Personal finance

Never has the money sitting in your 401(k) retirement savings plan looked so enticing.  Thanks to the CARES Act stimulus package Congress passed in March, if you’ve been negatively impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, you can pull up to $100,000 from your retirement account through the end of the year, without being dinged the usual 10% early withdrawal

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

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

alphaspirit | Getty Images Your $1,200 stimulus check could have been garnished if you owe past debts. A group of senators is looking to put a stop to that. But because millions of stimulus checks have already gone out, it could be too late for some. Congress authorized the one-time payments when it passed the

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

Warren Faidley | Getty Images The coronavirus pandemic has battered Americans’ household finances, but another major threat lies around the corner: hurricane season. Only 15% of adults polled by the American Institute of CPAs have created a disaster plan to protect their household finances. The organization, which represents accountants, polled 2,050 U.S. adults in the

Certain jobs and industries are benefiting from enhanced unemployment pay more than others — and have the most to gain from an extension of benefits.  Workers in lower-paying sectors of the economy, such as accommodation and food services, benefit more from the unemployment increase than those in finance and insurance that pay workers better. And the difference

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

This year, students may need extra help to make college a reality. Amid the coronavirus crisis and sky-high unemployment rates, less than half of families feel confident in their ability to meet the costs of higher education, according to education lender Sallie Mae. About 69% of parents and 55% of students entering college in the

Canceled that flight to Cancun or that cruise out of Miami to the Caribbean? You’re not alone. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic and worries over health and safety, many Americans will opt to “staycation” this year and holiday at home or nearby. “We’re seeing a trend overall [that] people are booking trips closer to

We are all getting back to the basics. While it might feel good to bake bread, the best way to get through the coronavirus pandemic could be to stock your emergency fund and learn to “do-it-yourself” with household chores so you can save on expenses.  One bright spot: You might have more time on your

SDI Productions Americans could use a financial boost. How to get that money into people’s hands has been a hot topic of debate. Democrats have proposed expanding unemployment insurance and giving Americans as much as $2,000 per month to get back on their feet. Meanwhile, one Republican proposal has called for giving Americans $11,000 now in

Lillian Johnson, 77, pictured outside her East Meadow, New York, nursing home. Because of Covid-19 restrictions, her son was unable to visit her for two months. Lamont Johnson Lamont Johnson lives just about two miles from his mother’s nursing home in Long Island, New York. He has not been able to visit her for about

Hero Images | Getty Images Traditionally, parents pay a premium so their children can play capture the flag, drink bug juice and swim in a lake through August. This year, of course, summer camp looks very different. Amid the coronavirus crisis, many camps have cancelled their summer sessions, others have moved online and a few

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES – 2020/03/26: View of Brooklyn office of NYS Department of Labor as unemployment claims in USA soared to 3.3 million in week ended March 21 because of COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo by Lev Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images) Pacific Press Americans who are out of work may be getting a sizable unemployment

More than 38 million people have filed for jobless claims since the coronavirus pandemic started. The unexpected loss in income is causing many Americans to tap their retirement savings just to make ends meet.  And many people who lost a job — or have a spouse or partner whose income has declined — didn’t have

A driver and passenger wearing protective masks exit the ride sharing pickup area in a car displaying Uber Technologies signage at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Monday, May 4, 2020. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images Bloomberg Leonardo Diaz is in a tough spot. Diaz, a driver for Uber

Hispanolistic Over 152 million stimulus checks have been issued to individuals over the last six weeks, according to data from the U.S. Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service. In all, the agencies have distributed $257.9 billion in Economic Impact Payments. Uncle Sam began depositing the funds into taxpayers’ bank accounts in mid-April. The average payment came

College graduates will soon be hit with their first student loan bill aywan88 | E+ | Getty Images When Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren dropped out of the race, it seemed that proposals to tackle student loan debt would go away, too.  They haven’t. Between the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and

A sign advising customers to practice social distancing is displayed on the door of a General Motors Co. Buick and GMC car dealership in Woodbridge, New Jersey, on May 20. Angus Mordant | Bloomberg | Getty Images Coronavirus pandemic aside, it’s not a bad time to be in the market for a new car. With