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    With time running out, here are some tax tips for last-minute filers

    Time is running out to file your 2024 federal tax return or to file for a tax extension.
    It’s possible to push that due date to Oct. 15 by filing for an extension.
    Some may assume that given staffing cuts at the IRS, taxpayers should wait to file and pay or not pay at all. Think twice before heeding that advice, experts say. 

    USA Tax day Reminder
    Prapass Pulsub | Moment | Getty Images

    Still haven’t filed your taxes?
    With less than 24 hours until the April 15 tax deadline, time is running out to file your 2024 federal tax return or request an extension. It also may be your last chance to claim a refund on a prior year’s return. 

    Nearly one-third of Americans admit they procrastinate when it comes to filing their taxes, according to a survey of more than 1,000 U.S. tax filers from IPX1031, an investment property exchange service. The survey also found that about 25% do not feel prepared to file their taxes.  
    “Procrastination is a natural response when something feels overwhelming,” said certified financial therapist Erika Wasserman, CEO of Your Financial Therapist. “But delaying important tasks like filing taxes only compounds stress.”
    Meanwhile, some people may also assume that given staffing cuts at the Internal Revenue Service, taxpayers should wait to file and pay or not pay at all. Think twice before heeding that advice, experts warn. 

    More from Your Money:

    Here’s a look at more stories on how to manage, grow and protect your money for the years ahead.

    “Beyond the fact that filing and paying is the law, a lot of the agency’s compliance activities are actually pretty routine, such as matching W-2s and 1099s against what’s reported on tax returns, generating tax assessments, and assessing various late-filing, late-payment, and estimated tax penalties,” explained IRS spokesman Eric Smith in an email to CNBC.
    Most taxpayers, however, have already filed their federal tax returns.

    As of April 4, the IRS received roughly 101 million individual returns of the 160 million expected this filing season, the agency’s latest report shows. Nearly 68 million refunds have been issued, with the average refund amount of $3,116, about 3.5% more than a year ago.

    Filing for an extension 

    For most taxpayers, the federal tax deadline is April 15. If you’re missing tax forms or need more time, you can file a tax extension by April 15, which pushes the federal filing deadline to Oct. 15.  However, you still must pay your taxes by the original due date to avoid racking up penalties and interest.
    Choosing “extension” when making a payment electronically on the IRS website for 2024 will automatically submit Form 4868, the document needed to request an extension.
    “With all the check theft and check-washing schemes going on right now, e-pay is a great option, plus you get the peace of mind of knowing, right away, that the IRS got your payment,” Smith said.
    (Check washing is a form of check fraud where thieves steal checks, erase the original payee and amount, and then rewrite the check for their own benefit.)
    Payment options, including IRS Direct Pay, are available at IRS.gov/payments. 
    You can also mail the extension Form 4868 by April 15 and include a check for what you owe, but processing times may be longer.
    If you cannot pay your tax balance by April 15, you still need to file your return to avoid a higher IRS penalty, experts say.  
    The failure-to-file penalty is 5% of unpaid taxes per month or partial month, capped at 25%. Meanwhile, the failure-to-pay penalty is 0.5% of taxes owed per month, limited to 25%. Both penalties incur interest, which is currently 7% for individuals.

    Disaster relief for tax filers

    Many disaster-area taxpayers will automatically have more time to file and pay, and they don’t even need to ask for the extra time. 
    Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina, and parts of Alaska, New Mexico, Tennessee and Virginia have until May 1 to file and pay. Due to the wildfires, Los Angeles County has until Oct. 15 to file and pay. Kentucky and parts of West Virginia have until Nov. 3 to file and pay. 
    Taxpayers can find details at IRS.gov/disasterrelief. 

    File for unclaimed refunds

    If you have an unclaimed refund for tax year 2021, the IRS says you must file for it now before the three-year time window runs out on April 15. 
    “For many, it’s more important than ever to do this because, in part due to the pandemic, a number of tax benefits were expanded for tax year 2021, including the stimulus-related Recovery Rebate Credit, the Child Tax Credit, the Credit for Child and Dependent Care Expenses and the Earned Income Tax Credit,” Smith said.

    “Most of the expanded benefits were refundable, making them especially lucrative for low-and moderate-income individuals and families.”
    If you’re unsure if you received the money, there’s a simple way to check via your IRS account online, tax experts say.
    The 2021 stimulus payments were worth up to $1,400 per individual, or $2,800 per married couple. A family of four could receive up to $5,600 with two eligible dependents.
    SIGN UP: Money 101 is an eight-week learning course on financial freedom, delivered weekly to your inbox. Sign up here. It is also available in Spanish. More

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    Top Wall Street analysts find these 3 stocks attractive in these challenging times

    Igor Golovniov | SOPA Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images

    The chaos around tariffs continues to rattle global stock markets, as fears of higher costs and concerns over a potential economic slowdown weigh on investor sentiment.
    However, the pullback in several stocks due to these ongoing challenges has created an opportunity to pick attractive stocks trading at compelling levels. Top Wall Street analysts can help identify stocks that could navigate short-term headwinds and deliver solid returns over the long term.

    With that in mind, here are three stocks favored by the Street’s top pros, according to TipRanks, a platform that ranks analysts based on their past performance.
    Affirm Holdings
    We start this week with Affirm Holdings (AFRM), a buy now, pay later (BNPL) platform. As of the end of 2024, Affirm had 21 million active customers and 337,000 active merchants.
    On April 7, TD Cowen analyst Moshe Orenbuch initiated coverage of Affirm stock with a buy rating and a price target of $50, reflecting a valuation of about 23-times the 2026 adjusted earnings per share. “AFRM is one of the top performing BNPL brands in the U.S. with a full-suite [point of sale] lending capability vs peers, and likely the most pro-consumer practices in the industry,” said the analyst.
    Orenbuch thinks that AFRM possesses more seasoned underwriting capabilities than its rivals, as the company began underwriting longer-term loans before offering BNPL solutions.
    The analyst also highlighted the company’s partnerships with big e-commerce players like Amazon and Shopify. Orenbuch contends that these key partnerships reflect Affirm’s capabilities while allowing it to pursue higher volumes from both big and small businesses more effectively than other BNPL players. Additionally, he pointed out that Affirm has a strong funding program that has historically helped it secure better terms in the capital market compared to others in the consumer lending industry.

    Orenbuch added that AFRM fared better than nonprime lenders in the tough credit period in 2022-2023. He contends that even if gross merchandise value growth slows down over the short term due to weakness in the job market, it will have a short-term impact on AFRM’s profits and likely not weigh on its long-term profitability trajectory.
    Orenbuch ranks No.22 among more than 9,300 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been profitable 64% of the time, delivering an average return of 19.4%. See Affirm Holdings Stock Charts on TipRanks.
    TJX Companies
    This week’s second stock pick is TJX Companies (TJX), an off-price retailer that operates more than 5,000 stores across nine countries, including the TJ Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, Homesense, and Sierra stores in the U.S. TJX and other off-price retailers sell merchandise at deep discounts compared to prices offered on comparable merchandise by department stores or other retailers, as they opportunistically purchase their inventory at lower costs.
    Recently, Jefferies analyst Corey Tarlowe reaffirmed a buy rating on TJX stock with a price target of $150. The analyst stated that Jefferies’ updated “Inventory Insanity” analysis following the fourth-quarter results revealed that inventory rose 2.9% year over year across the firm’s coverage group of 85 companies compared to 2.2% in Q3 2024. Tarlowe thinks that TJX Companies is the best positioned in the off-price space to take advantage of the surplus inventory in the marketplace. 
    “Therefore, with an experienced team of +1.3k buyers, we believe TJX should witness and outsized benefit from continuing to buy opportunistically across its +21k vendors and more than 100 countries,” the analyst said.
    Moreover, Tarlowe expects TJX to gain from the secular shift towards the off-price sector, which could help the retailer grab market share from other, more traditional retailers. The analyst also sees the company’s further expansion in the Home category and overseas markets as unique growth opportunities.
    Tarlowe noted that TJX delivered a peak gross margin of 30.6% in fiscal 2025 despite an unfavorable comparison with the previous year, which included a 53rd week (due to a leap year). He thinks that management’s fiscal 2026 gross margin guidance of 30.4% to 30.5% seems conservative, especially given that the company exceeded its fiscal 2025 margin outlook.
    Tarlowe ranks No.574 among more than 9,300 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been successful 55% of the time, delivering an average return of 10.2%. See TJX Companies Insider Trading Activity on TipRanks.
    CyberArk Software
    Finally, let’s look at CyberArk Software (CYBR), a cybersecurity company that specializes in identity security solutions. The company is scheduled to announce its first-quarter results on May 13.
    Heading into the Q1 2025 results, TD Cowen analyst Shaul Eyal reiterated a buy rating on CYBR stock with a price target of $450. The analyst thinks that CyberArk is well-positioned to navigate the challenging market conditions and surpass the Street’s revenue estimate. Eyal’s optimism is backed by checks by his firm that indicated continued strength in demand, with CYBR’s effort to expand its platform away from its core privileged access management gaining traction among customers.
    Additionally, Eyal noted that despite increasing global macro challenges, value-added resellers, consultants, and partners are not seeing any slowdown in the second-quarter pipeline. He cited some of the key reasons for CYBR’s consistent performance, including its Identity and Access Management’s mission criticality and the persistent attack on digital identities by hackers. Also, rival SailPoint’s recent results and outlook didn’t indicate any slowdown, which bodes well for CyberArk as both companies are targeting similar market tiers.  
    Eyal sees the possibility of CyberArk revising the mid-point of its fiscal 2025 revenue guidance higher as the year progresses. Nevertheless, he contends that even if the company reiterates its guidance despite a possible Q1 2025 beat, it will still be viewed positively, given the growing macro challenges.
    The analyst also highlighted CYBR’s efforts to expand its platform through strategic acquisitions like that of Zilla, which offers identity governance and administration solutions, and Venafi, which provides machine identity solutions. He continues to see a huge opportunity for CyberArk in the Agentic AI market.
    “CYBR is executing well and remains well positioned to achieve its LT FY28 targets of $2.2B in rev and $600M of FCF [free cash flow],” said Eyal.
    Eyal ranks No.14 among more than 9,300 analysts tracked by TipRanks. His ratings have been successful 64% of the time, delivering an average return of 22.5%. See CyberArk Ownership Structure on TipRanks. More

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    How tuition-free college programs can backfire: More generous aid ‘can actually increase inequity,’ expert says

    With rising college costs, some top schools and programs have embraced a tuition-free model.
    However, generous aid packages also attract more students, which “can skew admissions towards middle- or higher-income applicants who may be able to access more effective admissions resources,” says Jamie Beaton, co-founder and CEO of Crimson Education, a college consulting firm. 
    For college hopefuls worried about the sky-high tab, there may be other ways to bring the cost down.

    Entrance to NYU Langone Hospital, New York City. 
    Joan Slatkin | Universal Images Group | Getty Images

    New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine made history in 2018 when it became the first top-ranked medical program to offer full-tuition scholarships to all students, regardless of need or merit. 
    The number of applicants, predictably, spiked in the year that followed. But then, the share of incoming students considered “financially disadvantaged” sank to 3% in 2019, down from 12% in 2017, reports showed. 

    “Tuition-free schools can actually increase inequity,” said Jamie Beaton, co-founder and CEO of Crimson Education, a college consulting firm. 
    “Tuition-free colleges experience surges in application numbers, dramatically boosting the competitive intensity of the admissions process,” he said. “This in turn can skew admissions towards middle- or higher-income applicants who may be able to access more effective admissions resources, such as tutoring or extracurriculars.”
    More from Personal Finance:How to maximize your college financial aid offerTop colleges roll out more generous financial aid packagesCollege hopefuls have a new ultimate dream school
    “Our goal for tuition-free education was to clear pathways for the best and brightest future doctors from all backgrounds to attend NYU Grossman School of Medicine without the stress of taking on the average $200,000 in debt medical students typically incur,” Arielle Sklar, a spokesperson for the school told CNBC. “This allows students to align career choices with their passions in medicine rather than immediate economic pressures.”
    Sklar, however, did not directly address the issue of declining low-income student enrollment.

    Since the initiative by NYU’s Grossman School of Medicine, other top schools and programs have embraced the tuition-free model.
    Harvard University was the latest undergraduate school to announce that it will be tuition free for undergraduates with family incomes of up to $200,000 beginning in the 2025-26 academic year, following similar initiatives at Vanderbilt University, Dartmouth, University of Pennsylvania and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
    Nearly two dozen more schools have also introduced “no-loan” policies, which means student loans are eliminated altogether from their financial aid packages.
    In the case of Harvard, “you may see a trend of families with income closer to $200,000 outcompeting low-income students for slots,” Beaton said. “This may shift the proportion of Harvard students from the top 1% of income down, but it might also decrease the share of low-income students to the benefit of middle or middle-upper income families.”

    More generous aid packages and tuition-free policies remove the most significant financial barrier to higher education but attract more higher-income applicants, other experts also say. 
    “Even though it sounds like lower-income students are going to be advantaged, it’s the middle class that’s going to win here,” said Christopher Rim, president and CEO of college consulting firm Command Education.
    “These colleges are trying to build a well-rounded class, they need middle class and wealthy students as well,” he added. “They are not trying to take fewer rich kids — they need them because they’re the ones that are also going to be donating.”
    For lower income students, “anything that increases the number of applications will be detrimental,” said Eric Greenberg, president of Greenberg Educational Group, a New York-based consulting firm.

    Nearly all students worry about high college costs

    These days, taking on too much debt is the top worry among all college-bound students, according to a survey by The Princeton Review. 
    College tuition has soared by 5.6% a year, on average, since 1983, significantly outpacing other household expenses, a recent study by J.P. Morgan Asset Management also found.

    This rapid increase means that college costs have risen much faster than inflation, leaving families to shoulder a larger share of the expenses, experts say.
    For the 2024-25 school year, tuition and fees plus room and board for a four-year private college averaged $58,600, up from $56,390 a year earlier. At four-year, in-state public colleges, it was $24,920, up from $24,080, according to the College Board.

    To bridge the affordability gap, some of the nation’s top institutions are in an “affordability arms race,” according to Hafeez Lakhani, founder and president of Lakhani Coaching in New York. 
    However, overall, most institutions do not have the financial wherewithal to offer tuition-free or no-loan aid programs, added Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor in chief. “More than 95% of four-year colleges in the U.S. are tuition driven,” he said. 
    Even if a school does not offer enough aid at the outset, there are other ways to bring costs down, according to James Lewis, co-founder of National Society of High School Scholars.
    “Get beyond, ‘I can’t afford that,”‘ he said. “A lot of institutions will have a retail price but that’s not necessarily what a student will pay.”
    Many schools will provide access to additional resources that can lower the total tab, he said, either through scholarships, financial aid or work-study opportunities.  
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    Third Point, D.E. Shaw obtain agreements with CoStar. How the activists can build value

    Thomas Fuller | Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images

    Company: CoStar Group Inc. (CSGP)

    Business: CoStar Group is a provider of online real estate marketplaces, information and analytics in the property markets. It manages its business in two segments: North America, which includes the United States and Canada, and International, which primarily includes Europe, Asia-Pacific and Latin America. Its major brands include CoStar, a global provider of commercial real estate data, analytics and news; LoopNet, a commercial real estate marketplace; Apartments.com, a platform for apartment rentals; and Homes.com, a residential real estate marketplace.
    Stock Market Value: $32.64B ($77.39 per share)

    Stock chart icon

    CoStar Group in the past 12 months

    Activists: D.E. Shaw and Third Point

    D.E. Shaw Ownership: n/a
    Third Point Ownership: 2.04%
    Average Cost: n/a
    Activist Commentary: D.E. Shaw is a large multi-strategy fund that is not historically known for activism. The firm is not an activist investor. Rather, it uses activism as an opportunistic tool in situations where the firm deems it useful. D.E. Shaw seeks out solid businesses in good industries and if it identifies underperformance that is within management’s control, it will take an active role. It places a premium on private, constructive engagement with management and as a result often comes to an agreement with the company before its position is even public.
    Third Point is a multi-strategy hedge fund founded by Dan Loeb, that will selectively take activist positions. Loeb is one of the true pioneers in the field of shareholder activism and one of a handful of activists who shaped what has become modern-day shareholder activism. He invented the poison pen letter in a time when it was often necessary. As times have changed, he has transitioned from the poison pen to the power of the argument. Third Point has amicably gotten board representation at companies like Baxter and Disney, but it also will not hesitate to launch a proxy fight if it is being ignored.

    What’s happening

    On April 6, CoStar Group entered into support agreements with D.E. Shaw and Third Point in connection with a board refreshment and corporate governance enhancements. This includes the addition of Christine McCarthy, John Berisford and Rachel Glaser as directors to the board; the retirement of Michael Klein, Christopher Nassetta and Laura Kaplan from the board. It also includes the appointment of Louise Sams as independent board chair and the creation of a capital allocation committee. D.E. Shaw and Third Point agreed to abide by certain customary standstill and voting provisions.

    Behind the scenes

    CoStar Group is a provider of online real estate marketplaces, information, and analytics in the property markets. It manages major brands including CoStar Suite, LoopNet, Apartments.com and Homes.com. Approximately 95% of the company’s revenue is derived from the core business, which largely consists of CoStar Suite and Apartments.com, which benefit from high barriers to entry, strong pricing power, proprietary data and subscription-based business models that drive recurrent revenue and highly predictable free cash flow. Because of these dynamics, this business has historically traded at a premium to its information services peers but is now trading in line with them.
    This regression in the company’s valuation largely stems from CoStar’s aggressive investment in its residential marketplace business, Homes.com, which it acquired in May 2021. Unlike its core CoStar Suite and Apartment.com businesses, Homes.com lacks clear competitive advantages and faces intense competition from well-established peers like Zillow. Nevertheless, the company is diverting approximately 75% of its $1.3 billion of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization from its core business to fund the $900 million of losses from Homes.com. As a result, capital expenditures are up 878% from 2021 to 2024, marked by 347% increase in 2024 alone.
    Enter D.E. Shaw and Third Point who have separately entered into support agreements with CoStar in connection with a board refreshment and corporate governance enhancements. This includes the following: (i) the addition of Christine McCarthy (former CFO of Disney), John Berisford (former president of S&P Global) and Rachel Glaser (former CFO of Etsy) as directors; (ii) the retirement of Chairman Michael Klein, Christopher Nassetta and Laura Kaplan from the board; (iii) the appointment of Louise Sams as independent chairman; and (iv) the creation of a capital allocation committee, which Berisford and McCarthy will join. In activism, there are settlements that are meant to appease an activist investor to keep them quiet, and there are genuine settlements that signify real agreement with the activist on how to proceed. This one is the latter. First, the obvious indication is that three directors were replaced on an eight-person board, which is a large refreshment (approximately 40% of the board). But less obvious and more telling is the structure of the settlement and who was replaced. First, the deal was structured as a replacement of directors, not an addition of three directors, which is more common in settlements, particularly ones with relatively smaller boards (i.e., eight directors for a $30 billion company). Second, the three directors who were replaced were three of the four longest-tenured directors, excluding the CEO, and one of them was the chairman of the company since 1987. Moreover, the new chair of the board is the second newest director prior to the settlement. This is not only a board refreshment in name, but in substance as well.  
    There is also a more subtle provision of the settlement that we think offers the most insight into what levers for value creation may follow – the formation of a capital allocation committee, which will consist of four directors, two of whom will be the new D.E. Shaw/Third Point directors. This is a clear situation of something that is often seen in activist campaigns – a core business that is hugely profitable but whose profits are being used to fund an unprofitable non-core business. But the plan here is not likely to completely divest the Homes.com business, or else we would have seen a strategic transactions committee. This capital allocation committee will more likely be tasked with finding ways to fund the Homes.com business without using the cash flow from the core business. This could include a spinoff of the business with CoStar retaining some ownership, a sale of a part of the business to a strategic investor or taking in some third-party capital. The capital allocation committee is also tasked with assessing international expansion. CoStar has already made moves to expand internationally, including the acquisition of OnTheMarket.com in late 2023, one of the UK’s three most visited residential property portals. The company also recently offered to acquire Australian real estate classifieds firm Domain Holdings. The capital allocation committee will certainly evaluate this potential transaction as well as others and make recommendations to the newly reconstituted board. Ultimately, the goal here is to emerge with the core CoStar business with international growth prospects being valued on a multiple of its $1.3 billion consistent to the 30+ EBITDA multiple it historically received. This would result in an approximate $45 billion enterprise value versus around $30 billion today.
    Both Third Point and D.E. Shaw are not purely activists, but multi-strategy firms that often use activism as an opportunistic tool. Third Point, founded by Dan Loeb, is a true pioneer in shareholder activism, but has used it more sparingly in recent years as dictated by the market environment and available opportunities. D.E. Shaw is relatively new to activism, but the firm has shown over the last several years that it is as proficient at activism as it is at the other strategies it has been so successful with at its multi-strategy fund. While they both settled with the company in their own agreements, the two are certainly like-minded, but not acting as a group. This is an encouraging development, and it’s something we often see today but would rarely see 15 years ago: It puts stockholder value above ego. Third Point disclosed that it has a 2.04% position in CoStar. D.E. Shaw did not disclose its position, but as a $70 billion hedge fund, it does not take small activist positions: We would expect it to be at least the size of Third Point’s.  
    Ken Squire is the founder and president of 13D Monitor, an institutional research service on shareholder activism, and the founder and portfolio manager of the 13D Activist Fund, a mutual fund that invests in a portfolio of activist 13D investments. More

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    Can’t pay your taxes by April 15? You have options, IRS says

    April 15 is the deadline to file federal returns and pay taxes for most taxpayers.
    You should file on time and pay what you can to reduce penalties and interest, experts say.
    However, if you can’t cover the full balance, the IRS has payment plans and most taxpayers can qualify, according to the agency.

    Fotostorm | E+ | Getty Images

    The tax deadline is days away and the IRS is urging taxpayers to file returns on time and “pay as much as they can.”
    However, if you can’t cover your total tax balance, there are options for the remaining taxes owed, according to the agency.

    For most tax filers, April 15 is the due date for federal returns and taxes. But your federal deadline could be later if your state or county was affected by a natural disaster.
    If you are in the military stationed abroad or are in a combat zone during the tax filing season, you may qualify for certain automatic extensions related to the filing and paying of your federal income taxes.
    Additionally, those living and working abroad also have extra time to file. 
    More from Personal Finance:See if you qualify for the $1,400 IRS stimulus check before the deadlineMajority of Americans are financially stressed from tariff turmoil: CNBC survey3 likely student loan changes as Trump looks to overhaul $1.6 trillion system
    If you’re missing tax forms or need more time, you can file a tax extension by April 15, which pushes the federal filing deadline to Oct. 15.  

    But “it’s an extension to file, not an extension to pay,” said Jo Anna Fellon, managing director at financial services firm CBIZ.

    File by April 15 and ‘pay what you can’

    If you can’t cover your balance by April 15, you should still file your return to avoid a higher IRS penalty, experts say.  
    The failure-to-file penalty is 5% of unpaid taxes per month or partial month, capped at 25%.
    By comparison, the failure-to-pay penalty is 0.5% of taxes owed per month, limited to 25%. Both penalties incur interest, which is currently 7% for individuals.

    File on time and pay what you can.

    Misty Erickson
    Tax content manager at the National Association of Tax Professionals

    “File on time and pay what you can,” said Misty Erickson, tax content manager at the National Association of Tax Professionals. “You’re going to reduce penalties and interest.” 
    Don’t panic if you can’t cover the full balance by April 15 because you may have payment options, she said.
    “The IRS wants to work with you,” Erickson added.

    Options if you can’t pay your taxes

    “Most individual taxpayers can qualify for a payment plan,” the IRS said in a recent news release.The “quickest and easiest way” to sign up is by using the online payment agreement, which may include a setup fee, according to the agency.
    These payment options include:

    Short-term payment plan: This may be available if you owe less than $100,000 including tax, penalties and interest. You have up to 180 days to pay in full.

    Long-term payment plan: You’ll have this option if your balance is less than $50,000 including tax, penalties and interest. The monthly payment timeline is up to the IRS “collection statute,” which is typically 10 years.  

    The agency has recently revamped payment plans to make the program “easier and more accessible.”     More

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    Is now a good time to buy gold? Here’s what you need to know

    Gold, used as a safe-haven investment in times of uncertainty, has notched more than a dozen record highs this year.
    Experts often recommend getting investment exposure to gold through an exchange-traded fund. However, in turbulent times, demand for physical gold, and even gold jewelry, is also higher.
    CNBC Financial Advisor Council members weigh in on the best ways to incorporate gold into your portfolio.

    Gold is often considered a safe-haven investment because it typically acts as a hedge in times of political and financial uncertainty. Prices are currently soaring amid fears of a global trade war and its potential to push the U.S. economy into recession.
    However, some analysts think gold prices may have peaked.

    “We’re probably close to maximum optimism on gold at this point,” said Sameer Samana, head of global equities and real assets at the Wells Fargo Investment Institute. Investors who chase returns may find themselves regretting it later.
    “It’s so overbought,” Samana said. “Buying gold right now, you’re coming a little late to the party. It doesn’t mean it’s over, but you’re not early.”
    So far this year, gold prices have notched more than a dozen record highs and are currently trading above $3,000.

    Gold prices pop on tariff escalation

    Gold futures prices were up about 21% year-to-date as of noon ET on Friday and 30% higher compared to the price a year ago. Prices have popped about 7% this week alone, on pace for the best week since March 2020.
    By comparison, the S&P 500 is down about 11% in 2025 and up about 1% in the past year.

    President Donald Trump imposed steep country-specific tariffs on Wednesday, but ultimately delayed them for 90 days. However, a trade war between the U.S. and China — our third-largest trade partner — escalated as each nation engaged in a tit-for-tat tariff increase.
    As of Friday morning, the U.S. had put a 145% tariff on imports from China, which hit back with a 125% levy on U.S. goods.
    While some analysts think gold prices are close to topping out, others think there’s room to run.
    “Even though gold prices are at an all-time high, the reality is that in the next couple of years it could accelerate,” said Jordan Roy-Byrne, founder of The Daily Gold, an online resource for gold, silver and mining stocks.

    How to invest in gold

    Akos Stiller/Bloomberg via Getty Images

    Experts often recommend getting investment exposure to gold through an exchange-traded fund that tracks the price of physical gold, as part of a well-diversified portfolio, rather than buying actual gold coins or bars.
    “For most [investors], I would say a gold bullion-backed ETF makes the most sense,” Samana said. SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) and iShares Gold Trust (IAU) are the two largest gold ETFs, according to ETF.com.
    Financial advisors generally recommend limiting gold exposure to the low-single-digit percentage, perhaps up to 3% or so, of one’s overall portfolio.
    Gold tends to perform “okay” when investors are worried about inflation or stagflation, Samana said — fears sparked by the Trump administration’s recent tariff policies. However, it “rarely does well” during recessions, which is when bonds “really show their value,” he said.

    Buying physical gold

    Alternatively, buying physical gold, or bullion, including bars and coins, “is a financial insurance position, as opposed to part of your portfolio,” explained Roy-Byrne.
    Consumers, especially, seem to like that idea. When Costco started selling 1-ounce bars last year, revenue soared, with Wells Fargo analysts estimating that the wholesaler generated up to $200 million a month from gold sales alone.

    “Amidst the recent stock market turbulence, we’re seeing renewed interest in tangible, physical assets that exist outside traditional financial structures,” according to Tim Schmidt, the founder of Gold IRA Custodians, an online resource for buying gold.
    But buying physical gold during uncertain times may not make much sense for investors unless they are extremely anxious the financial system might implode — at which point physical gold can theoretically help people barter for goods and services, Samana said.

    Buying gold jewelry

    Fine jewelry is a different story. The baseline value of gold jewelry is tied to its precious metal content, according to Schmidt. Higher-karat pieces, or 18K and up, contain more precious metal and typically retain value better, though they may be less durable for everyday wear.
    “High-quality jewelry … can offer both personal enjoyment and potential financial benefits when selected carefully,” he said.
    Craftsmanship and artistry also play a key role in pieces that could appreciate over time, particularly with hallmarks from top brands, such as Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels and Tiffany & Co. 

    Buying gold right now, you’re coming a little late to the party. It doesn’t mean it’s over, but you’re not early.

    Sameer Samana
    head of global equities and real assets at the Wells Fargo Investment Institute

    One year ago, Tiffany’s chief executive officer Anthony Ledru said high-quality jewelry may even be considered “recession proof.”
    “People have been investing in jewelry since ancient times,” Schmidt said. “There’s something psychologically reassuring about holding an investment in your hand, especially during periods when markets seem disconnected from economic realities.”

    What financial advisors say about gold

    Gold prices extended their gains on Wednesday, following a record high in the previous session, as investors sought the comfort of the safe-haven metal in anticipation of the potential impact of U.S. reciprocal tariffs.
    Akos Stiller | Bloomberg | Getty Images

    “We have clients who currently hold positions in gold. These are typically individuals with substantial assets across various industries and sectors, using gold as a means of portfolio diversification and balance,” said Winnie Sun, co-founder and managing director of Sun Group Wealth Partners, based in Irvine, California.
    Even in the face of heightened uncertainty largely due to tariff-induced market swings, “we are not proactively recommending that clients add to their gold positions at this time,” said Sun, a member of CNBC’s Financial Advisor Council. “Instead, we suggest maintaining higher cash reserves, fully funding emergency savings, and reallocating as needed based on evolving financial goals.”

    Lee Baker, a CFP based in Atlanta, says more clients are worried that tariffs will hinder economic growth and have recently been asking about alternative investments in gold. “Often during times of chaos there is a ‘flight to safety,’ so in a time like this we are seeing some movement to gold as a part of the fear trade.”
    According to Baker, who is the founder, owner and president of Apex Financial Services and a member of CNBC’s FA Council, “incorporating gold, and other commodities, is a good idea in general.”
    He recommends adding gold ETFs to client portfolios, although “there have been occasions where we have utilized gold stocks in the form of investing in mining companies or gold-related company mutual funds.”
    As for physical gold, “if it makes you feel good to go grab an ounce at Costco or wherever, do it,” he said. But with that comes the additional responsibility and costs of storing, insuring and safekeeping those holdings, he added.
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    Op-ed: Regulated finance needs to build trust with Gen Z

    Sheila Bair, a former Chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, writes that it’s important to have in place practices to protect young people new to the financial world.
    “I am truly horrified by the toxic advice they are getting from these unqualified ‘finfluencers’ — advice which, if followed, could cause lasting damage to their financial futures.”

    Misinformation and lack of trust in traditional institutions runs rampant in our society.
    The regulated financial sector is no different, particularly among young people. Roughly 38% of Gen Zers get financial information from YouTube, and 33% from TikTok, according to a recent Schwab survey.

    As a former regulator and author of kids’ books about money, I am truly horrified by the toxic advice they are getting from these unqualified “finfluencers” — advice which, if followed, could cause lasting damage to their financial futures.
    Most troubling are finfluencers who encourage young people to borrow. A central theme is that “chumps” earn money by working hard and that rich people make money with debt. They supposedly get rich by borrowing large sums and investing the cash in assets they expect to increase in value or produce income which can cover their loans and also net a tidy profit.
    Of course, the finfluencers can be a little vague about how the average person can find these wondrous investments that will pay off their debt for them. Volatile, risky investments — tech stocks, crypto, precious metals, commercial real estate — are commonly mentioned.

    ‘The road to quick ruin’ for inexperienced investors

    Contrary to their assertions, these finfluencers are not peddling anything new or revelatory. It’s simply borrowing to speculate.
    For centuries, that strategy has been pursued by inexperienced investors as the path to quick riches, when in reality, it’s the road to quick ruin. There is always “smart money” on the other side of their transactions, ready to take advantage of them. For young people just starting out, with limited incomes and tight budgets, it’s the last thing they should be doing with their precious cash.

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    Debt glorification is not the only bad advice being peddled on the internet.
    You can find finfluencers advising against diversified, low fee stock funds in favor of active trading (without disclosing research consistently showing active trading’s inferior returns). Or ones that discourage individual retirement accounts and 401(k) plans as savings vehicles in favor of real estate or business startups (without mentioning lost tax benefits as well as the heavy costs and expertise needed to manage real estate or high failure rates among young companies).
    Some encourage making minimum payments on credit cards to free up money for speculative investments (without mentioning the hefty interest costs of carrying credit card balances which compound daily).
    Why are so many young people turning to these unqualified social media personalities for help in managing their money instead of regulated and trained finance professionals?
    One reason: the finfluencers make their advice entertaining. It may be wrong, but it’s short and punchy. Materials provided by regulated financial service providers can sometimes be dry and technical.

    Where to get trustworthy money advice

    Xavier Lorenzo | Moment | Getty Images

    They may be boring, but regulated institutions are still the best resource for young people to get basic, free information.
    FDIC-insured banks can explain to them how to open checking and savings accounts and avoid unnecessary fees. Any major brokerage firm can walk through how to set up a retirement saving account. It’s part of their function to explain their products and services, and they have regulators overseeing how they do it.
    In addition, regulators themselves offer educational resources directly to the public. For young adults, one of the most widely used is Money Smart, offered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation — an agency I once proudly chaired.
    There are also many excellent regulated and certified financial planners. However, most young people will not have the budget to pay for financial advice. 
    They don’t have to if they just keep it simple: set a budget, stick to it, save regularly, and start investing for retirement early in a low-fee, well-diversified stock index fund. They should minimize their use of financial products and services. The more accounts and credit cards they use, the harder it will be to keep track of their money.

    Above all, they should ignore unqualified “finfluencers.” 
    Check their credentials. Question their motives. Most are probably trying to build ad revenue or sell financial products. In the case of celebrities, find out who’s paying them (because most likely, someone is).
    Regulated finance needs to reclaim its status as a more trustworthy source for advice. The best way to do that is, well, provide good advice. Every time a young adult is burnt by surprise bank fees, seduced into over borrowing by a misleading credit card offer, or told to put their retirement savings into a high fee, underperforming fund, they lose trust.
    I know regulation and oversight are out of favor these days. But we need a way to keep out the bad actors, and practices to protect young people new to the financial world. It’s important to their financial futures and the future of the industry as well.
    Sheila Bair is former Chair of the FDIC, author of the Money Tales book series, and the upcoming “How Not to Lose $1 Million” for teens. She is a member of CNBC’s Global Financial Wellness Advisory Board. More

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    73% of Americans are financially stressed. Two-thirds say tariff concerns are the source: CNBC survey

    Inflation has been the main cause of financial stress for Americans over the last three years, according to CNBC surveys. Meanwhile, 66% of respondents now point to tariff wars as a factor, according to a new CNBC survey, conducted April 3-7.
    Two-thirds of Americans are concerned that tariffs will hurt their personal financial situation, according to the survey of 4,200 adults.

    Americans are growing increasingly uneasy about the state of the U.S. economy and their own personal financial situation in the face of stubborn inflation and tariff wars.
    To that point, 73% of respondents said they are “financially stressed,” with 66% of that group pointing to the tariff wars as a main source, according to a new CNBC/Survey Monkey online poll.

    The survey of 4,200 U.S. adults was conducted April 3 to 7.

    Americans feeling financially stressed

    CNBC/Survey Monkey polls from 2023, 2024, and this year have found that, on average, more than 70% of Americans said that they are stressed about their personal finances. This year’s survey found that 38% of respondents overall said they are “very stressed,” and 29% of high-earners with incomes of $100,000 or more also shared that sentiment.
    Consumers are, of course, increasingly stressed by rising prices for essentials like food, energy, and shelter. This is due to a number of factors, including rising inflation, supply chain disruptions and geopolitical events.
    In the new CNBC survey, 86% of Americans cite inflation as the top reason for their financial stress, while 75% pointed to interest rates and 66% cited tariffs. 
    While inflation peaked at 8% in 2022, a 40-year high, it has since cooled significantly, reaching 2.4% in March. Despite this decline, the increased prices during 2022 have led to a loss of purchasing power for Americans, meaning they can buy less with the same amount of money than before.

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    It would take nearly $114 today to buy what would have cost $100 in January of 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    And while Inflation has eased, experts do say the fallout from President Trump’s trade war threatens to put upward pressure on prices in the months to come.
    Tariffs are generally considered to be inflationary, economists say. This is because tariffs increase the cost of imported goods, which can then be passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices. This can lead to a temporary increase in the overall inflation rate.
    “We know that tariffs are inflationary,” said David McWilliams, an economist, podcaster and author. “We know that’s hitting on people’s expectations of how much money they’re going to have in their pocket in a couple of months time.”
    So, when it comes to financial stress caused by tariffs, 59% of those surveyed by CNBC oppose President Trump’s tariff policy, with 72% concerned about the impact on their personal financial situation.
    As a result, 32% said they have delayed or avoided making retail purchases, and 15% said they have “stocked up.”
    What’s more, 34% of those surveyed said they have made changes to their investments due to recent stock market volatility from tariffs.

    Handling financial stress

    Many investors are concerned about their retirement savings, but financial experts say it’s important for those with a long-term perspective to understand that short-term market volatility is a distraction that’s better off ignored.
    “The biggest thing is that it’s unknown, and when we don’t know things, and we can’t control things, that’s when our anxiety and our worry can spike, and it’s contagious,” said licensed therapist and executive coach George James, CNBC Global Financial Wellness Advisory Board member, a licensed therapist and executive coach.
    While the market could be in for a bumpy ride over the next few months, experts say it’s best to stay the course and avoid making major portfolio changes based on the latest news.
    To manage investments during the latest tariff volatility, for example, financial advisors urge investors to maintain a long-term perspective, review and potentially adjust their asset allocation, and consider diversification to mitigate risk. It’s also smart to bolster emergency funds, review your risk tolerance, and explore opportunities for tax-loss harvesting.
    Financial experts also urge investors to focus on their risk appetite — and their goals.
    “This is the time to evaluate short-, mid-, and long-term financial needs, concerns, and goals. Evaluation before action or inaction is essential,” said Michael Liersch, head of advice and planning at Wells Fargo, said in an e-mail to CNBC. “Getting specific on exact dollar targets, timelines around these targets, and their level of importance [priority] can create clarity around what should be done, if anything.”
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