Personal finance

IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel speaks at a Senate Finance Committee hearing in Washington, D.C., on April 19, 2023. Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty Images The IRS on Monday said that Black taxpayers are significantly more likely to face an IRS audit, confirming recent findings. IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel said the agency is weighing changes

A billboard showing the debt limit is seen in Washington, D.C. on April 17, 2023. Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images As lawmakers work to hammer out a debt limit deal, experts already say more needs to be done to curb the nation’s spending, and that could include Social Security and Medicare reform. The

Collectively, Americans owe nearly $1 trillion on credit cards. Total credit card debt stood at $986 billion at the start of 2023, unchanged from the record hit at the end of 2022, according to a new report on household debtfrom the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Typically, balances fall in the beginning of the

Nirunya Juntoomma | Istock | Getty Images An emergency fund is a key piece of your financial plan, especially amid economic uncertainty. But the right amount of cash depends on your household and occupation, according to financial experts. Most Americans aren’t prepared for a financial emergency, according to a recent CNBC/Momentive survey of more than

Rockaa | E+ | Getty Images Although the Biden administration’s sweeping student loan forgiveness plan and the legal troubles around it have gotten the most headlines, the U.S. Department of Education has already canceled more than $66 billion in education debt under existing programs. More than 2 million borrowers, including defrauded students and those who

Ponywang | E+ | Getty Images This story is part of CNBC’s College Money Guide 2023, a series to help students and recent graduates understand their money and start their adult life off on a solid financial path. Getting your first full-time job out of college is exciting! It’s thrilling to know that someone wants

Regardless of where the Supreme Court comes out on President Joe Biden‘s student loan forgiveness plan, education debt isn’t going away. College is only getting more expensive. Tuition and fees plus room and board at four-year, in-state public colleges rose more than 2% to $23,250, on average, in the 2022-23 academic year; at four-year private colleges, it increased

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.; Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif.; President Joe Biden; and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., meet in the Oval Office on May 9, 2023 to discuss the debt ceiling. Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images News | Getty Images The U.S. may be weeks away from being

A protestor holds a sign reading “64 years is a no” during a May Day (Labor Day) demonstration in Lille, France, on May 1, 2023, more than a month after the government pushed an unpopular pensions reform act through parliament. Sameer Al-doumy | Afp | Getty Images French citizens have taken to the streets to

AsiaVision | E+ | Getty Images Many Americans aren’t saving enough for retirement — and the shortfall could put a strain on state and federal budgets in the coming decades. But research shows that state-run programs could help people save for retirement while reducing that strain. Without changes, the retirement savings gap could create a

Bryan Allen | Getty Images The threat of a recession has weighed heavily on many investors’ minds amid higher interest rates, banking turmoil and layoffs. But you should still try to avoid reactive investing moves, according to financial advisors. Public pessimism about the economy recently notched a new high, according to a recent CNBC survey.

Dobrila Vignjevic | E+ | Getty Images Amid a stalemate on federal debt ceiling negotiations, some government officials are warning the Social Security checks sent to more than 65 million beneficiaries each month could be at risk. On Sunday, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., warned a “Social Security shutdown” could happen if the U.S.

Sunrise at Laguna Torre in Patagonia, Argentina. © Marco Bottigelli | Moment | Getty Images Travel in 2023 has been expensive. Indeed, some prices — like those for international flights — have hit record highs. Americans are unleashing their wanderlust en masse after a few years of pandemic-era trip delays, making for a busy —

A shopper in Greenville, New York, April 30, 2023. Robert Nickelsberg | Getty Images News | Getty Images Inflation in April notched its lowest reading in two years, as price pressures for consumers continue to moderate from multidecade highs and costs for household staples appear to be in retreat. The consumer price index, a key

Bernardbodo | Istock | Getty Images New government data shows inflation is cooling, and that means Social Security beneficiaries will likely see a lower cost-of-living adjustment next year. The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2024 could be 3.1%, according to a new estimate from The Senior Citizens League. That’s well below the 8.7% increase to

Prostock-Studio | Istock | Getty Images If you piled into Series I bonds over the past couple of years amid record-high yields, you may be eyeing an exit strategy as the rate declines. In May, annual I bond interest for new purchases dropped to 4.3% through October, down from 6.89% last November, based on cooling

Bernard Friel/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images National park tourism is booming. But an idyllic adventure into the great outdoors can be derailed by overlooking an important aspect of trip planning: advance permits and reservations. Some of the most frequently visited parks require people to book ahead for access to popular attractions like heavily

New college grads negotiating their first salary may be in for a rude awakening. In the midst of a historically strong job market, characterized by low unemployment, rising wages and a high degree of job-seeker confidence, those armed with a degree are feeling relatively good about their earning potential. In fact, today’s undergraduates expect to make $84,855

Ja’crispy | Istock | Getty Images As the president of the National Bureau of Economic Research and a member on the Business Cycle Dating Committee, James Poterba helps determine when a recession officially starts and ends. Why is that important? What do those dates tell us? When the NBER was founded in 1920, its economists

Halfpoint | Istock | Getty Images As of the latest tally, 1.4 million more Americans have dropped out of college — although some “stopouts” may reenroll if the Supreme Court affirms President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan and their education debt is forgiven, a new report shows. Overall, college enrollment declines have begun to