FatCamera | E+ | Getty Images There’s good news for families that don’t traditionally file taxes but have children who are eligible for the new, enhanced child tax credit. They will soon be able to send their information directly to the IRS without filing a tax return, ensuring that they receive the monthly payments, which
Personal finance
Samuel Corum | Getty Images News | Getty Images The top 1% would see their federal taxes rise by more than $213,000, on average, next year as a result of President Joe Biden’s tax plan, according to an analysis published Wednesday by the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. Such households, which earn about $800,000 or more
Image Source | DigitalVision | Getty Images More than 2.3 million new stimulus checks have been sent, representing over $4.2 billion in payments to Americans, the government announced on Wednesday. In total, more than 169 million payments worth about $395 billion have been issued since Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in March. That
nortonrsx | iStock | Getty Images Americans are ready to start spending money to treat themselves — and 44% are willing to go into debt to do it, a report from CreditCards.com finds. Millennials, ages 24-40, are most likely to take on more debt (59%) followed by Gen Zers, ages 18-24, coming in at 56%.
President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the May jobs report in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters President Joe Biden wants to raise taxes on inheritances to help fund his lofty infrastructure plans. The proposals call for taxing capital gains on inherited property at death, treating the transfer like a sale. Heirs may exclude
DAVID GRAY | AFP | Getty Images Gold is often touted as a way to hedge against inflation — a risk that’s top of mind for investors right now. But gold hasn’t lived up to the hype. Its record has been spotty, according to historical data. An investment that hedges against inflation would generally rise
Morsa Images | E+ | Getty Images Covid-19 vaccination rates are increasing, restrictions are easing and Americans are getting back to a new normal — including spending. For some, that may come with a need to reconfigure their personal budget after a year inside. Those in that situation have a number of free or low-cost
zimmytws | iStock | Getty Images President Joe Biden’s 2022 budget could give the Social Security Administration a $1.3 billion — or 9.7% — boost in funding. In total, the president is calling for $14.2 billion for the agency for fiscal year 2022. The proposed increase comes as the Social Security Administration expects to pay
Uwe Krejci | DigitalVision | Getty Images The IRS on Monday announced it has started sending letters to more than 36 million American families who may be eligible for the expanded child tax credit and monthly payments set to begin in July. The maximum enhanced credit, which was established by the American Rescue Plan in
Delmaine Donson | E+ | Getty Images Federal refunds are on the way to more than 2.8 million people who paid taxes on unemployment benefits that no longer apply due to changes made by the American Rescue Plan Act. The law, passed by Congress in March, excludes the first $10,200 of unemployment benefits from household
When the market was crashing in March 2020, financial advisor Ivory Johnson, founder of Delancey Wealth Management, decided it was time to introduce cryptocurrencies to his clients. “I did it because I saw how active the Federal Reserve was and how much they were diluting the dollar,” which would be incredibly inflationary, Johnson said. A
MoMo Productions | DigitalVision | Getty Images More than two dozen states are opting out of federal unemployment programs early, meaning nearly 4 million Americans will see their benefits reduced or cut entirely. But monthly payments of the child tax credit, slated to start July 15, may offer a financial lifeline to parents who lose
Chef Matt Bolus Source: Kelli LaMatia Like many restaurant owners, Matt Bolus, executive chef of The 404 Kitchen in Nashville, had to get creative when the city shut down due to Covid-19 mandates last spring. He kept some of his core staff busy by cooking meals for the local food bank, private dinners and other
The Money Plot by Frederick Kaufman Source: Other Press What is money? Why do we need it? These are some of the big questions writer Frederick Kaufman explores in his book “The Money Plot: A History of Currency’s Power to Enchant, Control, and Manipulate,” which was published in the thick of the pandemic. Kaufman, a
teekid | E+ | Getty Images After Janell Ivy lost her job at a daycare center because of the pandemic, she fell behind on her $890 rent. The single mother feared that she and her four children, all under the age of 7, would be evicted from their apartment in Houston. She packed up her
Many Americans are suddenly house rich. On paper, anyway. Soaring home prices have resulted in a record amount of home equity on hand. By the end of last year, roughly 46 million homeowners held a total $7.3 trillion in equity to tap, the largest amount ever recorded, according to Black Knight, a mortgage technology and
Siraj Ahmad | iStock | Getty Images More than 10 million Americans, or 14% of U.S. renters, say they aren’t caught up with their housing payments, meaning many could be at risk when the national moratorium on evictions expires in under a month. That finding comes from data collected by the Census Bureau between May
Lee Jimenez, a teacher at Indian Hill Elementary School in Cincinnati, Ohio, discusses credit cards and methods of payments with his 3rd grade class using online financial education curriculum SmartPath. SMARTPATH There’s been an extra push to get personal finance education into high schools across the country this year, following the coronavirus pandemic. So far
Newark, New Jersey. Sean Pavone | iStock | Getty Images Since September, most renters across the country have been protected from eviction, thanks to an unprecedented moratorium on the proceedings ordered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Now that ban will expire in less than a month, and millions of Americans could find
Marcos Elihu Castillo Ramirez | iStock | Getty Images Medicare may not be top of mind if you’re nearing the eligibility age of 65 and already have health insurance through your employer. However, it probably deserves some attention. While not everyone must sign up, many are required to enroll unless they want to face life-lasting