Author: troyashbacher

Andrew Keshner is a personal finance reporter for MarketWatch who covers taxes, debt, insurance, jobs, consumers and more. He previously worked for the New York Daily News, the New York Law Journal and The Southampton Press. You can follow him on X and LinkedIn.

I’ve never been into cruises, but when the opportunity to sail to Alaska on Holland America’s Eurodam came up, I knew I had to say yes. I love Alaska, and I hadn’t been on a cruise since I was in elementary school.Those seeking a flashy party cruise with water slides should look elsewhere. What Holland America does deliver on is a sophisticated environment with chill vibes, making it a solid choice for family reunions and friend groups, as well as multigenerational trips. Holland America does have a reputation of skewing older — a fact many poked fun at throughout the…

The logos of the cryptocurrencies Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), the stablecoin Tether (USDT) and Binance Coin (BNB) can be seen on the trading platform CoinMarketCap.Silas Stein | Picture Alliance | Getty ImagesVanEck is betting that what started as a slang for reckless online traders can sell an ETF.The firm is renaming its gaming ETF (BJK) the “VanEck Degen Economy ETF,” flipping the once-pejorative term into a marketing pitch for the boom in digital finance, gig platforms and online betting, according to a regulatory filing. The change takes effect after the market close on April 8, resetting a fund launched in…

Last Updated: Dec. 11, 2025 at 12:53 p.m. ETFirst Published: Dec. 10, 2025 at 3:43 p.m. ETPhilip Rivers is returning to the National Football League at age 44 — proving that even the most accomplished among us sometimes rethink retirement.Rivers, who last played for the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts five seasons ago, is the latest high-profile NFL quarterback to come out of retirement. He follows the footsteps of Tom Brady — who famously retired in February 2022 before coming back, albeit just 40 days later, before finally retiring for good in 2023. Now Rivers — who became a grandfather during his five years…

Target is offering 30% off women’s pjs today.  There are a bunch to choose from including some sets that are so perfect for after Christmas.  I love the red sets of the model pjs and you can get a cream pair with little red hearts or a red set with cream hearts.  That will be so cute for Valentine’s Day.   In addition to the 30% off, select sets are part of the promotion to save an extra $5 when you spend $25.   I tested the cream hearts set that is normally $35.  It is on sale for $24.50 and is…

The one-year high-yield CD average dipped slightly while high-yield savings rates were unchanged from yesterday.The average high-yield savings APY is 3.84% (unchanged from yesterday).The average 1-year high-yield CD APY is 3.77% (-0.01 percentage point from yesterday).How high-yield averages are calculatedThe national average rates are 0.40% for savings accounts and 1.64% for one-year CDs.Banks can adjust deposit rates on savings accounts and CDs at any time, but broader shifts to the entire savings landscape tend to be gradual. If you’re shopping for a better yield, compare savings accounts side-by-side and consider locking some funds in a CD if you want to…

Disney’s deal with OpenAI will allow fans to make short-form clips using Disney characters.

If you provide financial help to family, friends, or others — whether paying tuition, covering medical bills, or sending money through an app — you might be wondering about possible IRS or tax implications.But here’s some good news: most people will never come close to exceeding the lifetime estate and gift tax exemption, which, due to the new 2025 Trump/GOP tax law, will remain extraordinarily high for the average household.And even before you’d ever get anywhere near that limit, the IRS has several categories of financial gifts that don’t count toward annual gift tax limits, as long as they meet…

Target is offering 30% off personal care gift sets.  Some of them are sold out but there are others still available.  There are some good skincare sets, haircare sets, fragrance options and cosmetics.   You can get very good deals on these items and it doesn’t hurt to look just for your own use not just as gifts.   I picked up the Abbey Yung haircare set with 3 full size OGX products inside for $14.   This lip gloss set is $14 or $4.66 each and these are normally $10 each.   Click here to see the sets on sale.  

Yesterday, the Federal Reserve cut the federal funds rate by 25 basis points at its December meeting. As with previous cuts in September and October, mortgage markets had been expecting this cut, and had largely priced it in. In other words: Don’t expect mortgage rates to plunge in response to the news.Today, the average interest rate on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage ticked down to 6.14% APR, according to rates provided to NerdWallet by Zillow. This is just one basis point lower than yesterday but 14 basis points higher than a week ago. (See our chart below for more specifics.) A…