Personal finance

As financial literacy advocates push for more personal finance education in schools, students are also joining the cause. Only 21 states require personal finance coursework to graduate high school, with just a handful mandating a stand-alone class, according to the Council for Economic Education. Yet research shows that those who have some financial education typically

Matthew Turner (on the right) and his husband, Gerard. Photo: Matthew Turner Since Matthew Turner was laid off in October, he estimates he’s applied to close to 600 jobs, with no luck. Nearly as difficult has been his hunt for rental assistance. Turner’s contacted many local organizations in North Carolina where he lives, but has

MoMo Productions Parents may soon start getting monthly payments from the IRS, due to a recent change to the child tax credit. IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig said Tuesday that the agency was on track to start issuing that aid in July. Here’s what taxpayers need to know about the tax credit and income stream. Child

Tetra Images | Tetra images | Getty Images Next year’s tax return is probably the last thing on most Americans’ minds right now. With millions of individuals and business owners still dealing with their taxes for this year, next year can wait. “The financial industry, and the whole country, has compliance fatigue,” said Ed Reitmeyer,

Signs calling for more relief, a second Paycheck Protection Program and more as part of a campaign by Goldman Sachs supporting small businesses near the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 5, 2021. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI | AFP | Getty Images Stimulus checks have injected about $850 billion in financial support to Americans over the past year. Now,

kupicoo | E+ | Getty Images Congressional lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are calling for a repeal of the state and local tax cap, arguing that they hurt middle-class Americans. On Thursday, representatives led by Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y.; Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y.; and Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., announced a bipartisan caucus to

. recep-bg | E+ | Getty Images Almost a year after college graduation, 45% of the class of 2020 are still looking for work, according to a survey from career website Monster. New graduates will join them in May. While the economy has improved since last year, the employment outlook is still far from pre-pandemic

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., speaks at a Senate Finance Committee hearing at the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 25, 2021. Tasos Katopodis | Getty Images News | Getty Images A Senate bill introduced Wednesday would broadly reform the U.S. unemployment system, seeking to plug gaps in the safety net for jobless Americans in

LaylaBird Many taxpayers get a refund from the IRS. Not all are created equal. Some taxpayers receive significantly higher refunds after filing their returns, according to an analysis of IRS data done by LendingTree. In 2018, the latest available data, the average refund across the board was about $3,660, according to the study. However, taxpayers

lisegagne | E+ | Getty Images Millions of families, with children ages 17 and younger, will soon start receiving hundreds of dollars each month as part of a new, expanded tax credit in the American Rescue Plan. To ensure their families receive the payment, parents need do one thing: file a 2020 tax return. “Families

kate_sept2004 | E+ | Getty Images There’s good news for American families. The IRS plans to begin sending monthly payments from the new $3,000 child tax credit in July, Commissioner Charles Rettig said Tuesday during a hearing with the Senate Finance Committee. The new and significantly expanded child tax credit was included in the $1.9 trillion

Alex Wong | Getty Images News | Getty Images While the latest stimulus package and a new massive infrastructure bill are the main topics of conversation in Washington of late, President Joe Biden continues to be under mounting pressure to take action on student loan forgiveness, too. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., held a hearing on

kate_sept2004 | E+ | Getty Images Much has been said about the importance of teaching your children about money. Yet you may not know where to start or even feel like you know enough about finances yourself. “Many parents avoid trying to improve the financial literacy of their children because they lack confidence themselves,” said

10’000 Hours Some states are requiring workers who received a federal tax break on unemployment benefits to file an amended tax return to get their refund. This largely applies to taxpayers who’d filed a federal and state tax return before the American Rescue Plan became law. That $1.9 trillion Covid relief measure waived federal tax

sturti A year into the pandemic, some Americans are still confused as to why they received less stimulus check money than they anticipated and, in some cases, no money at all. If that’s you, there’s good news: A recovery rebate credit on this year’s tax return will let you submit your claim for those funds.

Jason York | Getty Images So you inherited a retirement account.  Before you make any decisions on when and how to access the money, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with the rules that apply to different beneficiaries. The rules for these retirement plans can be complicated. Therefore, mistakes can be made, and depending on the specifics,

In this article EXPE Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images Many people are itching to book a trip to their favorite summer getaway spot but are not sure about Covid outbreaks or vaccination, testing or quarantine requirements. Online travel shopping company Expedia Group Thursday launched COVID-19 Travel Advisor, an online tool that provides information about

After looking at more than 50 houses and writing 17 offers, Taryn and Antonio Orellana recently closed on a house in Lakewood, Calif. Source: Taryn Orellana When pandemic life began to feel too tight inside the one-bedroom apartment Taryn Orellana shared with her husband, Antonio, she knew they had to move. In October, the couple

Chase Kensrue Before the coronavirus pandemic hit last March, Danny Samet, 28, had big financial plans for the year. The freelance tour manager and merchandiser for bands had a goal to pay off his credit card debt, which is about $6,000, he said. Once he’d done that he was considering looking to buy a house

A pedestrian wearing a protective mask walks past the Macy’s Inc. flagship store in the Herald Square area of New York, U.S., on Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020. Victor J. Blue | Bloomberg | Getty Images On any given day, the line outside the Gucci boutique at the Mall at Short Hills in N.J. winds around