Personal Finance

Anchiy | E+ | Getty Images Many people have hired a tax professional to make sure they do not run afoul of the IRS. But who is regulating those tax preparers? You may be surprised to find out there are few government controls in place. Now, a bill that was just reintroduced in Congress last

kate_sept2004 | E+ | Getty Images If you haven’t gotten your 2020 tax refund, you are in good company. At the end of the 2021 filing season in May, the IRS had a backlog of 35 million tax returns that still needed to be manually processed, according to a report released Wednesday by the National

In this article DOGE.CM= Germany-based travel site GetYourGuide has debuted U.S. offerings and the ability to pay with dogecoin. GetYourGuide German travel booking site GetYourGuide marked its expansion into the U.S. market Tuesday with the announcement that it now accepts dogecoin for payment. The Berlin-based firm, which says it’s booked 45 million-plus tours in 170

Jason York | Getty Images State lawmakers around the country are increasingly tackling the retirement-savings gap head on. Maine has become the latest jurisdiction to enact a law to require most employers that don’t offer a retirement plan to automatically enroll their workers in an individual retirement account through a state-administered program. The New York

Oxford | Getty Images Your emergency savings could be in danger of losing value due to one thing: inflation. Costs are rising on everything from gasoline, which has jumped 20% during the pandemic, to bacon, which is up 18.7%. Meanwhile, persistently low interest rates mean it’s tougher to earn a return on your cash and

Getty Images Some part-time workers who stay on the job may get faster access to their company’s 401(k) plan. As part of retirement legislation pending in Congress, workers who book between 500 and 999 hours for two consecutive years would generally be eligible for their employer’s plan. That would be a reduction from the current

In this article CCF BAC PNC PYPL SQ COIN Hiraman | E+ | Getty Images There’s been a surge in consumer complaints about mobile payment apps and digital wallets, such as Venmo, Cash App, Coinbase and Zelle, as more Americans go cashless. That’s according to a new report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group,

Many things have been in short supply during the coronavirus crisis, and that includes housing. When the country went into lockdown, Americans were on the move. The sudden shake up caused a spike in home prices. Even now, potential buyers continue to be shut out of the housing market as prices head higher and higher.

As high school graduation festivities come to an end, a new milestone is ahead for families of first-year college students — making the first tuition payment.  Invoices for the fall semester are often sent out at the beginning of July and payments are typically due the first week of August. Yet some families still may

Marla Snead (right), with daughters Kelsie Dillard (left) and Carlee Turner. Marla Snead In just a few weeks, millions of families will start to receive monthly payments from the federal government through its new, expanded child tax credit. For Marla Snead, 52, the money will mean the world. Snead and her youngest daughter, Carlee, 14,

In this article US10Y A view of an apartment building in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City.  Drew Angerer | Getty Images Retirees who are worried about inflation eroding the value of their income may want to check out real estate investment trusts. REITs are companies that own and/or operate properties like shopping

FatCamera | E+ | Getty Images The push for a higher federal minimum wage could help those who are underpaid, particularly child-care workers. However, raising that minimum pay rate could also make child care unaffordable for many families. Such is the Catch-22 that policymakers now face as they look to rebuild the economy from the

Sometimes, it can seem like only rich people can benefit from the tax code. Some ultra-wealthy individuals have amassed hundreds of millions — or even billions — of dollars in tax-sheltered Roth individual retirement accounts, according to a report released Thursday from ProPublica, an investigative news outlet. However, the strategy is generally available to anyone

MoMo Productions | DigitalVision | Getty Images Individuals and families with questions on the new monthly child tax credit payments or missing stimulus checks now have the opportunity to get free, in-person tax help. The IRS announced on Wednesday that it is partnering with non-profit organizations, churches and community organizations in 12 cities to provide

Renter advocacy groups have pressured the administration of President Joe Biden to extend the CDC eviction ban for at least another month. Carlos Barria | Reuters Struggling renters will likely have a little more time before they have to worry about eviction. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to extend the national

FREDERIC J. BROWN | AFP | Getty Images Job hunting has been muted in 12 states that opted out of federal unemployment programs in recent weeks, suggesting the policy may not be working as planned, according to a new analysis. The states have ended the pandemic-era benefits — including an extra $300 a week —

kate_sept2004 | E+ | Getty Images The IRS on Tuesday started an online tool that will allow families to tell the agency they don’t want to receive advance monthly payments from the enhanced child tax credit, scheduled to start next month. Using the new Child Tax Credit Update Portal, families can verify that they’re eligible

In this article IVZ Thiago Prudencio | LightRocket | Getty Images As the Securities and Exchange Commission defers signing off on bitcoin exchange-traded funds, some companies are exploring other ways to meet investors’ growing demand for cryptocurrency. The SEC on Wednesday pushed another decision to approve Van Eck’s bitcoin ETF, extending the review and asking

Amazon Prime Day is underway. But not every deal is too good to be true. The two-day shopping event, which started early Monday and runs through 3 a.m. ET Wednesday, is offering more 2 million deals — and some are better than others. “That is an incredible number,” said Dave Kender, the editor in chief

Choreograph | iStock | Getty Images For some Medicare beneficiaries, health-care coverage ends up costing more than it does for most of their peers — and it’s not by choice. While there are costs that individuals often are aware of — i.e., they purchase a supplemental policy or choose a more expensive plan — some

Tom Werner | DigitalVision | Getty Images Retailers are making it easier than ever to make purchases with “buy now, pay later” loans. Also known as point-of-sale installment loans, they are a type of short-term financing that allow you to divide your purchases into monthly installments. Services that offer them, like Affirm, Klarna, Afterpay and

Image Source | Getty Images It’s not uncommon to want to return to work after retiring. Whether for financial reasons or personal fulfillment, many older Americans find that retirement isn’t working for them. Yet before you make the leap, it’s worth considering how that extra income could affect other parts of your financial life. Of

Getty Images The other day I did something I haven’t done in over a year: I signed into my student loan account. Or, at least that’s what I tried to do. Turns out I’d forgotten my password and couldn’t get in. Instead of going through the steps to change it, I closed the browser and

ljubaphoto | E+ | Getty Images Like much of the travel and hospitality industry, travel agents took a huge hit when the pandemic struck in March 2020. However, after months of struggle and setbacks, a potential silver lining has emerged: Travel advisors’ effective advocacy for clients stranded or stymied during the global lockdown has now

Ungureanu Vadim | EyeEm | Getty Images In January, Anna Brekken had finally made 120 student loan payments, the number at which borrowers are supposed to get the rest of their debt cancelled under the public service loan forgiveness program. When she submitted her request for forgiveness, she looked forward to walking away from her

In this article AMZN Amazon driver Shawndu Stackhouse delivers packages in Northeast Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, April 6, 2021. Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images It’s typically one of the biggest sales of the year. And in 2021, Amazon Prime Day could be even bigger. The annual two-day shopping event is set

For long-term investors, daily headlines are distractions. Westend61 / Josep Rovirosa | Getty Images It’s no secret that Social Security is underfunded, and many Americans are struggling to scrape by on their monthly benefit checks. Now, congressional leaders have raised a key question on reforming the program. “Should we vote now or should we kick

Anchiy | E+ | Getty Images The age when older Americans must start making withdrawals from retirement accounts could change yet again. Under a provision in proposed retirement legislation pending in Congress, required minimum distributions, or RMDs, would start at age 75 by 2032, up from age 72 — which only took effect last year

Zoom In IconArrows pointing outwards Rising consumer costs have helped push the latest estimate for next year’s Social Security cost-of-living adjustment to 5.3%. Whether that will actually be the bump retirees see to their monthly checks in 2022 depends a lot on the economy, including whether the Federal Reserve decides to raise interest rates. The

The Federal Reserve said Wednesday it will keep its benchmark interest rate near zero despite signs the economic recovery is well underway. But it’s clear rates won’t stay near rock-bottom forever. Recent data showing higher consumer prices and lower unemployment will pave the way for unwinding last year’s bond buying and near-zero interest rates. “Being 7.8 million jobs