Many 'cheap' retirement destinations contain hidden costs

The 20 best small US towns for retirement

Roughly 1 million Americans retire each year, and a quarter of them relocate. This list showcases twenty of the best small towns—with populations no larger than 100,000—for retirees in the US, evaluating each locale by its affordability, safety,...

Hawaii is the most expensive state for funding a 40-year retirement

If someone wanted to retire by the time they were 40 years old in Hawaii, they would need to save an estimated $4,557,767. See how other states meaasure up in this article.

Concierge services are one of the top medical costs retirees fail to factor into their planning

One of the unexpected medical costs retirees are facing is thousands of dollars a year for concierge care membership fees. A typical annual fee can average $3,500. Concierge care is an option that's particularly popular among older adults with more complex health needs and in some areas of the country doctors are increasingly turning away Medicare patients and only accepting new patients willing to pay annual fees for concierge medicine. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

Should you give up a car in retirement?

Did you know that drivers over the age of 74 tend to pay higher car insurance rates than most other age groups? That small fortune in auto insurance payments is just one reason some people give up a car when they retire. If you're curious about the pros of getting rid of your car when you retire, read this article.

Surprising costs associated with homeownership include taxes and roof maintenance

Owning a home includes not just expected costs such as a mortgage, homeowners insurance, and landscaping, but also less-obvious expenses like property taxes, repairing and maintaining one’s roof and HVAC system, and HOA fees.

How much money you need to retire in each state

The average American thinks they'll need at least $1.46M to retire comfortably, according to a new study. But the actual floor for a comfortable retirement varies by state. In West Virginia, for instance, the study suggests that retirees only need to have about $712,921 saved for retirement.

Retirement expectations versus reality

There's a big gap between what many Americans expect to happen during retirement and what actually happens—at least according to one financial planner. In this article, the financial planner in question explores how retirement expectations can differ from reality, exploring financial considerations such as how long people expect to work part-time during retirement, and more. Read the article here.

Experts argue some frugal habits—like driving farther for cheaper gas—aren't worth it

Other frugal habits experts suggest might not be worth the squeeze include driving to multiple stores in one trip to hunt for deals, as well as buying everything in bulk.

Read about the tax implications of remote work's increasing popularity

Tax complications can arise when a remote employee opts to work from a state where their employer had not previously done business. Demand for remote jobs has remained high since the pandemic accelerated remote work's popularity.

15 out of 25 major US cities have a lower cost of living than their nearby suburbs

These cities are Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Boston, San Francisco, Detroit, Minneapolis, Denver, Baltimore, St. Louis, Orlando, Charlotte, and San Antonio. This article details the cost of living in major US cities versus their nearby suburbs, according to data from 2023.

Most pensions are subject to federal income taxes

Those taxes kick in once someone starts taking distributions from their pension. Whether a pension is subject to state income taxes depends on the state and other factors. Learn more about how pensions are taxed in this article.

If the estate tax is repealed, more expensive alternatives might come in its place

The federal estate tax has been up for political debate for decades. Many want to get rid of it altogether. If repealed other tax options, like capital gains taxes, could have people paying more in taxes than before.

States with the highest (and lowest) tax rates

WalletHub researchers evaluated not just income taxes but real estate, sales, and other levies in order to rank every state by its total effective local and state tax rate (not including federal). Alaska scored the lowest total tax rate and Illinois...

The most expensive EU countries

Among countries in the European Union, Luxembourg has the highest prices (52% higher than the EU average). Romania seems like it's the cheapest option in the EU at 46% below the EU average. Want to see how other countries such as Italy, France and Germany rank? Explore this color-coded map to learn more.

The 401(k) is limited in its ability to provide guaranteed retirement income

Part of the problem is the high, often hidden fees associated with the accounts and a lack of access. Plus, analysts say the annual cost in tax revenue to the government is more than $100B.

At $55K, on average, New Jersey is the most expensive US state to host a wedding

Wedding costs vary significantly depending on location. Utah is the least expensive, at $17K, on average, per wedding. If you're curious to see where your state falls, check out this map for a visualization of each state's average wedding price.

Watch a breakdown of tax breaks most Americans don't know about

Programs like healthcare savings accounts or flexible spending accounts are tax-free accounts that are designed to help lower healthcare costs. However, many Americans don't use them and don't understand how they work.

Living wage calculator

Some people who work low-wage jobs don't make enough money to pay for the cost of basic needs (like housing or child care) in their area of the country. Curious to see whether or not you make what's considered a "living wage" for your city or state? To find out, plug your locale into this Living Wage Calculator.

Ranking the most expensive appliances on your electricity bill

Energy costs have gone up amid war and inflation. Here's a breakdown on the cheapest and most expensive appliances in your home to help you lower your bill.

The factors stirring up a home insurance storm

The cost of the average home insurance premium shot up 33% between 2020 and 2023 in the US, a trend mimicking heightened inflation. But beyond the cost, insurers are also pulling out of major markets like Florida and California, and millions of policies aren't being renewed as the number of $1B weather disasters continues to increase each year. Read up on the difficulties the home insurance market faces here.

America's most expensive ZIP codes

Real estate brokerage Clever evaluated home prices using Zillow and listed the top 10 priciest ZIP codes. Eight of the top 10 regions are located in California. Check out the full list here.

Location is the most important factor for profitability in real estate investing

“Location, location, location” is a saying for a reason. From the neighborhood’s status to its proximity to its tax implications, location is among the most important factors for real estate investors to consider in transactions.

The economics of ski resorts

More than 480 ski resorts pack in nearly 65 million visitors each year in the US for historically high prices. Daily lift tickets may cost three figures at many locations. Amid industry consolidation and more stringent land use regulations, ski resorts are upping their prices—a factor that does not appear to be dampening the sport's popularity. Learn more here.

Are hotels cheaper than Airbnbs?

When Airbnb first became popular, it was seen as a cheaper alternative to staying at a hotel. But these days, depending on factors such as how many people you're traveling with and how long your trip is, Airbnb isn't always the less expensive option. To figure out which form of lodging might be cheaper for your next vacation, read this article.

The price of gas is a composite made up of several different factors, with the federal gas tax making up less than 20% of what drivers pay at the pump.

Why Kansas is giving away cheap land

In Lincoln, Kansas, a housing renaissance is underway, driven by affordable real estate prices and a lower cost of living, in stark contrast to high-priced urban centers. Bradley Roberts, who previously lived in San Francisco, moved to Lincoln and...

US housing costs have risen by roughly 175% between 1991 and 2026—but a growing number of Gen Zers are becoming homeowners anyway. In 2025, 4% of homebuyers were Gen Z, up from 3% the year before.

Louisiana's 'Cancer Alley' is infamous for having some of the highest industrial pollution, toxic air emissions, and cancer risks in the US.

Explore an interactive map built from more than 100,000 survey responses on where people find joy in their lives

Use this calculator to find the dollar value of your mental load, from meal planning to coordinating after-school care for your children.

About 2,000 US babies are born annually without some portion of their limbs, potentially leading to a lifetime of pricey prosthetics.

Stanford built a Google Maps for the Roman Empire, revealing how much it cost to travel in the ancient world

Explore fun facts from the USPS, including unique post office buildings, a stamp that traveled past Pluto, and more.

Some renewable energy sources may weaken the resiliency of electric grids by removing outage buffers provided by coal- and natural gas-fired plants, which provide the system with more time to find a new power source if a plant goes down.

Frank Lloyd Wright's houses are historically hard to sell because they're old, subject to local landmark commissions, and often unfashionable

Play the role of a student in a game where you try to navigate college and remain debt-free, selecting different income levels, high school experience, race, ethnicity, and more.

44% of Americans say they pray at least once a day—discover how your state's religiosity stacks up against the rest of the country.

The boiling temperature of water decreases with increasing elevation because the molecules need less energy to overcome the lower atmospheric pressure associated with thinner air.

Hedge funds, the private investment firms that trade a wide swath of financial assets, make money by imposing steep fees on investors and from the fund's investment performance.

Lesser-known phobias include turophobia, or the fear of cheese, and nomophobia, the fear of being without your cell phone.

See this overview of the firework rules across all 50 states, ranging from a complete ban on non-professional fireworks in Massachusetts to states with more lax rules like Indiana.

Hotels in Cannes, the glamorous city on the French Riviera, hire hawks to ward off seagulls during the city's famous film festival.

Netflix profits when you're not watching, and its movies are designed that way—read a detail-rich critical essay exposing lesser-known Netflix takes

See photos of Meteora, a mountainous site in central Greece, home to 14th-century monasteries perched atop soaring outcroppings.

Gerrymandering works through two techniques: cracking opposing voters across districts to dilute their power, and packing them into a few to waste their votes in lopsided majorities.

See how Budweiser's famous Clydesdales spend their days at Warm Springs Ranch, where roughly 70 to 80 of the beer brand's giant horses can be found at any given time.

Alzheimer's can lead to brain shrinkage, with an average of around 2% of volume reduction per year

Comedy legend Catherine O'Hara, star of 'Schitt's Creek' and 'Home Alone,' quit 'Saturday Night Live' after just one week to return to her old job.

Corals are themselves not coral reefs—the term refers to the tiny marine invertebrates that build the rigid reef.

Memecoins are a type of cryptocurrency—a form of digital currency with a wide variety of uses—created around popular 'memes,' or viral internet jokes.