Personal Finance

Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. DEA / M. BORCHI | De Agostini | Getty Images Nearly 14 million American workers are collecting unemployment benefits through programs that will lapse at the end of the year without congressional action. Expiring aid would leave many without income at a time when protections for renters, homeowners and student

‘Tis the season to shore up your savings. In the days leading up to Black Friday, financial experts caution against overspending, particularly amid an economic crisis due to the coronavirus pandemic — and consumers are listening. One campaign, called “In the Black Friday,” spearheaded by the National Financial Educators Council, encourages consumers to avoid debt

Elisabeth Reynolds MIT The predictions were scary. Half of the jobs in industrialized countries could, one day, be taken over by robots. What would workers do? How would they earn a living? In 2018, a taskforce at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology set out to answer these questions. Over the next two years, more than

President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris at transition Covid-19 advisory board briefing on Nov. 9, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware. Photo by Joe Raedle | Getty Images Student loan forgiveness is looking more like a possibility under President-elect Joe Biden, but an unintended consequence may emerge unless Washington intervenes: a tax on loan forgiveness.

Getty Images If you receive a text, email or phone call purporting to be from the Social Security Administration, think twice before responding. The people on the other end are likely fraudsters. And they’re looking to catch individuals off guard and take advantage of their fears. The November Retirement Confidence Index from SimplyWise, a technology

“As soon as I heard that that the freshmen class would be invited back, I decided to go,” said Ahmad Alsheikh, 18, of his decision to attend college in person this fall. But even though Alsheikh has been on campus since September, he still communicates with his classmates largely online. The Harvard freshman says he is

Siblings Jack, Catherine, Sam and Molly Matt pay a socially distant visit to Santa Claus at the Willow Grove Park Mall in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 14, 2020. Mark Makela | Reuters There are a lot of kids who won’t be getting a new Xbox for Christmas. As many as 1 in 3 people

For now, it’s an open question if President-elect Joe Biden has interest in testing his presidential power to try to forgive student debt. Joe Raedle |Getty Images It’s a pressing question not just for higher-education experts and legal wonks. Tens of millions of Americans have a lot riding on the answer: Can the president forgive

Jeanne Flynn, 34, has accumulated thousands in credit card debt while waiting for unemployment benefits to arrive in New Jersey. Jeanne Flynn Jeanne Flynn used to worry about money. But never like this. Flynn, 34, lost her restaurant job in March as the coronavirus pandemic raged. Months of waiting for unemployment benefits and little savings

RainStar | E+ | Getty Images There’s a chance that if you’re enrolled in Medicare, an Advantage Plan is on your radar as a supplemental coverage option. While these plans continue growing in popularity and availability, there are some things to watch for. And whether you’re mulling over switching to another plan or adding one

A President Donald Trump and a former Vice President Joe Biden supporter converse before the Joe Biden Campaign Rally at the National World War I Museum and Memorial on March 7, 2020 in Kansas City, Missouri. Kyle Rivas | Getty Images This year’s presidential election was expected to usher in a blue wave of votes

Volunteers distribute food to the needy in Orlando, Fla. Paul Hennessy/NurPhoto via Getty Images About 12 million Americans will lose unemployment benefits in December when CARES Act provisions lapse, absent an extension, according to a new analysis. Unemployment benefits will terminate for more than half of current recipients at the end of the year, coinciding

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) headquarters in Washington, D.C. Janhvi Bhojwani | CNBC Entrepreneurs who took a forgivable loan this year can’t write off certain expenses on their taxes if they expect the debt will be forgiven, according to the IRS and Treasury Department. The two agencies issued guidance Wednesday on the Paycheck Protection Program

Talaj | iStock | Getty Images With jobs to hold down, children to care for, friendships to maintain, food to be bought and cooked, dishes to be washed and laundry to be done, it can be a challenge to keep up with all the details of your personal finances. In passing, you may wonder: How

The Federal Trade Commission Building in Washington D.C. Ashley Stringer | CNBC The Federal Trade Commission has filed a civil complaint alleging “unfair or deceptive acts” by Beam Financial, a San Francisco start-up behind a savings app that purported to offer above-market interest rates on federally insured deposits. As CNBC first reported in October, dozens

[embedded content] [The stream is slated to start at 2 p.m.. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] The Path Forward: Your Money virtual summit brings together some of the top experts in personal finance to provide critical advice on spending and saving, and examine the

Images By Tang Ming Tung If you still haven’t received your $1,200 stimulus check, you may be in luck. There’s one last deadline to submit your information to the government in order to get your payment this year. But you have to act before 3 p.m. this Saturday, Nov. 21. If you miss that cutoff,

Aviation workers hold a protest organized by the Association of Flight Attendants outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 9, 2020. Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images Washington lawmakers have worked to come to an agreement on the next coronavirus relief package for months. Post-election, those talks could get shaken up by

Getty Images If you’re working and have access to a 401(k) plan, socking away at least enough money to grab the company’s matching contribution is key, experts say. Yet how much is that extra cash worth? Most companies that offer these workplace retirement plans will match your contributions up to a certain amount. Depending on

John and David Auten-Schneider on their wedding day. The couple married after more than 13 years together. Studio Lemus John Auten-Schneider and David Auten-Schneider came out about their finances about two years after they started dating. The conversation started while they were looking to buy land in Winter Park, Colorado, to build a weekend home.

Amy Abad-Sosa Amy Abad-Sosa What started out as a fun at-home activity for Amy Abad-Sosa has turned into a source of small business income. The 29-year-old mom of two and bookkeeper, based in Bogota, New Jersey, kicked off her new venture “Adventure Bins” this fall – homemade activity boxes for toddlers and preschoolers. “We’re not

During the 2020 presidential campaign, Joe Biden promised to forgive a large chunk of the country’s outstanding student loan debt. Leah Millis | Reuters Even before the pandemic cost Adam Anderson his job, repaying his student loans was a challenge. He owes more than $60,000. He earned around $50,000 a year as a physical therapy

bymuratdeniz | E+ | Getty Images By this point, Medicare beneficiaries likely know that now is the time of year to get their 2021 coverage straight. While many individuals stick with what they have, others may be exploring a more suitable option. If that involves a Medicare supplement plan, aka Medigap, it’s important to know

Senators Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., and David Perdue, R-Ga., at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on July 15, 2020. Jonathan Ernst | Reuters Wealthy families have Georgia on their minds. That’s because the outcome of two contentious races for the Senate could shape their plans to pass on millions of dollars to their heirs, as well as

Oliver Rossi | Stone | Getty Images The coronavirus pandemic may be putting you in some uncomfortable financial situations with your family. A relative may have asked for a loan, or your young adult child may be looking to move back home. You may be struggling financially and haven’t addressed it with your kids, or

Andersen Ross | Blend Images | Getty Images Making smart tax decisions can have a big impact on the amount of money someone has in retirement. Investing and withdrawing retirement funds in a tax-efficient way is among the top ways financial advisors can boost returns for clients, according to an analysis published by researchers at

President-elect Joe Biden delivers remarks in Wilmington, Delaware, on Nov. 9, 2020. Angela Weiss | AFP | Getty Images President-elect Joe Biden ran on a platform that included proposals to shore up Social Security benefits while extending the program’s solvency. How his administration and the next Congress take shape will help determine just how many

Lindsay Hartmann, pictured with her sons, is married to an active-duty Marine. The family moved to Florida in June and she’s still trying to find a full-time job. Source: Lindsay Hartmann In the last eight months, Lindsay Hartmann has endured a bout with Covid-19, a job loss and a cross-country move. Uncertainty has long been

MoMo Productions Families of color were already trailing their White peers in retirement savings. Then the coronavirus pandemic hit, adding a further hurdle to retirement planning for minorities in the U.S. More than 60% of Hispanic households are at risk of being unable to maintain their current standard of living in retirement, along with 54%

On the heels of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, free college may finally become a reality. On the campaign trail, Biden said he will enact legislation to ensure that students can go to community college for up to two years without having to pay tuition. Biden also adopted a proposal from Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., to