by Mallika Mitra Are you fascinated with what your DNA says about you? You’ve got plenty of company. MIT Technology Review found that as many people purchased tests from major brands like 23andMe and Ancestry in 2018 as in all previous years combined. Though DNA testing kit sales dipped a little in 2019 overall, 23andMe’s test was a bestseller during last year’s Amazon Prime Day.

by Kristen Bahler There are a million variables that duke it out to determine whether a kid is going to be “good” at school or “bad” at it, but researchers have gotten closer to understanding at least one of them.

by Chris Taylor Online banking in the COVID-19 era can be a double-edged sword for older adults. On the plus side, handling financial transactions online can be a godsend: It means seniors don’t have to trudge to their local brick-and-mortar branch, interact in close proximity with others, and potentially put themselves at higher risk for the coronavirus.

by Mallika Mitra The U.S. dollar is not having a good summer. Down around 9% from its March highs, the greenback looks like it’s on its way to having its worst month in nearly a decade. Sure, that might be bad if you were thinking of booking a vacation abroad, but it could actually be a good thing for your investment portfolio. First off, why is the dollar weakening? The currency was strong for a while, then the pandemic hit and the Fed cut short-term interest rates to near zero.

by Mallika Mitra So far, 2020 has been unpredictable, to say the least. And it doesn’t look like the second half of the year or even 2021 can promise a return to normalcy. With everything so up in the air, it can be hard to make any sort of plans, whether it be a vacation or even a trip to the movie theater. But a financial plan is one you probably want to work on, or revisit, especially if you have been financially impacted by the pandemic.

by Brenda Richardson When Lindsey Morris saw a contemporary two-story house for sale online, she knew it was “the one.” It was a unique property for the Canton, Michigan area. “Most of the homes are either quad levels or colonials,” said Morris. “This one was modern, it stood out.” After touring on a Thursday in early July, Morris was sure the house would sell quickly.

by Jason Steele It’s really hard to match the benefits of the American Express Platinum — which, like that of other travel rewards cards, are most valuable to frequent travelers. But if you’re grounded these days due to travel restrictions and concerns surrounding COVID-19, is this card still worth its annual fee? While the American Express Platinum is loaded with perks and benefits, its big drawback is the BIG annual fee: $550.

by Elizabeth O'Brien Nearly a quarter of Baby Boomers plan to postpone their retirement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new survey, and about the same number say the crisis has changed when they plan to claim their Social Security benefits. Some 24% of those 56 and older say the pandemic has caused them to push back their planned retirement date, according to a survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of The Nationwide Retirement Institute.

by Aly J. Yale Mason and Taylor Miranda desperately wanted to buy a house before starting a family. Their apartment was small, it was in an unsafe area, and it just wasn’t a suitable place to welcome their first child. The only problem? A 20% down payment was way out of reach for the couple. In fact, according to Mason, even a medium-sized down payment would have put them “in a financial pickle.

by Martha C. White Gold recently hit a record high. Owning gold as part of your investment portfolio may still make sense — if your goal is protect yourself against a volatile stock market, rather than chase profits. The price of gold reached its highest-ever on Monday, with spot prices briefly touching nearly $1,944 per ounce, well above the previous record of roughly $1,921 that was set in September 2011. Gold prices tend to rise when the value of the U.S. dollar or Treasury yields fall.