Personal Finance

President Donald Trump conducts a bill signing ceremony with members of his economic team in the Rose Garden at the White House on June 05, 2020. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) A conspiracy theory has emerged relative to the unemployment rate, suggesting that the Trump administration rigged official statistics to give the illusion of a

When it comes to hiring a diverse workforce, Wall Street could use a little help.  That’s what Troy Prince, founder and CEO of nonprofit organization Wall Street Bound, is trying to do.  “We know that talent and IQ is equally distributed,” he said in an interview Tuesday with Halftime Report. “Opportunity is not. “This demographic,

President Donald Trump signed the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 into law on June 5. Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images Small-business owners who borrowed from the Paycheck Protection Program are about to get a break on forgiveness. Last Friday, President Donald Trump signed the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act into law.

Mixmike | Getty Images Gen Z may also be Gen DIY. “There’s an underlying assumption that almost any task can be taught or learned by yourself,” said Jonah Stillman, co-author of Gen Z @ Work. “I grew up with YouTube: I can log on and learn to play an instrument, write code or tile a

Investors who were sitting on the sidelines during coronavirus will get some more time to partake in a new tax play. Qualified opportunity funds were created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. They offer taxpayers an incentive to invest capital gains they incur elsewhere into economically distressed communities, granting investors an attractive

More than half of U.S. travelers planning to book trips will not insure their purchase, according to a survey of more than 1,200 Americans by ValuePenguin. That’s despite the near-shutdown of global tourism, the struggle to get refunds on canceled spring and summer travel plans, and lingering questions over how and when airlines, cruise lines,

Joseph Louis joins others in a protest asking the state of Florida to fix its unemployment system on May 22, 2020 in Miami Beach, Florida. Joe Raedle | Getty Images One generous proposal on Capitol Hill could put as much as $10,000 per month into American families’ hands to help them weather the coronavirus pandemic.

Ravin Jesuthasan Source: Ravin Jesuthasan The coronavirus pandemic has destroyed tens of millions of American jobs. How many of them will come back?  That might be one of the most pressing questions of the Covid-19 recession. Arguably no other downturn has threatened to leave American life so unrecognizable.  What will the labor market look like

A “Now Hiring” sign advertising jobs at Lowe’s is seen as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Homestead, Florida, U.S., April 17, 2020. Marco Bello | Reuters Payroll tax cuts could be in the next round of coronavirus aid legislation, if President Donald Trump gets his way. Vice President Mike Pence reiterated

Hero Images | Getty Images If you’re eyeing your 401(k) account to help shore up your finances amid the coronavirus crisis, there are a couple of penalty-free ways you can do it if your employer allows it. Just be sure you’re aware of the long-term implications. Each of the options available — a loan or

U.S. President Donald Trump’s name appears on the coronavirus economic assistance checks that were sent to citizens across the country April 29, 2020 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images If you’re eligible for a $1,200 stimulus check and haven’t received yours yet, there’s good news: Money is still available. The U.S. government just

Business owners who received a forgivable loan through the Paycheck Protection Program are likely getting more leeway on how to spend those funds.   The Senate passed legislation Wednesday night that restructures how entrepreneurs can use loans issued through a new federal relief program for small businesses ailing from the economic contagion unleashed by the coronavirus

Image of workplace with computer monitor and armchair in the living room at home AnnaStills Amid the coronavirus pandemic, millions of employees have been shut out of their offices and required to work from home. The massive change has many companies evaluating what they can do to make the transition smoother for their workers.  One

Corporate and nonprofit leaders are echoing the anger, pain and frustration expressed by many Americans after the death of George Floyd, the 46-year-old black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis on May 25 after a white officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes. On Monday several black leaders in business

Luis Alvarez Call it the never-ending tax season. It may be hard to believe, but taxpayers have approximately six weeks to file their 2019 income tax returns and pay taxes owed to the IRS. July 15 is the new Tax Day, as the Treasury Department moved the deadline to help taxpayers contend with disruption related

Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images Millions of Americans are suffering financially amid the gradual reopening of the U.S. economy. And there are multiple ways the U.S. government could extend more relief. The question is which one it will choose — and exactly how much cash could end up in your wallet. As the coronavirus pandemic

The coronavirus may have you thinking more about your mortality. After all, what if…? Pandemic or not, it’s important to consider what would happen to your bank accounts, your home, your belongings — i.e., everything you own — and, perhaps, your dependents, if you’re no longer here. In other words, you should prepare a will

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) after a May 19 closed Senate Republican policy lunch meeting with President Donald Trump to discuss the response to the coronavirus outbreak. Yuri Gripas | Reuters The president is warming up to the idea. Most Democrats are down. But will Republicans get behind the idea of a second round of

Gary John Norman | Getty Images At the private retirement community where 90-year-old Lee lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, the last scheduled social event was a Valentine’s Day dance in February.  A few weeks later, as the coronavirus pandemic took hold in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised anyone 60 or older

Workers who can do their jobs from home are being forced to do so by the coronavirus, and many of these workers feel fortunate, even if they feel that they are working harder. Miguel Pereira | Getty Images As the coronavirus has forced businesses, restaurants, stores and theaters across the country to shut down, a

If you’d like to make your kitchen or your beach house into your permanent office, think about what it might mean for your taxes. Social distancing orders in light of the coronavirus pandemic has forced companies to send workers home and have them work remotely. The trend might continue. Indeed, 3 out of 4 chief

University of Michigan tiny-al | Getty Images Although the upcoming academic year remains in limbo, the University of Michigan said it is taking steps to bring students back on campus in the fall. “The average student is very anxious to get out of mom and dad’s basement and come back to school,” President Mark Schlissel

NoDerog | iStock | Getty Images Millions of Americans have received their economic stimulus payments of up to $1,200 a person. But some are taking a look at those sums and wondering what happened. Some are finding that those checks are made out for less than they were expecting. Others may find that they receive

Wine store employees catalog a new shipment of alcohol on May 28, 2020 in New York City. Government guidelines encourage wearing a mask in public with strong social distancing in effect as all 50 states in the USA have begun a gradual process to slowly reopen after weeks of stay-at-home measures to slow the spread

Getty Images Taxpayers marooned at home will now be able to submit amended income tax returns to the IRS electronically. The tax agency announced on Thursday that it would begin accepting amended returns via e-file this summer. Once the e-file option becomes available, filers will only be able to amend their 2019 return. Remember, you

Squaredpixels | E+ | Getty Images If you’re like most Americans, you are probably watching Capitol Hill closely to see if new relief legislation will include another round of stimulus checks. To ensure you get that money, you would also be wise to do something else – file your federal tax returns, if you haven’t

A House bill with bipartisan support would allow 2020 college graduates to postpone their student loan payments for three years without interest accruing.  Meanwhile, Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, has introduced legislation in the Senate that would do the same.  “Students graduating from college this year are suddenly facing significant hurdles entering the workforce,” Romney said

Justin Horrocks | Vetta | Getty Images Laid-off employees who reject an offer of rehire may wind up being reported to the state unemployment office if their company took a forgivable federal loan. The Paycheck Protection Program is a federal loan program that was established by the CARES Act. It covers up to eight weeks

Audrey Saracco / EyeEm Millions of $1,200 stimulus payments have been sent out to Americans. But some recipients of Social Security or other government benefits are still asking, “Where is my money?” The stimulus checks were authorized by Congress as part of the $2 trillion CARES Act aimed at helping to reinvigorate the U.S. economy

Medical workers transport a patient outside a special Covid-19 area at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, on May 17. Johannes Eisele | Getty Images If you’re collecting more on unemployment than what you earned while working, it could affect how much you pay for health insurance. For households that bought coverage through one