Personal finance

Nirunya Juntoomma | Istock | Getty Images If you’re feeling unsteady amid stock market volatility, high inflation and rising interest rates, you may wonder how much cash you really need to have handy. But the right amount to have in your emergency fund depends on your family’s situation and needs, financial experts say.   Still, with

Chaay_tee | Istock | Getty Images Student debt can make it harder for people to start a business or purchase a home — and one reason for that is that lenders take into account your existing financial obligations. Now that President Joe Biden has announced he plans to cancel up to $20,000 for millions of

Student-loan debt activists rally outside the White House a day after President Biden announced a plan that would cancel $10,000 in student loan debt for those making less than $125,000 a year in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 25, 2022. The Washington Post | The Washington Post | Getty Images Federal student loan borrowers could get

Sebastian Rothe / Eyeem | Eyeem | Getty Images Households may soon be able to claim thousands of dollars in tax breaks and rebates if they take steps to reduce their carbon footprint. But eco-friendly consumers must wait until 2023 — perhaps even 2024 or later — to see many of those financial benefits. The

Jose Luis Pelaez | Getty Images Married women may want to make sure they consider the possibility of unplanned singlehood when it comes to retirement preparations. Among women retirees, 51% of those who are divorced or widowed stepped away from the workforce earlier than planned, according to a new report from the Employee Benefit Research

Catherine Mcqueen | Moment | Getty Images The unemployment rate ticked up to 3.7% in August, the Labor Department said Friday. While more people becoming unemployed may sound alarming, especially against the backdrop of lingering worries about a recession, labor economists cited “good” reasons for the increase. A higher unemployment rate was “the best news

Caroline Purser | The Image Bank | Getty Images The Biden administration is firing back at Republicans considering bringing a legal challenge against President Joe Biden’s historic move to forgive the student debt of tens of millions of Americans. A White House spokesman, Abdullah Hasan, accused the GOP of double standards that punished the middle

Newsday Llc | Newsday | Getty Images In pre-pandemic years, Labor Day sales events offered generous discounts on new cars as dealerships aimed to clear out current-year models and start selling the next year’s versions. These days? Not so much. related investing news Goldman Sachs says brace for an even bigger housing downturn Carmen Reinicke

dmphoto | E+ | Getty Images There’s good news if you’re eligible for student loan forgiveness: It won’t trigger a federal tax bill. And while some may still owe state taxes, it may be fewer borrowers than expected. It depends on whether and when states conform to federal tax laws, including the American Rescue Plan

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is reportedly considering a challenge to President Biden’s student loan forgiveness effort. Anna Rose Layden | Getty Images News | Getty Images A number of Republican legislators may bring a legal challenge against President Joe Biden’s historic announcement last week that he’d forgive the student debt for tens of millions of

RossHelen | Getty Images If you’re not careful how you manage your money, you could be incurring hefty bank fees that may be otherwise avoidable. Between overdraft or non-sufficient fund fees, charges for interest and non-interest checking accounts and ATM fees, a substantial bite could be taken out of your budget, according to Bankrate.com‘s latest

d3sign | Moment | Getty Images Identity crime involving government benefits, social media accounts and other scams jumped by 36% in 2021 to an all-time high, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center. The good news is that there are several ways individuals can protect themselves. About 15,000 people reported an identity-related crime or attempted

zimmytws | iStock | Getty Images As the November midterm elections approach, leaders on both sides of the aisle are trading barbs on one key program that affects millions of Americans: Social Security. Over the weekend, President Joe Biden called out certain lawmakers on Twitter, including Republican Sens. Rick Scott of Florida and Ron Johnson

Luis Alvarez | Digitalvision | Getty Images Employer demand for workers remains historically strong — and that means workers have the power to negotiate for better pay, benefits and other aspects of their jobs, according to economists. There were more than 11.2 million job openings in July, an increase of 199,000 from June, according to

In this article F HOUSTON, TEXAS – AUGUST 29: Students study in the Rice University Library on August 29, 2022 in Houston, Texas. Brandon Bell | Getty Images News | Getty Images The U.S. Department of Education could have its application for student loan forgiveness up and running as soon as within the next few

“It will be enough for us to start talking realistically about purchasing a home,” said Dara Zucker, 28, of student loan forgiveness. Zucker and her fiancé have been looking for a house in Tampa, Florida. They budgeted $250,000 for a 1,400-square foot home, but between the unpredictable housing market and her $38,877 student loan balance,

Student-loan debt activists rally outside the White House a day after President Biden announced a plan that would cancel $10,000 in student loan debt for those making less than $125,000 a year in Washington, D.C., on Aug. 25, 2022. The Washington Post | The Washington Post | Getty Images When the U.S. Department of Education

A customer shops in a Kroger grocery store on July 15, 2022 in Houston. Brandon Bell | Getty Images Many consumers have suffered sticker shock at the grocery store due to record high inflation. But another surprise that’s grabbing consumers’ attention — and even trending on TikTok — is “shrinkflation.” Almost two-thirds, 64%, of all

In this article LC Consumers who have been squeezed by higher prices may be experiencing a little relief. Fewer adults now say they are living paycheck to paycheck, according to a new LendingClub report. As of July, 59% of Americans said they lived paycheck to paycheck, down from 61% in June but still higher than

Camille Tokerud Photography Inc. | Stone | Getty Images Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries will get two checks in September, for a maximum sum of $1,682. But the second check is no reason to celebrate, as it is not extra money. In months where bank holidays occur, that pushes up the distribution date for payments. In