Personal finance

krisanapong detraphiphat | Moment | Getty Images About 1 in 3 of the lowest-income families have a savings account, according to research published Monday by the Consumer Federation of America, a consumer advocacy group. Thirty percent of households in the bottom fifth — those who earn less than about $26,000 a year — owned a

Pedestrians sit in the outdoor dining section of a restaurant in the SoHo neighborhood of New York, U.S., on Wednesday, May 19, 2021. Photographer: Nina Westervelt/Bloomberg via Getty Images Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images As the economy recovers and the market notches new highs, most people are ready to live it up. Between dining out and taking trips,

Residential buildings in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. James Andrews | iStock | Getty Images The U.S. Supreme Court has struck down at least part of New York’s eviction moratorium, potentially leaving thousands of renters in the state at risk of being forced out of their homes. The court’s order

Vstock LLC | Getty Images Federal stimulus and enhanced tax credits have provided benefits to millions of Americans. However, some low-income workers may not receive a boost. The earned income tax credit, known as the EITC or EIC, offers a write-off for low- and moderate-income families. To qualify, taxpayers must have earned income — wages

New York City housing advocates and tenants march to demand Gov. Andrew Cuomo cancel rent amid the pandemic on Oct. 10, 2020. Andrew Lichtenstein | Corbis News | Getty Images A U.S. judge rejected on Friday a request by landlord groups to block the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new eviction moratorium. The decision

Tom Werner | DigitalVision | Getty Images More households got a monthly payment of the child tax credit in August, reaching an additional 1.6 million kids relative to July, the Treasury Department and IRS said Friday. The IRS disbursed $15 billion to families in the second round of payments, issued Friday to households with about

In this article 1735-TW Erin Scott/Bloomberg via Getty Images The Labor Department is pumping $240 million into the nation’s unemployment system to fight ongoing fraud, part of a broader effort to fix flaws in the system exposed by the Covid pandemic. Criminals have targeted unemployment benefits at a high rate since spring 2020, after federal

andresr | E+ | Getty Images “The Great Resignation” is apparently still going strong across America. In fact, some people want to quit their jobs so badly, they are willing to go into debt to do it, a survey from Credit Karma found. Currently, 38% of U.S. workers are seeking employment elsewhere and 41% are

Getty Images Having a big wad of cash to invest means not only deciding what to buy, but when. If you’re debating between investing the money all at once or through regular deployments at set intervals (known as dollar-cost averaging), be aware that you’re more likely to end up with a higher balance down the

In this article TREE darekm101 | Getty Image Big-city dwellers may dream of slashing expenses by moving to the country. But owning a home in a small town can be just as costly as a major metropolis — and in some cases, properties may be pricier. That’s according to a study from LendingTree, which analyzed

In this article NCLH Giacomo Augugliaro | Moment | Getty Images As the rampant delta variant of Covid-19 threatens the post-pandemic travel and tourism rebound, there’s growing acceptance of so-called vaccine passports among a one-hesitant U.S. public and increased calls for their mandated use across the industry. A survey from travel website Upgraded Points of

Alex Potemkin | E+ | Getty Images Being ultra-tech-savvy apparently isn’t enough to protect you from online scams, a new report suggests. The number of individuals age 20 or younger — members of Generation Z who have grown up on smartphones and the internet — reporting they are victims of cyber-fraud has surged 156% over

Getty Images Young investors are flocking to social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Reddit for financial advice. In fact, one-third of Americans trust social media to help them make financial decisions, and 32% trust social media influencers and celebrities’ financial advice, a survey from investment firm TIAA found. Navigating the slew of recommendations can

Customers at the bar in Philadelphia restaurant Martha, which requires customer proof of vaccination, on Aug. 7, 2021. Hannah Beier | Reuters Business are getting creative in their efforts to attract and retain workers amid a labor shortage caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Ray Bales, president of a Seniors Helping Seniors franchise in Knoxville, Tennessee,

Senate Democrats released the text of a budget resolution on Monday, which lays out the framework for a $3.5 trillion spending plan.   Among widespread investments in social programs and climate policy, the budget resolution would make community college tuition-free for two years — a move President Joe Biden as been advocating since the campaign trail. “At its

PamelaJoeMcFarlane | E+ | Getty Images The first half of 2021 was very different than the volatile first six months of 2020. To that point, the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index returned 15% in the first half of this year — healthy growth in just about any full year. Yet, with the potential for inflation

Health insurance for America’s older population would be expanded under a $3.5 trillion budget plan released Monday by Senate Democrats. As part of the budget blueprint, Medicare — relied on by most Americans once they reach the eligibility age of 65 — would cover dental, vision and hearing. Additionally, the age when people can sign

Halfpoint | iStock | Getty Images Many Americans are looking to Labor Day with dread. That’s when some 7.5 million of them will stop receiving their unemployment benefits. The number is more than five times the 1.3 million people who lost aid in December 2013 as the country walked away from the Great Recession. Although

FatCamera | E+ | Getty Images There’s about a week left for anyone who’s uninsured to see if they qualify for free or low-cost private health insurance through the public marketplace. A special enrollment period that will end on Aug. 15 allows you to use healthcare.gov to sign up for a plan, which could come

Sue Barr | Image Source | Getty Images Families with children would be major winners if the $3.5 trillion budget blueprint released Monday by Democrats holds up. The package instructs Senate committees to invest trillions of dollars to boost the social safety net for families through programs and services such as an expanded child tax