Personal finance

The U.S. Department of Education announced Monday it is introducing a “FAFSA College Support Strategy” with additional personnel, funding, resources and technology to help colleges process the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid forms after the rollout was repeatedly complicated by a number of setbacks.   “We are determined to get this right,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel

Guido Mieth | Stone | Getty Images As millions of Americans start filing returns, experts warn that last year’s tax withholding errors could trigger an unexpected bill. The IRS requires tax payments throughout the year and many workers do that via automatic employer paycheck withholdings. Typically, you can expect a refund if you overpaid. By

Americans now owe a collective $1.13 trillion on their credit cards, according to a new report on household debt from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Credit card balances increased by $50 billion, or roughly 5%, in the fourth quarter of 2023, the New York Fed found. Credit card delinquency rates also jumped — particularly among

Rockaa | E+ | Getty Images Despite earning more, many Gen Z adults and millennials are having a hard time finding room in their budgets to invest. To that point, 63% of young adults believe the stock market is a great place to build wealth and invest, but many are not participating, according to the

Catherine Falls Commercial | Moment | Getty Images If you’ve noticed the cost of your car insurance policy has gone up, you’re not alone. Inflation takes some of the blame, but your credit score may have a role as well. The national average cost for full-coverage car insurance has gone up to $2,543 per year,

House Democratic Caucus Chairman James E. Clyburn, D-S.C., during an interview in his hideaway in the U.S. Capitol.  Scott J. Ferrell | Cq-roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images WASHINGTON, D.C. — On a recent Sunday afternoon, Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., was attending a church service in his hometown of Sumter, South Carolina, when a member

ozgurcankaya Filing taxes is more expensive this year as the industry raises prices to combat a growing accountant shortage. The cost of tax preparation and accounting fees grew 8.3% in November 2023 compared to the previous year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Taxpayers typically spend an average of $140 to file taxes

Sneksy | E+ | Getty Images Rent prices are coming down in some areas, but not at the pace needed to relieve tenants struggling to pay rent. Half of renters in the U.S. spent more than 30% of their income in 2022 on rent and utilities, according to the new America’s Rental Housing report by

The job market looks solid on paper. Over the course of 2023, U.S. employers added 2.7 million people to their payrolls, according to government data. Unemployment hit a 54-year low at 3.4% in January 2023 and ticked up just slightly to 3.7% by December. “The labor market has been fairly strong and surprisingly resilient,” said

Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images There’s no place like home — especially as you age. Most adults ages 50 and up — 77% — want to stay in their homes long term, according to AARP. Yet many are putting off the necessary improvements and upgrades to their homes to make that possible. “People might

Skynesher | E+ | Getty Images New government data shows a surprisingly strong job market for the month of January. But there are signs of weakness in the labor market, based on tens of thousands of workers who have been laid off since 2024 started. U.S. employers announced 82,307 job cuts in January, up from

Laylabird | E+ | Getty Images Tens of millions of Americans file tax returns every year — and many are missing a “valuable credit,” according to the IRS. In 2022, roughly 23 million filers received $57 billion from the earned income tax credit, or EITC, a tax break for low- to moderate-income workers. But nearly

James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano and Edie Falco as Carmela Soprano seek counseling in HBO’s hit television series, “The Sopranos.” HBO | Hulton Archive | Getty Images Quiet luxury is out, and the “mob wife” era is in, according to Kayla Trivieri’s viral TikTok video. “Bold glamour is making a comeback,” she says. Think: Carmela Soprano

In an already tumultuous year for college hopefuls, news that financial aid award letters will likely be late is the latest blow. The delay puts high school seniors under pressure to decide on a college with little or no time to weigh the most important factor: cost. The U.S. Department of Education said rolling out the

J_art | Moment | Getty Images House lawmakers on Wednesday night passed a $78 billion bipartisan tax package, including a child tax credit expansion that could benefit millions of children in low-income families, according to policy experts. If enacted, the bill would expand access to the child tax credit, or CTC, and retroactively boost the

Recep-bg | E+ | Getty Images Rent costs are beginning come down after record-high asking prices. “Rental markets are cooling, but in a lot of places, it doesn’t mean they’re falling. It means they’re growing at a slower pace,” said Whitney Airgood-Obrycki, senior research associate focused on affordable housing at the Joint Center for Housing

The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday it will leave interest rates unchanged, setting the stage for rate cuts to come and paving the way for relief from the combination of higher rates and inflation that have hit consumers particularly hard.  Although Fed officials indicated as many as three cuts coming this year, the pace that they trim interest

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to United Auto Workers members at the UAW’s Community Action Program legislative conference in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 24, 2024. Leah Millis | Reuters The Biden administration announced on Wednesday that it will try to deliver student loan forgiveness to borrowers experiencing financial hardship. After the Supreme Court struck down

Photoattractive | E+ | Getty Images Building wealth may feel like a struggle for today’s younger generations who grapple with student loan balances and high home prices. Now, a new bill introduced in Congress aims to make it so wealth creation starts from birth. The proposal — called the 401Kids Savings Act — is led

Travelcouples | Moment | Getty Images Jan. 30 is National Plan for Vacation Day — and travelers mapping out their next excursion have a few reliable money-saving hacks at their disposal. Total travel costs — including airfare, hotels, rental cars, dining out and entertainment — are down an average 2% in the past year, according