Personal finance

A Social Security Administration office in Sebring, Florida. Jeff Greenberg | Universal Images Group | Getty Images Those who sought help from their local Social Security Administration office recently may have been met with a new challenge — long outside lines in the summer heat. That prompted congressional lawmakers to write to the federal agency

Catherine Mcqueen | Moment | Getty Images The unemployment rate ticked up to 3.7% in August, the Labor Department said Friday. While more people becoming unemployed may sound alarming, especially against the backdrop of lingering worries about a recession, labor economists cited “good” reasons for the increase. A higher unemployment rate was “the best news

Student-loan debt activists rally outside the White House a day after President Biden announced a plan that would cancel $10,000 in student loan debt for those making less than $125,000 a year in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 25, 2022. The Washington Post | The Washington Post | Getty Images Federal student loan borrowers could get

Chaay_tee | Istock | Getty Images Student debt can make it harder for people to start a business or purchase a home — and one reason for that is that lenders take into account your existing financial obligations. Now that President Joe Biden has announced he plans to cancel up to $20,000 for millions of

Nirunya Juntoomma | Istock | Getty Images If you’re feeling unsteady amid stock market volatility, high inflation and rising interest rates, you may wonder how much cash you really need to have handy. But the right amount to have in your emergency fund depends on your family’s situation and needs, financial experts say.   Still, with

london, uk Peter Muller | Image Source | Getty Images Few things cause more financial distress and anxiety than a large slug of high-interest rate credit card debt. Millions of Americans of all income levels carry large balances on credit cards that charge very high interest rates. According to Federal Reserve data, the average annual

Sebastian Rothe / Eyeem | Eyeem | Getty Images Households may soon be able to claim thousands of dollars in tax breaks and rebates if they take steps to reduce their carbon footprint. But eco-friendly consumers must wait until 2023 — perhaps even 2024 or later — to see many of those financial benefits. The

At the height of the Covid pandemic, many young adults moved back in with mom and dad. It was an unprecedented moment of uncertainty; college campuses were closed, and jobs were scarce. More than two years later, 67% of millennials and Gen Zers who moved home are still there, according to a recent report by

Caroline Purser | The Image Bank | Getty Images In the two weeks since President Joe Biden made his announcement on federal student loan forgiveness, many new details have emerged on how the historic plan will work, including who qualifies for it and when borrowers may see their balances reduced. Meanwhile, news last week that

Mathieu Young/Getty Images Americans traveling to Europe can do so a bit more cheaply these days than in recent years. The U.S. dollar is trading at its highest level in roughly two decades relative to the euro — meaning travelers can buy more overseas. related investing news ‘Get out of these distorted markets’: Mohamed El-Erian

Getty Images The amount of money you drop on subscriptions may be more than you realize, recent research suggests. More than half of consumers (54%) underestimate how much they spend monthly on subscriptions by at least $100, according to a survey commissioned by market research firm C+R Research. For 24%, the difference was $200 or

izusek | E+ | Getty Images To pay for a historic and sweeping expansion of the social safety net, President Joe Biden and Democrats are planning to slap wealthy Americans with higher taxes. In response, financial advisors and their well-off clients are also scheming. Specifically, they’re looking at moves they can take now to avoid

Westend61 Panic selling often happens during stock market dips, and those who dump investments may later regret their decision.  The bigger issue, however, is getting back into the market after a “freak out,” according to research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “Panic selling is predictable,” said co-author Chi Heem Wong, researcher at MIT, and there

lisegagne | E+ | Getty Images The new enhanced child tax credit may help parents continue working, a recent study shows. Nearly 94% of parents said they planned to continue working or even work more once receiving the credit, which began in monthly installments in July, according to a report from a team of researchers

mediaphotos | E+ | Getty Images Many popular tax-planning strategies are on the chopping block as Democrats debate how to pay for their $3.5 trillion spending package. However, now is the time to consider year-end moves to lower next year’s tax bill, regardless of what happens in Congress. “Year-end tax planning should be done every

Valeriy_G | iStock | Getty Images If you have a big wad of cash to invest, you may wonder whether you should put all of it to work immediately or spread out over time. Regardless of what the markets are doing, you’re more likely to end up with a higher balance down the road by

A sign featuring Jeff Bezos calls for taxing the rich in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021. Stefani Reynolds | Bloomberg | Getty Images The wealthiest 400 American families paid an 8.2% average rate on their federal individual income taxes from 2010 to 2018, according to a

sorn340 | iStock | Getty Images It’s now been more than seven months since President Joe Biden asked the U.S. Department of Justice to review his legal authority to cancel student debt. The agency hasn’t released its findings yet. And although top Democrats argue that the president can cancel the debt through executive action, Biden

In this article BKCC Ronnie Kaufman | DigitalVision | Getty Images Everyone wants to be happy in retirement. So what will it take to get there? It’s not just saving money, although that is key, according to certified financial planner Wes Moss, chief investment strategist at Atlanta-based Capital Investment Advisors and author of the upcoming

People protest for a moratorium on evictions on Aug. 4, 2021 in New York. Stephanie Keith | Getty Images Millions of renters are at risk of financial hardship as federal and state relief measures wind down. That’s a new warning from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which found that the pandemic-era safety net helped renters