Personal Finance

Crisserbug | Getty Images With more Americans under financial pressure due to the coronavirus, paying for college is a growing problem. Nearly 70% of families are worried about how they will cover the cost and more than half now say their higher education plans have changed due to Covid-19. By necessity, some students will attend a community college close to

Michelle Wang Source: Michelle Wang On July 1, Michelle Wang moved from San Diego to Atlanta to begin her doctorate program in physics at Emory University. Less than a week after she settled into her new apartment, she heard the news: International students will have to leave the U.S. if all their classes are taught online.

A woman wearing a face mask walks past the closed Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse movie theater amid the coronavirus pandemic on May 14, 2020 in Arlington, Virginia. Photo by OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits over the last four months is worse than any other time in modern

Mount Rushmore National Monument in South Dakota was a top road trip draw over the July 4 holiday weekend, according to data from Arrivalist. Photo by Mike Kline (notkalvin) Travel during the July 4th weekend was busier than predicted, but states’ Covid-19 infection rates impacted how much of an increase in activity they saw over

Justin Sullivan | Getty Images For many older folks, enrolling in Medicare leads to the conclusion that a supplemental plan — aka “Medigap” — is the best fit for their circumstances.  However, that decision generally isn’t the end of the process. Although Medigap policies are standardized in most places, regardless of which insurance company offers

People line up outside of the Social Security Administration office in San Francisco. Getty Images Prospective retirees often face one big question: How long can my funds last? Now, a mainstay for retirement — Social Security — is facing the very same question. Social Security relies on the money in its trust funds, from which it

Paul Hennessy | NurPhoto | Getty Images For Medicare beneficiaries who are eyeing a move to another state, be sure to consider what your coverage would look like once you get there. Whether you already were planning to relocate or the coronavirus pandemic has sparked the idea, it’s important to know the various Medicare rules

Unemployed Kentucky residents enter the Kentucky Career Center for help with their unemployment claims on June 19, 2020 in Frankfort, Kentucky. John Sommers II/Getty Images Certain groups of workers, like the self-employed and those in the gig economy, are pulling in an increasing share of jobless benefits relative to others. Around 12.9 million Americans are

If you’re in the market for a house and are considering an “interest-only” mortgage, proceed with caution. With tightened lending standards amid ongoing economic uncertainty — coupled with continually rising home prices and persistent low interest rates — some borrowers may gravitate to these so-called interest-only loans, experts say. These are loans where you only

When Diane Pearson’s sons both attended Robert Morris University, buying a condo for them in the suburb of Pittsburgh made financial sense. Pearson, who is a certified financial planner, took out a home equity line of credit to purchase the property with cash in 2013.  Three years later, the family sold it at a $5,000

Tim Robberts Saving for retirement can be hard. Planning how to spend that nest egg — while ensuring the money doesn’t run out — is harder. But there’s good news: Americans can build a simple, low-cost retirement plan using just Social Security and savings, according to experts. From an academic standpoint, the “optimal” retirement strategy combines two

Military veterans, like many Americans, are struggling to find work as the coronavirus pandemic stretches on. While vets’ June unemployment rate is lower than the overall number, at 8.6% compared to 11.1% for the general population, it is still at more than double the number reported in March, the Military Times said. The Labor Department survey

kate_sept2004 Pandemic first-aid kit You need seven things, according to Jeff Weinstein, a paramedic and medical operations supervisor for Global Rescue, which provides medical and crisis response service to travelers.  It’s likely you already have three: masks, hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes. Carry isopropyl alcohol wipes and use them to wipe down your phone. Major smartphone

If you’re hoping to score a good deal on a new car during July Fourth sales events,  it will be a mixed bag. While manufacturers and dealerships are offering special deals on some models to prop up sales amid the pandemic, inventory is down due to coronavirus-related disruptions in manufacturing. “We’ve seen incentives continue to

swissmediavision The seemingly endless nationwide pandemic lockdown has resulted in a lot of pent-up travel demand. As the second major long holiday weekend of summer gets underway, people looking to celebrate Independence Day are getting in their cars and campers for road trips — deemed by many a safer bet than air or cruise travel. 

Lawmakers are giving cash-strapped entrepreneurs more time to apply for emergency funding. But the effort might be insufficient to keep business owners afloat. The Paycheck Protection Program, the forgivable loan program that was established through the federal CARES Act, was originally intended to cover eight weeks of payroll costs, plus mortgage interest, utilities and rent

President Donald Trump speaks to journalists in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House July 2, 2020. The president addressed reports that the unemployment rate fell to 11.1%. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images The U.S. unemployment rate is at its lowest level in months and the economy added a record number of jobs in June.

Bobby Bonilla of the New York Mets looks on before a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on May 15, 1999 at Shea Stadium in New York. Mitchell Layton/Getty Images Bobby Bonilla, who retired as a baseball player in 2001, hasn’t played for the New York Mets since 1999. Yet Bonilla is among the highest-paid

Pedestrians in Washington pass a “We Are Open” restaurant sign during the Covid-19 outbreak on May 12. Jonathan Ernst | Reuters When it comes to the next coronavirus stimulus package and providing more direct financial aid, the question on most Americans’ lips is, “Will they or won’t they?” One political analyst predicts it’s likely lawmakers

Maskot/Getty Images Uncle Sam has heard your requests for more time to file your taxes – and they have been denied. The Treasury Department and the IRS will stick with the July 15 deadline for 2019 income tax returns and taxes owed for that year, the agencies said. The announcement came less than a week

ROBERTO SCHMIDT It’s impossible to think about racial injustice in the U.S. without looking at the distribution of dollars.  In many ways that Americans work to establish themselves financially — through the stock market,  net worth and homeownership — Black families trail White families. “To put it simply, we don’t have a level playing field,” said Evelyn Brodkin, an

Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill. Ralf-Finn Hestoft | Corbis | Getty Image The bill, called the Student Recovery Eligibility for Low-Income Individuals to Exact Funds (RELIEF) Act of 2020, would make students receiving Pell Grants eligible to receive $1,200 stimulus checks. Federal Pell Grants are need-based funds given to low-income students to help them complete their

Klaus Vedfelt If you took a mandatory distribution from an inherited retirement account this year, the IRS will let you put the money back. The CARES Act, which became law on March 27, allowed individuals to skip required minimum distributions for 2020. This is the annual withdrawal you must take from your individual retirement account and

The reception desk at luxury boutique property Diamond Mills Hotel & Tavern in Saugerties, New York, features sneeze guards. Guests and staff must wear face masks in public areas. Gina Hornbeck/Diamond Mills Hotel & Tavern Like most components of travel in the Covid-19 era, hotel check-in has changed — perhaps, in many ways, for good.

PeopleImages | E+ | Getty Images Deciding when to take your Social Security retirement benefits is a crucial decision no matter when you make it. Making that call during the coronavirus pandemic can raise the stakes. That’s because the age at which you decide to claim will lock in the amount of monthly income you

A patient arrives to Wyckoff Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, on April 5, 2020. Bryan R. Smith | AFP | Getty Images An unfortunate side effect can accompany a job loss: no more employer-subsidized health insurance. For people age 65 or older in that situation, Medicare is generally the solution. While some in that age

Sam Seagraves Source: Sam Seagraves Almost all of the money Sam Seagraves used to make as an actor in Portland, Oregon, went toward her monthly student loan bill of $1,083.  Then the coronavirus pandemic hit. With many production companies postponing or cancelling operations, Seagraves hasn’t been hired for a role since March. The CARES Act granted

Up until recently, an old-fashioned certificate of deposit was a reliable way to lock in a decent return.  Now, some CD rates are hitting all-time lows and could still fall further, according to Ken Tumin, founder of DepositAccounts.com. “Since March, rates have taken a nosedive,” he said. “I’m not sure where they will bottom.” In the wake of

MoMo Productions The secret to building sustainable income in retirement is right in front of you — and the IRS has had it all along. Retirees generally know all about required minimum distributions. This is the annual withdrawal that you must take from your individual retirement account and 401(k) plans after you turn 70½ —

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. Michael Brochstein | SOPA Images | LightRocket | Getty Images The coronavirus stimulus checks have provided a financial boost to millions of Americans — except for those who filed tax returns with non-citizen spouses. A bill introduced on Thursday by Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., is seeking to