reached enough respondents to rank all 50 states and the District of Columbia on financial literacy. Here are the states where the most quiz-takers got at least five of seven questions correct:
Minnesota (34.8% of respondents got 5 or more questions correct)
Wisconsin (34.5%)
District of Columbia (34.4%)
Colorado (33.9%)
Wyoming (33.9%)
And here are the states with the weakest financial literacy:
Louisiana (18.1% of respondents got 5 or more questions correct)
Mississippi (19.2%)
Alabama (20.2%)
West Virginia (21.4%)
New Mexico (23.2%)
Industry leaders have been pushing for better financial education in schools.
Twenty-seven states now guarantee a personal finance course for all high school students, up from 11 states in 2021, according to a dashboard maintained by advocates for financial education.
'There is interest and a real, genuine appetite for this to be taught in schools,' said Lindsay Torrico, executive director of the American Bankers Association Foundation.
Most American consumers, 87%, believe financial concepts should be taught in high school, according to a new survey, released in April by the ABA Foundation.
And yet, in that survey, only 15% of Americans cited school as their main source of financial literacy.
FINRA's foundation has been testing consumers on financial knowledge since 2009, Mottola said.
The study was last conducted in 2021. Between that year and 2024, the share of respondents who answered the same inflation question correctly rose from 53% to 58%. Foundation leaders took that as a sign of progress.
'There's probably some experiential learning going on,' Mottola said, 'as a result of living with inflation.'
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Mark Carney receives praise, blowback after he ‘caved' to Donald Trump's demand to scrap tech tax
Mark Carney receives praise, blowback after he ‘caved' to Donald Trump's demand to scrap tech tax

Hamilton Spectator

timean hour ago

  • Hamilton Spectator

Mark Carney receives praise, blowback after he ‘caved' to Donald Trump's demand to scrap tech tax

OTTAWA–Prime Minister Mark Carney is facing praise and blowback for his decision to ditch the government's digital services tax, a move that on Monday revived trade talks between Canada and the U.S., but opened the Liberals up to accusations of bowing to U.S. President Donald Trump. 'It's very simple. Prime Minister Carney and Canada caved to President Trump and the United States of America,' White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday afternoon. 'It was a mistake for Canada to vow to implement that tax,' Leavitt said, adding that Carney spoke to Trump Sunday about dropping the measure, which would have required a number of American tech giants to submit their first payments on Monday. Prime Minister Mark Carney says Canada and the U.S. have restarted negotiations aiming again to reach a deal by July 21. He says Canada cancelled the digital services tax because it was part of the negotiation and wouldn't make sense to collect the tax and then have to refund them later. (June 30, 2025 / The Canadian Press) Carney, speaking briefly to reporters later that afternoon, confirmed negotiations between both countries had resumed but did not respond to a question about the accuracy of the White House's framing that he 'caved' during the call. The prime minister said he made the concession as 'part of a bigger negotiation,' pointing to the agreement he hopes to reach with the Trump administration to resolve the broader trade dispute by July 21. 'It doesn't make sense to collect tax from people and then…remit them back, so it provides some certainty. And as I just said, negotiations have restarted. We're going to focus on getting the best deal for Canadians. We're making progress,' Carney said. Two days earlier, talks between both countries were put on ice after Trump said he was 'terminating ALL discussions on Trade with Canada' due to the 'egregious' tax. By Sunday night, Canadian officials announced that the measure, a policy the Liberals had championed for years under former prime minister Justin Trudeau, would be scrapped. A government press release said Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne had cancelled the planned June 30 collection of the tax, and that he would introduce legislation to formally rescind the measure. The digital services tax was enacted in 2024, though it was retroactive to 2022 and set to come into effect this year. It would have imposed a three–per-cent tax on certain domestic and foreign tech giants earning more than $20 million in revenue from digital services, like social media and online advertising services, that require the engagement, data and content contributions of Canadians to operate. Companies that also sold or licensed Canadian user data were also captured by the policy. The Parliamentary Budget Officer estimated in 2023 that the tax would boost Ottawa's revenues by $7.2 billion over five years. But the tax has long served as a trade irritant between Canada and the U.S., prompting fears that it would spark, or be used as a wedge, in a future trade war. Major Canadian business organizations also strongly opposed the measure, warning that the tax would ultimately be passed on to Canadian consumers, businesses, and investors through higher costs. 'Now, with it off the table, we think it's going to lower taxes for Canadians. It's going to make some of their services more cost-effective, but it also sends a signal that we're a good place to do business,' David Pierce, the vice-president of government relations for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, told the Star. Carney's move also won support from the Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI), an association that previously backed the measure as 'a necessary tool to ensure global technology giants contribute their fair share in Canada.' CCI president Benjamin Bergen said in a statement that dropping the tax was a 'strategic move' he hoped would 'renew dialogue' with the U.S. The Computer & Communications Industry Association, an international trade organization, also lauded Canada for walking back a tax the group has long said unfairly targets U.S. exporters. 'We urge other governments that have proposed or enacted DSTs, including the U.K., France, Germany, Italy and Pakistan, to follow suit and commit to fair, reciprocal international tax principles,' wrote CCIA president Matt Schruers. While the Liberals had been pushing for a multilateral tax approach through the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, work on that front eventually stalled, prompting Canada to chart its own path forward in the interim. Taylor Owen, director of McGill's centre for media, technology and democracy, said that the U.K. was able to keep its own digital services tax, despite Trump's opposition to the policy, while also signing a trade deal with the U.S. 'It probably shows more than anything that we need new digital governance coalitions that don't include the U.S., but are designed to collectively act in order to pressure the U.S.,' Owen told the Star. On Monday, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre called out the Liberals for abandoning their previous support for the measure at the '11th hour,' while interim NDP leader Don Davies said 'abandoning fair taxation of tax giants is unacceptable appeasement.' 'We really are back to square one with the operations of these companies. You know, tens of billions of dollars of revenue, effectively untaxed in Canada,' Keldon Bester, executive director of the Canadian Anti-Monopoly Project told the Star. 'So I think from a negotiating perspective, as well as a tech policy perspective, it's quite disappointing,' Bester said, adding that other legislation regulating American tech giants, like Canada's online streaming and online news laws, could get tangled up in the trade war next. Allison Christians, the Stikeman chair in tax law at McGill University, said U.S. companies hold immense control over information and media in Canada. 'At some point, you just lose control over a society that you want because your economic prospects depend on a volatile, unreliable trade partner that just changes the deal whenever they want,' Christians said. 'So whatever we do, Trump might come up with something next week that he also doesn't like. And then what? What are we giving up next?'

What the Senate Republican tax-and-spending bill means for your money
What the Senate Republican tax-and-spending bill means for your money

CNBC

time3 hours ago

  • CNBC

What the Senate Republican tax-and-spending bill means for your money

Senate Republicans on Tuesday approved their version of President Donald Trump 's multitrillion-dollar tax-and-spending package, which could broadly impact millions of Americans' wallets. Similar to the House's One Big Beautiful Bill Act advanced in May, the Senate legislation aims to make permanent Trump's 2017 tax cuts, while adding new tax breaks for tip income, overtime pay and auto loans, among other provisions. If enacted, the bill could also slash spending on social safety net programs such as Medicaid and SNAP, end tax credits tied to clean energy and overhaul student loans. The spending package could still see changes as it returns to the lower chamber for approval. But a House floor vote could come this week to meet Trump's July 4 deadline. Here are some of the key provisions to watch — and how those measures could affect household finances. How to read this guide Follow along from start to finish, or use the table of contents to jump to the section(s) you want to learn more about. 'SALT' deduction Since 2018, the $10,000 cap on the state and local tax deduction, known as SALT, has been a critical issue for certain lawmakers in high-tax states such as New York, New Jersey and California. The SALT deduction — which lets taxpayers who itemize deduct all or some of their state and local income and property taxes — was unlimited for filers before 2018. But the alternative minimum tax reduced the benefit for some wealthier Americans. A sticking point for some House lawmakers, the lower chamber approved a permanent $40,000 SALT limit starting in 2025. That benefit begins to phaseout, or decrease, for consumers who have more than $500,000 of income. The Senate version of the bill would also lift the cap to $40,000 starting in 2025. It also begins to phaseout at $500,000. Both figures would increase by 1% yearly through 2029, and the $40,000 limit would revert to $10,000 in 2030. If you raise the cap, the people who benefit the most are going to be upper middle-income. "If you raise the cap, the people who benefit the most are going to be upper middle-income," since lower earners typically don't itemize tax deductions, Howard Gleckman, senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, previously told CNBC. The Senate bill also preserves a SALT cap workaround for pass-through businesses, which allows owners to avoid the $10,000 SALT limit. By contrast, the House bill would eliminate the strategy for certain white-collar professionals. — Kate Dore The child tax credit gives families with qualifying dependent children a tax break. It's a credit, so it reduces their tax liability dollar-for-dollar. Trump's 2017 tax cuts temporarily boosted the maximum child tax credit to $2,000 from $1,000, an increase that will sunset after 2025 without an extension from Congress. If enacted, the Senate bill would permanently bump the biggest credit to $2,200 starting in 2025 and index this figure for inflation starting in 2026. Momo Productions | Getty Meanwhile, the House version of the bill lifts the top child tax credit to $2,500 from 2025 through 2028. After 2028, the credit's highest value would revert to $2,000 and be indexed for inflation. However, the proposed bills wouldn't help 17 million children from low-income families who don't earn enough to claim the full credit, according to Elaine Maag, senior fellow in the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. — Kate Dore Older Americans may receive an extra tax deduction under the legislation. Both the House and Senate called for a temporary enhanced deduction for Americans ages 65 and over, dubbed a "bonus," in their respective versions of the "big beautiful" bill. The Senate proposed raising the deduction to $6,000 per qualifying individual, up from $4,000 proposed by the House. The full deduction would be available to individuals with up to $75,000 in modified adjusted gross income, and $150,000 if married and filing jointly. Notably, the Senate version would phase out at a faster rate for taxpayers who are above those thresholds. Ultimately, middle-income taxpayers may benefit most from the enhanced deduction, Howard Gleckman, senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, recently told CNBC. The senior bonus is in lieu of eliminating taxes on Social Security benefits, which had been touted by the Trump administration, since changes to Social Security are generally prohibited in reconciliation legislation. — Lorie Konish As Republicans seek to slash federal spending, Medicaid, which provides health coverage for more than 71 million people, has been a target for those cuts in both House and Senate versions of the bill. The Senate version would cut more than $1 trillion from Medicaid, compared with more than $800 billion in cuts in the House version, according to Congressional Budget Office estimates. New federal work rules would require beneficiaries ages 19 to 64 who apply for coverage or who are enrolled through an Affordable Care Act expansion group to work at least 80 hours per month. Adults may be exempt if they have dependent children or other qualifying circumstances such as a medical condition. Notably, the Senate version of the bill proposed stricter limits on exemptions for parents, limiting it to those with dependent children ages 14 and under. The proposed Medicaid changes would also require states to conduct eligibility redeterminations for coverage every six months, rather than every 12 months based on current policy. About 7.8 million people could become uninsured by 2034 due to Medicaid cuts, the CBO has projected, based on the House bill. — Lorie Konish Both Senate and House versions of the "big beautiful" bill propose cuts to food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps. The cuts in the Senate bill may ultimately affect more than 40 million people, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. That includes about 16 million children, 8 million seniors and 4 million non-elderly adults with disabilities, among others, according to CBPP, a nonpartisan research and policy institute. Many states would be required to pay a percentage for food benefits to make up for the federal funding cuts. If they cannot make up for the funding losses, that could result in cuts to SNAP benefits or states opting out of the program altogether, according to CBPP. The Senate proposal also seeks to expand existing work requirements to include adults ages 55 to 64 and parents with children 14 and over. Based on current rules, most individuals cannot receive benefits for more than three months out of every three years unless they work at least 20 hours per week or qualify for an exemption. For about 600,000 low-income households, food benefits could be cut by an average of $100 per month, according to CBPP. — Lorie Konish The Senate's version of Trump's budget bill also included a new savings account for children with a one-time deposit of $1,000 from the federal government for those born in 2024 through 2028. Starting in 2026, so-called " Trump accounts," a type of tax-advantaged savings account, would be available to all children under the age of 8 who are U.S. citizens, largely in line with the House plan advanced in May. To be eligible to receive the initial seed money, both parents must have Social Security numbers. Parents would then be able to contribute up to $5,000 a year and the balance will be invested in a diversified fund that tracks a U.S. stock index. Earnings grow tax-deferred, and qualified withdrawals are taxed as long-term capital gains. Republican lawmakers have said these accounts will introduce more Americans to wealth-building opportunities and the benefits of compound growth. But some experts say a 529 college savings plan is a better alternative because of the higher contribution limits and tax advantages. — Jessica Dickler Lower student loan limits, fewer benefits Key changes may be in store for student loan borrowers. For starters, Republicans would limit how much money people can borrow from the federal government to pay for their education. Among other measures, the Senate plan would: Cap unsubsidized student loans at $20,500 per year and $100,000 lifetime, for graduate students; Cap borrowing for professional degrees, such as those for doctors and lawyers, at $50,000 per year and $200,000 lifetime; Add a lifetime borrowing limit for all federal student loans of $257,500; Cap parent borrowing through the federal Parent PLUS loan program at $20,000 per year per student and $65,000 lifetime; Eliminate grad PLUS loans. These allow grad students to borrow up to their entire cost of attendance minus any federal aid. Going forward, there would be just two repayment plan choices for new borrowers: Student loan borrowers could enroll in either a standard repayment plan with fixed payments or an income-based repayment plan known as the Repayment Assistance Plan, or RAP. The bill would also nix the unemployment deferment and economic hardship deferment, both of which student loan borrowers use to pause their payments during periods of financial difficulty. — Jessica Dickler and Annie Nova The Senate bill creates a tax deduction for car loan interest, similar to a provision in the House bill. Certain households would be able to deduct up to $10,000 of annual interest on new auto loans from their taxable income. The tax break would be temporary, lasting from 2025 through 2028. There are some eligibility restrictions. For example, the deduction's value would start to fall for individuals whose annual income exceeds $100,000; the threshold is $200,000 for married couples filing a joint tax return. Cars must also be assembled in the U.S. In practice, the tax benefit is likely to be relatively small, experts said. "The math basically says you're talking about [financial] benefit of $500 or less in year one," based on the average new loan, Jonathan Smoke, chief economist at Cox Automotive, an auto market research firm, recently told CNBC. — Greg Iacurci The Senate passed the No Tax on Tips Act in late May, a standalone legislation that would create a federal income tax deduction of up to $25,000 per year on tip income, with some limitations. The tax break would apply to workers who typically receive cash tips reported to their employer for payroll tax withholdings, according to the summary of the bill. The Senate version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act includes a similar provision: qualifying individuals would be able to claim a deduction of up to $25,000 for qualified tips. However, the Senate version would not apply to taxpayers whose income exceeds $150,000, or $300,000 for joint filers. Should the bill go into effect as drafted, the Secretary of the Treasury will publish a list of occupations that typically received tips on or before Dec. 31, 2024. The provision would apply to taxable years between Dec. 31, 2024, and Dec. 31, 2028. — Ana Teresa Solá The House and Senate bills would provide a temporary tax break for overtime pay, a campaign promise from Trump. The House-approved bill would create a deduction for "qualified overtime compensation" of $160,000 or less from 2025 to 2028. The deduction is "above the line," meaning the tax break is available regardless of whether you itemize deductions. By contrast, the Senate bill offers a maximum $12,500 above-the-line deduction for overtime pay, and $25,000 for married couples filing jointly, from 2025 to 2028. The tax break begins to phase out once earnings exceed $150,000, and $300,000 for joint filers. — Kate Dore EV, clean energy tax credits The Senate bill, like its House counterpart, would end consumer tax credits tied to clean energy. It would end a $7,500 tax credit for households that buy or lease a new electric vehicle, and a $4,000 tax credit for buyers of used EVs. These tax credits would disappear after Sept. 30, 2025. Additionally, it would scrap tax breaks for consumers who make their homes more energy-efficient, perhaps by installing rooftop solar, electric heat pumps, or efficient windows and doors. These credits would end after Dec. 31, 2025. An aerial view shows solar panels atop the roofs of homes on February 25, 2025 in Pasadena, California. Mario Tama | Getty Images Many tax breaks on the chopping block were created, extended or enhanced by the Inflation Reduction Act, a 2022 law signed by former President Joe Biden that provided a historic U.S. investment to fight climate change. The tax breaks are currently slated to be in effect for another seven or so years, through at least 2032. — Greg Iacurci Section 199A pass-through business deduction Another key provision in the House and Senate bills could offer a bigger deduction for so-called pass-through businesses, which includes contractors, freelancers and gig economy workers. Enacted via Trump's 2017 tax cuts, the Section 199A deduction for qualified business income is currently worth up to 20% of eligible revenue, with some limits. This will expire after 2025 without action from Congress. The House-approved bill would make the provision permanent and expand the maximum tax break to 23% starting in 2026. Meanwhile, the Senate measure would make the deduction permanent but keep it at 20%. — Kate Dore

Jean Chatzky reveals major 401(k) changes happening now
Jean Chatzky reveals major 401(k) changes happening now

Miami Herald

time3 hours ago

  • Miami Herald

Jean Chatzky reveals major 401(k) changes happening now

Many American workers recognize that achieving financial stability in retirement requires dedication, thoughtful preparation, and a solid grasp of 401(k) plans and other investing tools. Jean Chatzky, former financial editor for NBC's "Today Show" and founder of HerMoney, reflects candidly on how she might have approached the challenge with greater strategic insight. She also reveals how some 401(k) plans are rapidly changing by adding some surprising features and greater levels of complication. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter In a recent conversation with TheStreet, Chatzky urged Americans to recognize the importance of taking ownership of their retirement planning. She highlighted how, unlike previous generations, many Gen Xers no longer have widespread access to pensions, making 401(k)s and other personal retirement savings the cornerstone of their financial future. Reflecting on her own experience, Chatzky noted that the most common advice she and others wish they had followed sooner is to start investing earlier. Early in her career, Chatzky received a 401(k) at a time when the concept was still new to many, and she admits she didn't fully understand how to leverage it. Related: Jean Chatzky sends strong message on buying vs. leasing a car At one point, she withdrew the funds from her first retirement account and spent them on purchases such as expensive clothes for her new job - an impulse she now sees as a costly error. Chatzky acknowledged that she didn't become an engaged investor until she began working more deeply in the personal finance field in her 30s. Her reflections serve as a candid reminder of how crucial it is to build financial literacy early and make thoughtful decisions with long-term goals in mind. Chatzky also explains how many current 401(k) plans are undergoing significant changes now - and why it's wise to take some time to understand the new retirement savings landscape. "More 401(k) plans are adding annuities or 'guaranteed income lifetime income options,'" Chatzky wrote in a July 1 newsletter sent by email to TheStreet. "Others are preparing to add private investments, like private equity or private credit." "Some are even dabbling in crypto," she added. Chatzky also pointed to upcoming changes in retirement savings rules that could significantly impact those approaching retirement age. More on retirement: Dave Ramsey offers urgent thoughts about MedicareJean Chatzky shares major statement on Social SecurityTony Robbins has blunt words on IRAs,401(k)s She highlighted a new provision allowing individuals between the ages of 60 and 63 to make so-called "super catch-up" contributions - up to $34,750 in a single year - to their 401(k) plans, provided their income is high enough to permit it. Chatzky noted that starting next year, higher-income individuals aged 50 and older will also face a shift in how they make catch-up contributions. Rather than adding to traditional 401(k)s, they'll be required to deposit those additional funds into Roth accounts, which are taxed upfront but can grow and be withdrawn tax-free later. According to Chatzky, these changes underscore how essential it is to stay informed and proactive about evolving retirement policies, particularly for those in their peak earning years. Related: Dave Ramsey has blunt words for Americans buying a car Chatzky warns Americans about an important consideration to know about 401(k) plans. "More plan features don't automatically mean better planning," she wrote in the newsletter. Chatzky pointed to a HerMoney story written by Pam Krueger, CEO of Wealthramp. "All of that might all sound like a 'win' for retirement savers and in some ways, it is," Krueger wrote. "But it also means you're being asked to make bigger decisions, with higher stakes and not nearly enough guidance." The inclusion of unconventional assets such as cryptocurrency in retirement plans is becoming more common, stirring both interest and concern, Krueger explained. While private equity and private credit are increasingly showing up in 401(k)s, they tend to be costly, complex, and less transparent than traditional investments. Cryptocurrency carries similar risks, particularly following high-profile scandals and evolving regulatory pressures. "The Department of Labor's earlier warnings against putting crypto into 401(k)s have been pulled back, leaving it up to each employer to decide whether to allow it," Krueger wrote. Related: Tony Robbins sends strong message to Americans on 401(k)s The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store