If you’re on Medicare, it’s time to give your coverage a close look whether you feel like it or not. From now through Dec. 7, you can make changes that take effect Jan. 1. While you are not required to do anything — your 2020 coverage would continue next year, generally speaking, if you take
Personal finance
Courtney Keating | Getty Images Even homeowners with poor credit scores may be able to take advantage of mortgage refinancing options to ease their financial burden amid the coronavirus pandemic. The housing market is one of the only parts of the economy that’s seen a solid rebound during the Covid-19 crisis, thanks in part to
izusek | E+ | Getty Images The Social Security Administration announced this week that the cost-of-living adjustment for benefits in 2021 will be 1.3%. For the average retirement benefit, that amounts to just a $20 increase per month. Now, two Congressional Democrats — Reps. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., and John Larson, D-Conn. — plan to propose
EmirMemedovski Take a few minutes to review your workplace benefits for next year. Your household finances for 2021 could depend on it. After one of the most difficult and financially stressful years for many Americans, digging back into the details of workplace benefits like health savings accounts, or HSAs, and flexible spending accounts (FSAs) is
Prisoners are getting a second chance at receiving the $1,200 stimulus checks the government sent this spring. Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California recently ruled that the government should not withhold those checks from people solely because they are incarcerated. There are roughly 1.5 million incarcerated
Amazon Prime Day, which was originally slated for July but postponed due to the pandemic, is turning into one of the biggest shopping events of the year. In fact, even I had to get in on the 48-hour extravaganza before it ends at 3 a.m. ET Thursday. Not surprisingly, Amazon devices, such as the Ring
shapecharge | E+ | Getty Images Life insurance is enjoying something of a renaissance as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. Consumers, especially younger adults, have been buying insurance in elevated numbers since the spring, when thousands of Americans began getting ill and dying from Covid-19. That result is logical, experts said, given the core
Airline industry workers protest in favor of pandemic relief in Chicago’s Federal Plaza on Sep. 9, 2020. KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images Millions of Americans have headed back to work since the depths of the coronavirus-induced recession in the spring. But nearly 13 million remain unemployed — about 7 million more workers than pre-pandemic levels.
Getty Images Social Security beneficiaries will see a 1.3% increase to their monthly checks in 2021. The amount was announced on Tuesday by the Social Security Administration, and was in line with previous estimates. Last month, The Senior Citizens League, a nonpartisan advocacy group for older Americans, projected a 1.3% boost, based on available Consumer
Virojt Changyencham | Moment | Getty Images As of mid-September, there were 26.5 million Americans on some form of unemployment assistance. Many families and individuals have been forced to deal with unexpected health costs and uncertain education and day care situations in their communities. Many Americans are facing a grave threat of financial insecurity, having
Millions of Americans are hoping another $1,200 stimulus check will make it to their bank accounts. Whether that happens or not depends on Congress. Republicans, Democrats and the White House still have not been able to strike a compromise on how much to spend and where to provide aid for the next coronavirus stimulus package.
Suze Orman leaving the hospital in July 2020, after surgery to remove a tumor from her spine. Source: Kathy Travis Suze Orman didn’t take her own advice, at least when it came to her health. The New York Times best-selling author and personal finance expert had emergency surgery in July for a tumor on her
Even as consumer spending slowed amid the coronavirus crisis, e-commerce sales have soared — and are about to go even higher, thanks to Amazon. Prime Day, which was originally slated for July but postponed due to the pandemic, starts at midnight PT (3 a.m. ET) on Tuesday, Oct. 13 and runs through Wednesday, Oct. 14. Over the course of
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act into law on Aug. 14, 1935. FPG | Archive Photos | Getty Images Many people think of Social Security as the program their parents and grandparents rely on for financial support in retirement. For James Roosevelt, Jr., it has a special significance. His grandfather created it.
Remote schooling remains a struggle for many families. Yet there is still a real risk in returning to the classroom. As of a recent tally, 87% of institutions have combined in-person and virtual learning in response to the public health crisis, according to a report by the Institute of International Education that was based on data collected
Online shopping is surging in the pandemic. martin-dm | E+ | Getty Images The other night, I was feeling a little more tired and burned out than usual. I smelled the candle on my desk to see if I could pick up its scent. What if I was coming down with Covid-19? I got a
James M. Dahle, MD, founder of The White Coat Investor. James M Dahle, MD It has been recognized for years that our health can be affected by our wealth, or lack thereof. Stress is a major contributor to both mental and physical health, and financial issues are one of the biggest stressors around. In my
U.S. President Donald Trump waves upon return to the White House from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on October 05, 2020 in Washington, DC. Win McNamee | Getty Images News | Getty Images Millions of Americans have been waiting for Congress to pass another stimulus package that would deliver them financial relief during one
miodrag ignjatovic Taking steps to sort out your finances, including increasing your financial knowledge, can help alleviate money stress in times of uncertainty. Financial stress is nothing new for many Americans, and the coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated anxiety for a lot of people. As many as 84% said in September that the Covid-19 crisis is
Democratic vice presidential nominee Senator Kamala Harris speaks during the vice presidential campaign debate with U.S. Vice President Mike Pence held on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah, October 7, 2020. Lucy Nicholson | Reuters During the vice presidential debate on Wednesday night, Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., had a