Personal Finance

Kateryna Onyshchuk | iStock | Getty Images If your income is trending much higher this year than you anticipated, it’s likely a welcome shift. However, for anyone who gets their private health insurance through the public marketplace, that extra cash could mean an unexpected tax bill when they prepare their 2022 return next spring. A

In this article WFC Virojt Changyencham | Moment | Getty Images Nearly half of consumers holding a credit card with travel perks opened the card to chase the rewards — and a big share of them blew their budgets in the pursuit, according to a new survey. Specifically, 45% travel credit cardholders opened a card

Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images It’s no secret that used-car prices have skyrocketed over the last two years amid an industry turned upside down by supply-chain issues and reduced new-car inventory. But how much extra are consumers paying? An average of $10,046 more — 43% — than if typical depreciation expectations were in

Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images In response to reports that the Biden administration could soon move to forgive student debt, Republican leaders warned Wednesday of “the perils” of such action. “It’s a giveaway to highly educated college grads,” said Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, ranking member of the House Ways and

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., questions Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen during the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on May 10, 2022. Tom Williams | Reuters Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., along with 22 more Democratic lawmakers, want to save millions of Americans time and money by pushing the IRS to create its own free

Considering the impact of inflation, consumers are spending more on back-to-school supplies — and then some — as retailers pass along credit card fees in the form of higher prices. This year, total back-to-school spending is expected to match the 2021 record high of $37 billion, according to the National Retail Federation. The so-called swipe

In this article DAL Tim Boyle | Getty Images News | Getty Images Air travel has been rocky this summer — and baggage problems factor among many other issues for travelers like flight cancellations and delays. Nearly 220,000 bags were “mishandled” by U.S. airlines in April 2022, meaning they were lost, damaged, delayed or stolen,

Carol Yepes | Moment | Getty Images Most federal student loan borrowers who’ve been pursuing public service loan forgiveness have faced some confusion and frustration along the way. The program, which allows those who work for the government or specific nonprofits to get their debt canceled after 10 years, has been plagued by problems. Borrowers

In this article PRI Images By Tang Ming Tung | Stone | Getty Images The reality of inflation and the specter of a recession appear to be weighing heavily on middle-class households. Among those whose income falls in the $30,000-to-$100,000 range, 75% say their earnings are falling behind the cost of living, and 77% think

David Sachs | The Image Bank | Getty Images It’s no secret that the first half of 2022 has ushered in a lot of expensive changes for consumers: The S&P 500 Index fell 20.6% in the largest first half decline since 1970, pulling down investors’ portfolios with it. The Federal Reserve in June approved a

Beyond highlighting the overwhelming burden of student loan debt, the last few years of economic turmoil have also shed light on the sky-high cost of college. “Sometimes students feel the sense of ‘My parents are going to make it work,'” said Jennifer Finetti, director of student advocacy at ScholarshipOwl. “I think a lot of students don’t

Morsa Images | DigitalVision | Getty Images For some retirees, there’s an extra cost associated with Medicare premiums that can ambush their household budgets. Most Medicare enrollees pay the standard premium amounts for Part B (outpatient care) and Part D (prescription drugs). Yet an estimated 7% of Medicare’s 64.3 million beneficiaries end up paying extra

Momo Productions | Digitalvision | Getty Images The pandemic-era surge in remote work may be an unlikely ally in the fight to tame stubbornly high inflation. As many employees have enjoyed commute-free workdays, less stress and better work-life balance, their employers have also benefited from remote work by paying lower wages than they otherwise might,

An activist holds a placard demanding a $15 an hour minimum wage and tips for restaurant workers during a rally to call for additional relief for restaurants in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 8, 2022. Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images Record high inflation has pushed the value of the federal minimum wage down to

Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images The job market is still hot, but that won’t last forever. In fact, there have already been some signs of a shift, according to John P. Morgan, president of talent development and transition firm Lee Hecht Harrison. To be sure, the most recent data shows strong job growth in

In this article WTW Superb Images | The Image Bank | Getty Images In another sign of a tight labor market, U.S. companies plan to give workers their largest pay increase in 15 years in 2023, with an average bump of 4.1%. That’s the finding from a new survey by Willis Towers Watson, a compensation

A customer reaches down to pick up a bottle of water from a street vendor in Paris on June 17, 2022. Stefano Rellandini | Afp | Getty Images The value of the euro relative to the U.S. dollar has sunk near a two-decade low — and that’s good news for Americans traveling to Europe this

Grocery shopping in Rosemead, California on April 21, 2022. Frederic J. Brown | Afp | Getty Images Inflation jumped to a new 40-year high in June, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. That means the prices Americans pay at the gas pump, grocery store and elsewhere have been rising much faster than normal this year. That

Luis Alvarez | Digitalvision | Getty Images The latest data shows the so-called “Great Resignation” is still going strong. More than 4.27 million Americans walked away from their jobs in May, slightly down from the 4.4 million who quit in April and the record 4.5 million who did so in November. Yet even as the

Woman on her back pushing shopping cart in supermarket aisle David Espejo | Getty Images Experts are weighing the odds as to how likely a recession is and how fast it could come upon us. Most Americans — 70% — already believe an economic downturn is on its way, according to a new survey from

A customer shops for meat at a Target store on June 08, 2022 in San Rafael, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images News | Getty Images Inflation is a real worry for many Americans — even those who earn six figures — and it’s impacting decisions about how they spend their money. Fully 96% of

Skynesher | E+ | Getty Images If you’re among the millions of workers who have left their job as part of the so-called Great Resignation that’s still rumbling through the labor market, be sure not to neglect your 401(k). While you may have options for how to handle retirement savings in your ex-employer’s plan, there

Spxchrome | E+ | Getty Images Your company is switching its 401(k) provider. What should you do? At a high level, what this means is your employer chose a new firm to administer and keep records for its company-sponsored retirement plan. These firms track details for employees like total savings, contributions, trades, investments, holdings and

Romolotavani | Istock | Getty Images As talk about the possibility of a recession heats up, so may your anxiety. While a downturn is not a foregone conclusion, some experts have recently boosted the odds of a recession happening in the near-term. Citigroup, assessing global economic growth over the next 18 months, sees a 50%

In this article AMZN As Amazon gears up for Prime Day on July 12 and 13, shoppers may be less enthusiastic this year about the big annual sale. “The explosive sort of growth year over year that we’ve seen with Prime Day, we may not see that any longer,” said Nathan Burrow, senior deals editor at Wirecutter.

A Social Security Administration office in San Francisco. Getty Images The clock is ticking when it comes to implementing changes to shore up Social Security’s funds, which will not be able to pay full benefits in 13 years’ time. Potential voters are aware of the program’s woes, according to a June survey by Social Security

Courtneyk | E+ | Getty Images Over the past few years, there’s been no shortage of ways to give to charity. And there’s a special tax break for retirees who transfer funds from individual retirement accounts. Individual Americans donated an estimated $326.87 billion to charity in 2021, a 4.9% rise compared to the prior year,

Skynesher | E+ | Getty Images It’s likely no surprise to hear that prices have been rising across the U.S. economy, whether at the grocery store or the gas pump. But just how much have your personal household costs increased, and how does that stack up against the average American’s? Calculating your personal inflation rate

Whether it’s an effort to support women’s rights or gun control, fight climate change or help Ukrainian refugees, more Americans are giving to charity this year in response to global challenges. However, there are just as many scammers trying to capitalize on the current environmental, social and geopolitical unrest. “Any time there’s something that is in

Mixetto | E+ | Getty Images Workers are still reaping the benefits of a hot job market characterized by few layoffs, ample job openings and a high level of voluntary departures, according to U.S. Department of Labor data issued Wednesday. The numbers reveal that the pandemic-era trend known as the “Great Resignation” is still in