Personal finance

kate_sept2004 | E+ | Getty Images A new batch of $1,400 stimulus checks has been issued to Americans, bringing the total number of payments sent to about 165 million, or $388 billion. This marks the ninth set of payments since the $1,400 stimulus checks were authorized by Congress in March. The checks are for up

A bartender and patron at a San Francisco bar on May 6, 2021. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Californians could see an extra financial boost after Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled a proposal to send new stimulus checks and renter assistance to residents. The $100 billion comeback plan announced Monday by Newsom, a

Luis Alvarez | DigitalVision | Getty Images The April jobs report has ignited controversy over what some see as competing interests: unemployment benefits and returning to work. But there’s a way to get both — including the extra $300 a week. “The $300 is what will attract people back to work,” Susan Houseman, research director

Justin Mackey, his wife, Cassie, and their three young children: Camdyn, 14, Connor, 7, and Charlie, 3. While Justin Mackey worked to rebuild his locksmith business, the 38-year-old was relying on getting a $420-a-week unemployment check for another four months. That money was a fraction of what he brought home before the pandemic shut down

As the economy reopens in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, more Americans expect inflation to increase over the next few years. Overall, the expectation is that the inflation rate would be up to 3.4% one year from now — its highest level since September 2013 — and at 3.1% three years from now, according

Marko Geber | DigitalVision | Getty Images Americans will be able to stash away more money in health savings accounts next year. Individuals with self-only coverage will be able to save up to $3,650 in an HSA in 2022, the IRS announced Monday. Those with family coverage will be able to save $7,300. More from

Gov. Asa Hutchinson said Arkansas will end enhanced unemployment benefits June 26. Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images Tensions are flaring over a $300 supplement to weekly unemployment benefits. A weaker-than-expected April jobs report has led to outcry in some circles that the payments are fueling a labor shortage. The extra aid offers an incentive for

fizkes | iStock | Getty Images Outstanding student loan debt in the U.S. has climbed to $1.7 trillion, a balance that is not evenly distributed among college graduates. Certain groups are far more burdened than others. President Joe Biden is now considering whether or not to reduce or eliminate those burdens by forgiving student debt.

Mary Ann Sergeant Source: Kara Sergeant After a year of grappling with the pandemic, many baby boomers have made changes to their retirement plans.  Mary Ann Sergeant, 65, spent more than 15 years working as a pharmacy technician at Anna Jaques Hospital in Newburyport, Massachusetts. She wasn’t planning to retire from the community hospital for

bymuratdeniz | iStock | Getty Images If you haven’t filed your 2020 tax return, the clock is ticking. The deadline for 2020 returns is Monday, May 17. In March, the IRS pushed back the date for individual returns due to the coronavirus pandemic, giving most Americans an extra month to file. Even with the additional

In this article PFE Once children over age 12 are eligible for Pfizer’s Covid vaccine, the question of whether they will have to get it before going back to school in the fall will remain. “Like everything with Covid, this is going to be a school district by school district decision,” said Sharon Masling, a

Hiring was a huge letdown in April, but teenagers looking for summer gigs may be in luck. The Covid pandemic, of course, hit this group especially hard. Last summer, the unemployment rate for 16-to-24 year olds was 18.5%, about twice as high as the year before. (July is typically when youth employment peaks.) Now, heading into the

VCG | Visual China Group | Getty Images Maybe you’ve seen one too many headlines about the explosive rise in value of dogecoin, or heard one too many stories about someone making a life-changing profit off the cryptocurrency, and now you’re ready to get in. You might be thinking, so what if the coin started

Flood waters stream down the road in Muhlenberg Township, Pennsylvania, after a major storm last August. Ben Hasty | MediaNews Group | Getty Images Continuing climate change and soaring lumber costs are two things you may need to consider when it comes to your homeowners insurance. Whether you live in an area prone to hurricanes,

Samuel Corum/Bloomberg via Getty Images At least 7 million people likely qualify for tax refunds on unemployment benefits received last year, a new report suggests. The American Rescue Plan, which President Joe Biden signed in March, waived federal tax on up to $10,200 of jobless benefits, per person, collected in 2020. Taxpayers qualify if their

Henry McMaster, the governor of South Carolina. Eric Thayer/Bloomberg via Getty Images At least two states will soon kick workers off pandemic-era programs that expanded and raised unemployment benefits. The governors of Montana and South Carolina announced this week that they are ending their participation in the federal programs at the end of June. The

urbazon | E+ | Getty Images For some would-be homeowners, coming up with the cash to buy a house can be tricky. Depending on your situation, a Roth individual retirement account could help. In a nutshell, up to $10,000 in Roth IRA earnings can be withdrawn — free of both taxes and penalty — for

Maricopa County, Arizona, constable Darlene Martinez signs an eviction order on Oct. 7, 2020 in Phoenix. John Moore | Getty Images News | Getty Images Renters who are financially struggling because of the coronavirus pandemic got some scary news yesterday when a federal judge overturned the national eviction moratorium two months earlier than expected. In

Students wearing protective masks raise their hands in a classroom as a teacher gives a lesson remotely at a public charter school in Provo, Utah, U.S., on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. George Frey | Bloomberg via Getty Images It’s a question many a personal finance educator has asked: What’s the best way to engage my

Unemployment applications are seen as City of Hialeah employees hand them out to people in front of the John F. Kennedy Library on April 08, 2020 in Hialeah, Florida. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Workers asked to repay unemployment benefits issued during the Covid pandemic may be getting a refund. However, it may take states up to