Personal finance

Hero Images | Getty Images In an uncertain period, money may be the first thing to wobble. Over the last few weeks, 16 million filed for unemployment. Many more are frightened about job security. It’s an excellent time to strive for some peace of mind by smoothing out unpredictability. To make matters worse, unexpected expenses

Ten days after banks began accepting loan applications from small businesses hurting from the coronavirus pandemic, Israel Shaked was still trying to file his request. “The process is very, very lengthy,” said Shaked, who is the owner of a consulting firm and a finance professor at Boston University. He’s trying to secure a $200,000 loan

urfinguss | Getty Images A fight could be brewing over your coronavirus stimulus check. Your opponent could be your very own bank. If you have outstanding debts, your stimulus payments could be reduced or taken by creditors or debt collectors, in what 25 state attorneys general called a “legislative oversight” in a letter sent to

Ahmad Alsheikh, 18, was admitted to the Harvard class of 2024. Source: Ahmad Alsheikh For Ahmad Alsheikh, 18, gaining acceptance to Harvard’s Class of 2024 was a lifetime in the making.  Alsheikh and his family came to the U.S. from Syria, seeking asylum from that country’s civil war. Yet in starting school as a high school

Getty Images If you’d planned on making a payment to the IRS on April 15 and now want to reschedule due to the coronavirus pandemic, you’re running out of time. In March, the IRS and Treasury Department announced it would give taxpayers until July 15 to file their 2019 income tax returns and make any necessary payments.

Sam Edwards | Getty Images Retiring at 65 was already becoming a fading tradition before Covid-19 sank the world’s economy. Now, that traditional retirement age could fall further by the wayside as workers pick up the pieces once the economy gets going again. A survey from Allianz Life Insurance Company finds that half of Americans

The U.S. economy is taking a beating from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and, like most everyone, you’re probably feeling some impact from the stock market’s volatility. The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged in March before soaring again, jumping 400 points on April 9. It’s still down, though, from its high of 29,551 on

The Internal Revenue Services offices in Washington, D.C. Adam Jeffery | CNBC The IRS is giving taxpayers extra relief on upcoming deadlines, pushing the due date for more  returns and payments to July 15. Taxpayers have three more months to submit their 2019 income tax returns and payments, and now the IRS is granting additional

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. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Joe Raedle Americans are applying for unemployment in record numbers as the coronavirus pandemic has effectively shuttered much of the U.S.

A new government tool to file for coronavirus stimulus checks is here, and that’s good news for some Social Security recipients. The government is urging certain individuals to apply using that tool now to make sure they receive timely payments and the full amounts for which they are eligible. This week, the Treasury Department and

Eddie Rodriguez (R) and other City of Hialeah employees hand out unemployment applications to people in their vehicles in front of the John F. Kennedy Library on April 08, 2020 in Hialeah, Florida. Joe Raedle | Getty Images Americans are filing for unemployment benefits in record numbers as the coronavirus pandemic continues to crush the

kate_sept2004  If you’re paying a financial advisor to guide you through current market havoc, groups representing those professionals want you to nab a tax break for those fees. A quintet of groups representing financial advisors is calling upon Congress to restore a tax deduction for advisory fees. “We think it’s good public policy at any

Jetta Productions | Iconica | Getty Images As the economy craters, small businesses are among the hardest hit. When unemployment claims began to jump nationwide in March, layoffs among small business spiked 1,021% compared to the month before, according to exclusive data compiled by human resource provider Gusto, based on more than 100,000 small businesses nationwide.

Getty Images Millions of taxpayers missed out on a pile of tax write-offs when they filed their returns last year. In all, 16.7 million households claimed itemized deductions on their 2018 income tax returns, according to data from the IRS. That’s down from 46.2 million taxpayers during the 2017 tax year. The decline is the

As more than 16 million Americans have lost their jobs in the last three weeks, many have scrambled to apply for unemployment insurance to help cover their expenses. And some workers age 62 and up may also consider tapping another source: Social Security retirement benefits. During the financial crisis, more people decided to file for

If all goes well, Kaylee Klein, 18, will begin her freshman year at Slippery Rock University in western Pennsylvania in the fall. “She is so excited,” said her mom, Kim Klein. But now the family must also contend with the coronavirus pandemic, which has dramatically changed their financial circumstances. “I worry that, financially, it is

Thomas Barwick This year, the coronavirus relief law is letting savers bypass mandatory withdrawals from their retirement accounts. While that’s good news, it’s still generating plenty of questions from account holders. Generally, savers who turn 70½ must begin annual required minimum distributions, or RMDs, from their retirement accounts and pay taxes on those withdrawals. However,

With most Americans under stay-at-home orders due to the coronavirus outbreak, the roads are quieter – and safer – than usual. So why should you keep paying your regular auto insurance premium?  Many insurers have a perhaps surprising answer to that question: You shouldn’t.  Allstate announced this week that it would slash April and May’s

Getty Images It’s never ideal to build up debt, but it may be necessary these days. The coronavirus outbreak has disrupted the economy. Businesses have shuttered and workers have been laid off or furloughed from their jobs. On April 2, the Labor Department reported 6.6 million people filed for unemployment the week prior — bringing the total

EmirMemedovski Homeowners whose finances have been battered by coronavirus might want to think again before postponing their mortgage payments. Congress has offered some relief to mortgage borrowers who are experiencing financial strain from the coronavirus pandemic, which has left a flood of layoffs in its wake. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act –