Personal finance

A woman shops for chicken at a supermarket in Santa Monica, California, on September 13, 2022. Apu Gomes | AFP | Getty Images Despite the Federal Reserve’s efforts to get the cost of living under control, prices just keep climbing — and the uptick is especially brutal at the supermarket. The cost of food overall

Tomekbudujedomek | Moment | Getty Images The historic climate legislation President Joe Biden signed in August offered a federal tax break — worth up to $7,500 — to households that buy new electric vehicles. But it may be tough for consumers to get the full value of the tax credit — at least initially. That’s

Student loan borrowers gather near The White House to tell President Biden to cancel student debt on May 12, 2020. Paul Morigi | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images The U.S. Department of Education began beta testing the student debt forgiveness application Friday night. The application is available at StudentAid.gov. As of 8:45 p.m. ET Friday,

Wand_prapan | Istock | Getty Images Social Security’s average retiree benefit will go up by $146 per month in 2023, thanks to a record 8.7% cost-of-living adjustment prompted by high inflation. More than 70 million Social Security and Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries will benefit from those higher payments. “It’s the highest COLA in 40 years,”

Getty Images Workers may want to keep an eye on the balance in their health-care flexible spending account. Temporary rules under the 2020 Cares Act that allowed you to roll over unspent FSA funds from one year to the next or gave you longer to spend the money — if your company adopted the provisions

Delmaine Donson | E+ | Getty Images The U.S. Department of Education has said that its student loan forgiveness application will go live in “early October.” Yet it’s nearly halfway through the month, and borrowers still can’t apply. Still, the White House has shared new information on what people can expect from the form. Here’s

In this article WMT AMZN TGT Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Amazon’s Prime Early Access Sale may be over, but the discounts have only just begun. “Black Friday is here,” said Julie Ramhold, a consumer analyst at DealNews.com, noting that sales that traditionally rolled out on the Friday after Thanksgiving Day are starting earlier

Azmanjaka | E+ | Getty Images Amid record high inflation, Social Security beneficiaries will get an 8.7% increase to their benefits in 2023, the highest increase in 40 years. The Social Security Administration announced the change on Thursday. It will result in a benefit increase of more than $140 more per month on average starting

Tommaso79 | Istock | Getty Images People who do not typically file taxes have a new way to claim a federal tax credit aimed at low- to moderate-income workers that was temporarily made more generous last year. GetCTC.org, a simplified filing tool, was updated on Wednesday to include the earned income tax credit. The maximum

Getty Images Younger, wealthy investors are looking beyond the stock market for higher returns. Some 75% of high-net-worth investors between the ages of 21 and 42, compared to 32% of investors over 43-years-old, don’t expect “above-average returns” solely from traditional stocks and bonds, according to a Bank of America Private Bank study released Tuesday. The

Insta_photos | Istock | Getty Images It’s been a tough year for bonds, including Treasury inflation-protected securities, or TIPS, an inflation-linked asset. Despite recent losses, TIPS offer portfolio diversification amid market uncertainty, experts say. Backed and issued by the U.S. government, investors can buy TIPS in five-, 10- or 30-year terms, with twice-annual payments based

Rudi_suardi | E+ | Getty Images The Biden administration will soon issue a rule that may make it easier for workers to be considered “employees” instead of “independent contractors.” The U.S. Department of Labor issued a notice of proposed rulemaking on Tuesday, signaling its intent to issue a formal regulation that would redefine how employers

vitapix | E+ | Getty Images Your credit score can make or break your ability to open a credit card or buy a new car or home at attractive interest rates. To boost your score, you need to know where you need to improve. Keeping tabs on your credit report — which outlines your debts,

Tetra Images | Tetra images | Getty Images After several months of soaring inflation, stock market volatility and interest rate hikes, many investors are feeling weary about their finances.  But the prolonged stock market downturn offers a silver lining for some investors: opportunities to reduce their tax bill. Here are some of the most popular

Sollina Images | Tetra Images | Getty Images Retirees who are confronting higher prices due to record high inflation may get some welcome news this week when the Social Security Administration announces the cost-of-living adjustment for 2023. The bump to benefits is slated to be announced Thursday along with new consumer price index data for

Tom Brenner | Reuters There’s still a decent chance that changes to the U.S. retirement system will be enacted before the end of the year. Despite there being just a few months left before the next Congress convenes Jan. 3 — the midterm elections will be Nov. 8 — the push to improve Americans’ ability

momcilog | E+ | Getty Images It’s almost the time of year for Medicare beneficiaries to give thought to their 2023 Medicare plan. The program’s fall open enrollment period, when you can make changes that take effect Jan. 1, starts Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7. This window is for coverage related to prescription

Luminola | E+ | Getty Images It’s natural to fixate on portfolio losses, especially with the S&P 500 down more than 20% for the year. But you may still have gains after years of growth, and the profits could qualify for a 0% tax rate, depending on your earnings. The thresholds may be higher than

In this article TGT AMZN Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Amazon‘s two-day “Prime Early Access Sale” starts soon, spurring a number of holiday deals coming earlier than ever before. “October is really going to be the month of unprecedented deals,” said Deborah Weinswig, the founder and CEO of Coresight Research. Indigenous People’s Day or Columbus

The Good Brigade | DigitalVision | Getty Images Up to 23 million California residents are about to receive tax refunds of as much as $1,050, thanks to one-time stimulus payments the Golden State began deploying Friday. The payments, which will total $9.5 billion, mark the largest program of its kind in the state’s history. The