Personal Finance

A ‘for sale’ sign hangs in front of a home on June 21, 2022 in Miami, Florida. According to the National Association of Realtors, sales of existing homes dropped 3.4% to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 5.41 million units. Sales were 8.6% lower than in May 2021. As existing-home sales declined, the median price

Porquenostudios | Istock | Getty Images The White House is considering a plan to forgive $10,000 in student debt for borrowers who make less than $125,000, according to reporting by CNN. The Biden administration has promised to make a decision on student loan forgiveness by the end of August, when monthly loan payments are scheduled

Srdjanpav | E+ | Getty Images Many companies have announced layoffs in recent weeks, and others have hinted that cuts may be coming. Luckily, there are steps workers can take to prepare. “At the end of day, you can’t control what’s happening in the economy, but you can control building a strong professional resilience,” according

Some experts believe the Biden administration could announce a decision on whether to extend a more than two-year-long pause on federal student loan debt this week, ahead of the current Aug. 31 deadline. Many borrowers are hoping the Education Department will extend that break and announce up to $10,000 in loan forgiveness.  Currently, about 44

“We are a four-generation household,” said Jason Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald, 45, and his wife, Rachel Zack, 41, bought a house with Rachel’s parents Beverly and Arthur Zack, who are in their 70s, and Rachel’s 98-year-old grandmother Lillian, who goes by “Bubbie.” The home has six bedrooms, with five full and two half bathrooms.  They all live

andresr | E+ | Getty Images Medicare may seem like a maze when you first try to navigate it. After all, there are different “parts” to the federal health insurance program, which provides coverage for about 56.5 million individuals in the 65-and-older crowd. And, whether you’re reaching the eligibility age of 65 or you are

In this article FTCI Srdjanpav | E+ | Getty Images The Federal Trade Commission announced this week that it would send thousands of checks totaling more than $822,000 to student loan borrowers who lost money in a debt-relief scam. More than 14,500 consumers who paid money to a company that operated under the name Student

Impulse buys can quickly erode even the best financial plans. And yet, between sponsored posts on social media and “revenge spending,” they are nearly impossible to avoid. As the cost of living surges and more Americans say they are stretched too thin amid concerns about a possible recession, they’re dipping into their cash reserves and nearly half are falling

Getty Images As Generation X edges closer to retirement, inflation appears to be weighing more heavily on that age group than other adults. Compared with millennials (ages 26 to 41) and baby boomers (ages 58 to 76), a larger share of Gen Xers (ages 42 to 57) are concerned about the nation’s economic outlook, maintaining

Drazen Zigic | Istock | Getty Images The U.S. Department of Education is giving federal student loan borrowers who’ve fallen behind on their debt a chance to get into current standing. As part of its “Fresh Start” initiative, the 7.5 million student loan borrowers who are in default will be able to return to repayment

Getty Images Another state has joined the growing list of those aiming to boost retirement savings among workers at companies that don’t offer a 401(k) or similar workplace plan. Delaware Gov. John Carney signed a bill into law on Thursday that will create a state-run program to automatically enroll eligible private sector workers in Roth

Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) joins activists in a demonstration outside an entrance to the White House calling for the cancellation of student debt in Washington, U.S., April 27, 2022. Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters Planning his budget for next month, Scott Heins doesn’t know if he’ll have the usual cash he needs for his health-care expenses

People stand in line at a Social Security Office in Pasadena, California. Mario Anzuoni | Reuters People who face long waits for service at the Social Security Administration’s field offices have had to contend with one more complication this summer — intense heat. That prompted leaders of the House Ways and Means Committee to send

The Good Brigade | Digitalvision | Getty Images A new legislative package signed into law by President Joe Biden on Tuesday is a big win for Medicare patients who struggle to cover the cost of insulin to manage their diabetes. But the bill, called the Inflation Reduction Act, falls short of applying those cost controls

Getty Images By now, you probably know that prices for new cars have been climbing at a brisk pace, along with many other consumer goods, in the midst of high inflation. The average cost of a car is an estimated $45,869, according to a recent joint forecast from J.D. Power and LMC Automotive. Adding to

A decision from the White House on federal student loan forgiveness could be just days away. Yet current high school students will still struggle with how to pay for college without taking on too much debt. With tuition on the rise, most families rely on a combination of resources to make it work. Income and

Skynesher | E+ | Getty Images Consumers looking to buy a new car may need to clear more room in their budgets for it. For new vehicles, the average auto loan is for 70.4 months (less than two months shy of six years) and monthly payments have climbed past $700 for the first time ever,

Evgenia Tsvirko / Getty More than a third of U.S. adults are dipping into their savings accounts to help them afford higher prices, new research shows. In the face of high inflation, 36% of people say they have withdrawn an average of $617 from their savings during the first six months of this year, according

Brothers91 | E+ | Getty Images Depending on how you get your health-care coverage, you may soon get a rebate from your insurer. An estimated 8.2 million policyholders are expected to receive a piece of $1 billion in rebates by Sept. 30 from various insurers, according to an estimate from the Kaiser Family Foundation. The

WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 27: Student loan debt holders take part in a demonstration outside of the white house staff entrance to demand that President Biden cancel student loan debt. Jemal Countess | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images A number of big changes are coming for borrowers pursuing public service loan forgiveness. That program,

Getty Images The Inflation Reduction Act, passed by House Democrats on Friday and headed to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature, is the most ambitious climate spending package in U.S. history — and households that take steps to improve their energy efficiency stand to reap financial benefits. The package would pump $369 billion into

Families, parents and caregivers call on Congress to include paid family and medical leave in the Build Back Better legislative package during an all-day Nov. 2, 2021 vigil in Washington, D.C. Paul Morigi | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images Missing a week of work due to illness, child care or other obligations during Covid-19

Despite some indications of an economic slowdown, the job market remains remarkably stable, and many workers have reaped the benefits. In fact, a record number of employees quit their jobs, found new positions and renegotiated along the way. But not everyone who joined the so-called Great Reshuffle is better off. More than a quarter —

Andrew Biggs, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute American Enterprise Institute When Andrew Biggs, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, was nominated by President Joe Biden to be a member of the Social Security Advisory Board in May, it came at an important inflection point for the program. A report subsequently released by

Customers shop for back-to-school supplies at a Target store in Colma, California. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images As parents know all too well, it’s hard to cut back when it comes to the kids. Despite more households living paycheck to paycheck, this year’s total back-to-school spending is expected to match last year’s

Fluxfactory | E+ | Getty Images Travelers saw prices fall for big-ticket pieces of their vacation budgets in July, offering at least a temporary reprieve after soaring costs earlier this year. Airfares fell nearly 8% from June to July, while prices for rental cars and lodging like hotels declined 9.5% and about 3%, respectively, according

The Biden administration has promised to make a decision on student loan forgiveness within weeks, or even days. And yet, college affordability will remain an issue for years to come, experts say. Increasingly, high school students are rethinking the value of a four-year degree. Many now say it’s just not worth the sky-high cost. “More

Jeffrey Coolidge | Photodisc | Getty Images As the Democrats’ spending plan moves closer to a House vote, one of the more controversial provisions — nearly $80 billion in IRS funding, with $45.6 billion for “enforcement” — has raised questions about who the agency may target for audits. IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig said these resources

FatCamera | E+ | Getty Images Households that get help paying for health insurance through the public marketplace are likely to continue qualifying for more generous subsidies under a congressional bill moving closer to final approval. The Inflation Reduction Act, which cleared the Senate on Sunday, includes an extension of temporarily expanded health insurance subsidies

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., on Capitol Hill on Sept. 30, 2021. Jabin Botsford | The Washington Post | Getty Images Senate Democrats passed a historic package of climate, healthcare and tax provisions on Sunday. But one proposed tweak to the tax code — a modification of so-called carried interest rules