Personal finance

IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel testifies during the Senate Finance Committee hearing on the fiscal 2024 IRS budget and the IRS’ 2023 filing season, in the Dirksen Building in Washington, D.C., on April 19, 2023. Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images This season, more than 140,000 taxpayers successfully filed returns using IRS Direct

Demonstrators attend a rally asking Rep. Kean to “Stop MAGA Cuts! Protect Social Security!” on Feb. 24, 2023 in Bridgewater, New Jersey. Dave Kotinsky | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images Voters who show up at the polls this November may not just be choosing among Republicans, Democrats and third-party tickets — but also casting

Enes Evren When you receive equity compensation from an employer, it typically requires a comprehensive financial plan — and restricted stock units are no exception. In 2000, only 20% of public companies granted restricted stock or restricted stock units, primarily for senior executives or higher, according to the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals. That percentage, however, has

Viewstock | View Stock | Getty Images Last year, Americans’ confidence that they would have enough money to live comfortably in retirement fell the most since the global financial crisis. New research shows both workers’ and retirees’ confidence has not recovered. But some signs of optimism have emerged, particularly as wage growth now outpaces inflation

A man stands outside his flooded home after heavy rain in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on April 13, 2023. Chandan Khanna | AFP | Getty Images The warming planet is already proving expensive. U.S. weather and climate disasters cost more than $617 billion between 2018 and 2022 — a record figure, according to the U.S. Department

South Pointe Beach in Miami Beach, Florida. Greg Iacurci MIAMI — Daniel Habibian worries about climate change.  His clothing boutique in Miami Beach’s iconic South Beach neighborhood sits just a few blocks inland from the Atlantic Ocean.  Rising seas threaten to swallow much of the Miami metro area in the coming decades as the world

Getty Images When it comes to teens and money, there is often a disconnect. Overall, teenagers are taking a greater interest in their long-term financial health — although far fewer understand basic retirement planning. A majority, or 83%, of 13- to 18-year-olds, said they had already thought about their retirement, according to the results of

Ryanjlane | E+ | Getty Images Rebates tied to home energy efficiency and created by the Inflation Reduction Act may start flowing to many consumers within months.   The federal government is issuing $8.8 billion for Home Energy Rebates programs through states, territories and tribes, which must apply for the funding. The U.S. Department of

Jacob Wackerhausen | iStock / 360 | Getty Images If you’ve inherited an individual retirement account since 2020, you could have a shorter timeline to withdraw the money, which can trigger tax consequences. But there are a few things to consider before emptying an inherited account, experts say.  Under the Secure Act of 2019, so-called

US President Joe Biden speaks about student loan debt relief at Madison Area Technical College in Madison, Wisconsin, April 8, 2024.  Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images After the Supreme Court blocked President Joe Biden’s first plan to forgive student debt last summer, his administration set out to create a relief package that would

The U.S. Department of Labor headquarters in Washington. Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images The Biden administration issued a final rule on Tuesday that cracks down on the investment advice that advisors, brokers, insurance agents and others give to retirement savers. The U.S. Department of Labor regulation — which follows a rule proposal in October —

Delmaine Donson | E+ | Getty Images The federal tax deadline was April 15 for most filers — and if you missed it, you should file your return and pay your balance as soon as possible, experts say. If you still owe taxes for 2023, you’ll continue racking up penalties and interest until you file

The Good Brigade | Digitalvision | Getty Images Health care, long an ailing stock market sector, has recovered over the past six months, with currently robust vital signs and strong growth projections. The recovery comes after the sector failed to make good on positive expectations for 2022 based on estimates of pent-up demand for physician

Morsa Images | E+ | Getty Images If you work for a publicly traded company, you may have access to discounted company shares via an employee stock purchase plan, or ESPP. While the benefit can be valuable, you need to know the rules and risks before opting into your company’s plan, financial experts say. In

If TikTok is any guide, more women are taking a traditional approach to romantic partnerships: Some say they are even opting out of the workforce entirely in favor of the so-called “soft life,” centered around their home, their family and their own wellbeing. (Re-)enter the “tradwife,” one of social media’s growing trends. It shows a

President Joe Biden delivers remarks on canceling student debt on February 21, 2024 in Culver City, California. Mario Tama | Getty Images News | Getty Images President Joe Biden has announced his student loan forgiveness do-over plan. Biden rolled out the details of his Plan B less than a year after the Supreme Court struck

Eva-katalin | E+ | Getty Images It is common folklore, a fairy tale of sorts, that middle-class Americans received perpetual relief in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. First, property taxes generate 32% of state and local income, and U.S. median single-family home property taxes have risen by more than 25% since 2019.

Maskot | Maskot | Getty Images Wage growth has cooled from its scorching pandemic-era pace. But there are still pockets of heat. Workers are getting relatively big annual raises in occupations like legal, dental, child care, cleaning and sanitation, and medical information, for example, according to a new analysis by job site Indeed. Nationally, wages

The federal tax deadline is here — and experts have tips as the IRS braces for a flood of last-minute returns. “On a day like today, April 15, we might see a million returns come in every hour,” IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said Monday on CNBC’s “Squawk Box.” As of April 5, the IRS received

Few college admission cycles have been as hard on students as this one. National College Decision Day — the deadline most schools set to decide on a college — is just two weeks away. But many college hopefuls are still unsure of where they stand financially, as problems persist with the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid.