The S&P 500 ended 2024 up more than 23%. "That’s an amazing return, and it beats inflation,” Finn says. “If you put your money in most bank accounts right now, you are still not earning much ...

The consumer price index, an inflation gauge, rose 2.9% on an annual basis in December. That's up from 2.7% in November. Energy, food, new and used vehicles, car insurance and airline fares were ...