Personal finance

Jose Luis Pelaez Inc Finding a competitive interest rate on your emergency savings has become even more difficult amid record high inflation. But there is good news. The Federal Reserve is expected to begin raising interest rates. When they do, that will kick up the interest you can earn on your cash. Some accounts may

Passengers board an Airbus passenger jet operated by Icelandic low-fare carrier Play. Play Startup low-fare Icelandic airline Play announced new transatlantic service out of a third U.S. airport, Stewart International in New Windsor, New York, to begin June 9. (Stewart lies about 65 miles north of New York City.) Play, which launched last July with

Primary co-founders and co-CEOs Cristina Carbonell and Galyn Bernard shifted the online children’s clothing retailer to a four-day workweek during the pandemic and have no plans to go back to the longer week. Courtesy: Primary Millions of Americans are quitting their jobs and rethinking what they want when it comes to work and work-life balance.

Tom Werner | DigitalVision | Getty Images There’s a growing list of essential things for taxpayers to know as the IRS embarks on a challenging season with limited staffing and a backlog from 2021 that’s still millions of returns deep. There were 6 million unprocessed individual returns as of Dec. 31, according to the IRS,

Throughout the pandemic, 529 college savings plans have only gained momentum — even as higher-education enrollment numbers sank. In 2021, the average account size jumped to a record of $30,287, according to the College Savings Plans Network, or CSPN. Total investments in 529s also reached a record $464.3 billion last year, up nearly 10% from 2020. More

Taiwanese ethnicity man looking at the home budget and sorting out bills using his laptop in his cozy living room SrdjanPav | E+ | Getty Images Americans are feeling the impact of surging inflation, which doesn’t appear to be easing up anytime soon. For many, that means it’s a good time to revise the family

Algerina Perna | Baltimore Sun | MCT | Getty Images If you plan to drop money on a Super Bowl bet this weekend, remember that the IRS will want a piece of your winnings. Americans are expected to wager $7.61 billion on Sunday night’s matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals in Los

It started with Melissa Houston buying small indulgences online — shoes, clothes, handbags. Then, she moved on to major purchases, renovating the family room and putting a swimming pool in the backyard. She says her spending spree spiraled her family’s finances into massive debt — and she hid it from her husband. “I went off

Your grocery bill has likely been going up. That’s because food prices are rising steeply, with the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showing a 7.4% increase between January 2021 and January 2022. The cost of bacon has swelled by 18%, and peanut butter, 15%. It’s unclear when the uptick will relent.

People shop at a Los Angeles retail outlet on Jan. 28, 2022. FREDERIC J. BROWN | AFP | Getty Images High inflation overshadowed a big increase in wages over the past year, amounting to a nearly 2% smaller paycheck for the average worker, according to federal data published Thursday. Employers have raised wages at about

Brothers91 | E+ | Getty Images Tax season is underway — and the IRS is warning of a likely increase in scams targeting taxpayers. Agency officials are sounding the alarm on “IRS impersonation scams,” in which criminals pose as IRS agents to try stealing money or personal information. The latter can lead to identity theft

sturti The Covid-19 pandemic has made it difficult for people to answer big questions about their futures, and many financial planners are underestimating the financial anxiety that is causing, according to a survey. A majority of financial planning clients — 71% — report experiencing financial anxiety at least half of the time, according to researchers

Ariel Skelley | DigitalVision | Getty Images Municipal bonds, also known as muni bonds, have become a popular option for investors seeking security and tax-free portfolio income. However, these assets may also trigger a costly surprise for retirees.  Demand surged in 2021 amid President Joe Biden‘s proposed tax increases, with a record $96.8 billion of net money

mediaphotos | E+ | Getty Images Tax filing season is underway. Most Americans should be able to file their 2021 tax returns to the IRS for free. About 100 million Americans, or roughly 70% of people filing taxes in the U.S., are eligible to submit their tax returns to the IRS at no cost, according

The White House is exploring ways to forgive federal student loan debt. Bloomberg Creative | Bloomberg Creative Photos | Getty Images Under pressure from Democrats, advocates and borrowers, the White House is looking at actions it might be able to take to forgive federal student debt. The country’s outstanding federal student loan balance exceeds $1.7

Getty Images Are you expecting a tax bill for selling stocks or crypto in 2021? You may qualify for the 0% long-term capital gains rate, depending on taxable income, according to financial experts. You calculate taxable income by subtracting the greater of the standard or itemized deductions from your adjusted gross income, which are your

Liu Jie/Xinhua via Getty Images States can forgo clawing back pandemic-era unemployment benefits in a broader set of circumstances than previously allowed, the U.S. Department of Labor said Monday. In the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, states implemented new federal benefit programs created by the CARES Act to support the jobless. That quick turnaround,

Signage outside the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) headquarters in Washington, D.C. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images The IRS on Monday announced it will stop using a controversial third-party service for facial recognition to verify identity for online accounts. The move comes amid bipartisan backlash over the collection of biometric data through video selfies for

Klaus Vedfelt | DigitalVision | Getty Images The wealth gap between Black and white Americans has been persistent. That gap, of course, reveals the effects of accumulated inequality and discrimination. Despite certain gains in income and wealth for Black families in America, white families often have a net worth up to 10 times higher. Discriminatory

Muhammad Yungai’s ‘We Shall Always March Ahead’ mural is displayed on the side of Privado Grooming Barbershop in Atlanta’s Vine City neighborhood. Raymond Boyd | Michael Ochs Archives | Getty Images Legendary civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., grew up and preached in the Old Fourth Ward of Atlanta. Soon, that neighborhood will