Personal finance

In this article WFC Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Spencer Platt | Getty Images News | Getty Images Wells Fargo paid back $40 million to almost 11,000 customers who for years were overcharged on fees for investment advice, the Securities and Exchange Commission said Friday. The bank also agreed to pay a $35 million

Morsa Images | Digitalvision | Getty Images Most workers are hoping that flexible Covid-era work policies will stay in place. A new survey from Bankrate found 89% of full-time workers, or those looking for full-time work, are in favor of remote and hybrid work or four-day work weeks. More than half of workers — 51%

I Love Images | Cultura | Getty Images Rising interest rates are pushing auto loan rates upwards for both new and used cars across the U.S.  The average annual percentage rate for new cars rose 7.1%, in the second quarter of the year, according to car website Edmunds, while that for used cars ticked up

AleksandarNakic | E+ | Getty Images The subject of Social Security was largely left untouched in the first Republican presidential debate. But worries about the future of the program loom large in Americans’ minds, a recent survey from the Nationwide Retirement Institute shows. To that point, 75% of individuals age 50 and up worry Social

Artistgndphotography | E+ | Getty Images Savers are now getting higher cash yields after several interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve. But taxes on those earnings could be a surprise, experts say. As of Aug. 24, the top 1% of savings accounts were paying average rates north of 4.5%, and the most competitive one-year

Getty Images For students and their families, this could be the most expensive back-to-school season to date. This year’s total back-to-school spending, including for college students, is expected to reach a record $41.5 billion, up from $36.9 billion last year and the previous high of $37.1 billion in 2021, according to the National Retail Federation. Families

A 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST all-electric pickup truck on display at the International Auto Show at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York on April 13, 2022. China News Service | China News Service | Getty Images Car shoppers are paying more than ever to finance new vehicles — and pickup trucks are

Scott Olson | Getty Images Eight candidates will take the stage for the first Republican presidential debate Wednesday night — and experts are watching closely for comments on key tax policy issues. “The 800-pound gorilla in the room is the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the expiration of all the individual income tax provisions

Dax Shepard at the grand opening of a Hello Bello distribution and manufacturing center on Oct. 26, 2021 in Waco, Texas. Rick Kern | Getty Images Not even Hollywood’s A-list is immune from financial anxiety. Dax Shepard is a successful actor with countless credits under his belt, and he’s married to TV and film staple

Dikushin | Istock | Getty Images Federal student loan borrowers can now officially sign up for the Biden administration’s new loan repayment plan. The option is expected to dramatically shrink many people’s bills. In fact, under the new Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan, some will see their monthly obligation fall to zero

Andreypopov | Istock | Getty Images Property taxes can be a major expense for households, and several factors may affect the size of the bill, research shows. These levies, which typically fund public services, such as K-12 education, police and firefighters, can be tough to compare across jurisdictions. But there are four key reasons for

A Miami supermarket in July 2023. Joe Raedle | Getty Images News | Getty Images The forecast for the post-pandemic U.S. economy once called for a recession. Now many experts are backing off those predictions. In the latest about-face, 69% of economists surveyed by the National Association for Business Economics said they see a “soft

Mementojpeg | Moment | Getty Images If you have an outstanding federal student loan, you may have a different servicer when payments resume in October. Several of the lenders that managed the debt for the government — including Navient, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (also known as FedLoan) and Granite State — stopped doing

Peter Dazeley | The Image Bank | Getty Images The price of getting married has ballooned amid sticky inflation, and some couples are footing the bill with personal loans — which may be a costly mistake, experts say. Driven by inflation, the average cost of a ceremony and reception was $30,000 in 2022, up from

Getty Images As the year-end approaches, there’s been debate around tax reporting for business transactions on payment apps such as Venmo and PayPal, along with e-commerce companies, such as eBay, Etsy and Poshmark. Some lawmakers are pushing to increase the IRS reporting threshold for Form 1099-K, which covers third-party business payments. Taxpayers who use a payment app to process

Moyo Studio | E+ | Getty Images Social Security benefits provide retirement income for millions of Americans. Because the timing of your claim may impact the size of the benefits you receive, it’s a high-stakes decision. And the results may also affect your spouse or dependents. But sifting through Social Security’s claiming rules may make

Thanks to “tipflation,” a 20% gratuity isn’t what it used to be. With more opportunities to tip and predetermined point-of-sale options that now range from 15% to 35% for each transaction, tip expectations are growing, whether consumers like it or not. And most don’t: Two-thirds of Americans have a negative view about tipping, according to

Ascentxmedia | Istock | Getty Images Social Security beneficiaries may get a much lower cost-of-living adjustment in 2024 as inflation subsides. But with two months before the COLA for next year is officially announced, there’s one unusual factor that may push the adjustment higher: hurricanes. The Social Security COLA for 2024 may be 3%, The

For many Americans, payday can’t come soon enough. As of June, 61% of adults are living paycheck to paycheck, according to a LendingClub report. In other words, they rely on those regular paychecks to meet essential living expenses, with little to no money left over. Almost three-quarters, 72%, of Americans say they aren’t financially secure

Koron | Moment | Getty Images Samantha Costanza went on a first date with a man she’d met on a dating app in January 2022. They got to know each other as they both sipped on hot cider because of the cold at the Brooklyn, New York, bar where they’d agreed to meet. When it