Personal finance

Valentinrussanov | E+ | Getty Images The IRS has unveiled final testing for Direct File, the agency’s free tax filing program, with plans to fully open in 12 pilot states on March 12. Starting March 4, Direct File will expand final testing for eligible new users to begin federal returns, with availability 24 hours per

Customers look at appliances for sale at a Best Buy store in Miami, Florida, Oct. 8, 2021. Joe Raedle | Getty Images Sara Rathner didn’t want to replace her clothes dryer. But a part was clearly broken, causing the machine to make a high-pitched squealing sound every time she dried a load of laundry.  “We

In this article TREE Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Fuse | Corbis | Getty Images When you buy or sell a home, your real estate agent’s commissions can trim thousands of dollars off the sale price — but many consumers don’t realize you can negotiate those terms. Nearly a third, 31%, of homebuyers and

A general view of the Baker Library/Bloomberg Center on February 17, 2024, at Harvard Business School in Allston, MA.  Erica Denhoff | Icon Sportswire | Icon Sportswire | Getty Images A Harvard Business School graduate tricked his fellow alumni and associates into investing at least $2.9 million in a Ponzi scheme he ran, New York

Fotostorm | E+ | Getty Images “Ghosting” isn’t just a dating phenomenon: It has grown more common at the workplace, too. And that unreliable behavior risks reputational harm to employers and job seekers, said career experts. The concept of ghosting — abruptly and unexpectedly ceasing communication with someone (i.e., disappearing) — arose around the mid-2010s

Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images As thousands of layoffs make headlines, experts say there is a silver lining — a resilient job market. But to find your next position faster as companies cut costs, you may have to take a new approach. In January, companies cut a record 82,307 positions, the highest number of

Barring a $1 billion donation or broad-based student loan forgiveness, college is becoming a path for only those with the means to pay for it, many reports now show.  But some colleges have a new strategy to entice students wary of the high cost.    Roughly two dozen schools have introduced “no-loan” policies, which means they are

In this article T Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT A cellular tower is seen on Feb. 22, 2024 in Redondo Beach, California. The outage affected tens of thousands of customers in cities across the country whose phones lost signal overnight. Eric Thayer | Getty Images News | Getty Images AT&T is reimbursing customers affected

Fg Trade | E+ | Getty Images Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Paramount are among a long list of companies with recent layoffs. Many of those unemployed workers are now trying to figure out how to get by without a paycheck. CNBC spoke to financial experts on the best way to use your financial resources while

Getty Images If you’re expecting a tax refund this season, you can avoid delays by filing a complete and accurate return. But first, you’ll need to gather your tax forms. You get tax forms such as W-2s and 1099s from employers and financial institutions each year. Those entities also send the IRS copies, called “information

In this article FIS Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT In a year that defied most economists’ expectations, retirement savers reaped the benefits. Retirement account balances, which took a sharp nosedive in 2022 due to market volatility, have now started to bounce back, according to the latest data from Fidelity Investments, the nation’s largest provider

In this article HRB Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT An H&R Block tax preparation office is seen on Flatbush Avenue in the Prospect Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn in New York City on Feb. 6, 2024. Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images News | Getty Images After cracking down on TurboTax maker Intuit, the Federal

Milos Dimic | E+ | Getty Images With various factors keeping homeownership out of reach for Americans, many aspiring homeowners are pessimistic, doubting they will ever achieve that goal. Would-be buyers point to two major obstacles holding them back, according to a new Bankrate report. About half, 51%, point to a high cost of living,

Brandon Bell | Getty Images News | Getty Images A handful of airlines — Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, JetBlue Airways and United Airlines — have raised their fees for checked bags this year. But if you plan ahead, such fees are easy to reduce or avoid altogether. On Friday, United raised its fee to $40

Alistair Berg | Digitalvision | Getty Images A record 8.7% cost-of-living adjustment helped Social Security beneficiaries stave off the effects of inflation in 2023. But as they file their federal returns this tax season, they may be surprised to find more of their benefit income has been taxed. Capitol Hill lawmakers on both sides of

Witthaya Prasongsin | Moment | Getty Images Despite a slump in U.S. home sales, many homeowners made a profit selling property in 2023. Those gains could trigger a tax bill this season, depending on the size of the windfall, experts say. In 2023, home sellers made a $121,000 profit on the typical median-priced single-family home,

Payment apps have come under scrutiny by lawmakers and regulators as their usage skyrockets. It only takes a tap to instantly send money to friends and family. Customers also use them to quickly buy goods online. That ease of use has 80% of Americans using mobile payment apps, according to a recent survey by NerdWallet.

Runstudio | The Image Bank | Getty Images Credit card interest rates have ballooned to record highs in recent years — and the growing portion of the formula that generates profit for card issuers is partly to blame, according to a new analysis by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The average consumer paid a 22.8%

Maskot | Digitalvision | Getty Images Several factors may affect your path toward homeownership — one may be your parents. “If your parents are homeowners, you’re more likely to be a homeowner,” said Susan M. Wachter, a professor of real estate and finance at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Homeowner parents are

Maskot | Digitalvision | Getty Images While homeownership is out of reach for many Black Americans, most still see it as a hallmark of success. About 66% of Black Americans consider themselves successful in some way, according to a recent study by the Pew Research Center. Slightly more than half of those surveyed, 52%, believe homeownership