Personal finance

You might know by now that Medicare’s annual open enrollment is underway and ends Dec. 7. So do scammers. Every fall, when the program’s 60 million or so beneficiaries can make coverage changes for the next year, criminals tend to step up their game, experts say. It could involve a person pretending to be a

A woman uses her vaping device in Harmony, Pa. Keith Srakocic | AP While the long-term effects of vaping are still unknown, there’s little doubt that vaping won’t go in your favor when it comes to life insurance. The vaping-related illness outbreak reached more 1,888 probable cases with 37 fatalities as of Oct. 29, according

Getty Images It’s no secret the holiday season brings on more financial stress for many consumers. And one group — millennials — are the most susceptible to taking on more debt to keep up, according to a new survey from CreditCards.com. The survey found that more than half of the people in that generation —

For many Americans, the open enrollment season, which covers both employer-based and federal health insurance, is underway. Rising health-care costs are a significant cause of stress, and yet, nearly three-quarters of working adults spend 45 minutes or less reviewing their benefits before enrolling, according to recent research by employee benefits provider Unum. At the very

MACON, Georgia — As the head of student loan debt at the U.S. Education Department, Wayne Johnson discovered some people had balances of more than $1.5 million. “I’ll never forget it,” Johnson, 67, said, during an interview with CNBC on Sunday night at a gated retirement community he owns here. “There were lots of folks

Many people don’t worry about retirement until a looming number acts as a lightbulb. In 2017, Wendy Mays was in her mid-40s and at the tail end of adopting several young children. “I was very scared,” said Mays, a former criminal defense attorney in San Diego who has a podcast on financial independence for families.

Meb Keflezighi, of the United States, reacts after winning the 118th Boston Marathon, April 21, 2014. John Tlumacki | The Boston Globe | Getty Images When Meb Keflezighi ran his first competitive race in the seventh grade, his motivation was simple: to get a t-shirt for his school’s running club that his older brothers also

When it comes to renovating your home, the last thing you want is surprises. So before you start swinging a hammer, it’s important to take steps that can help you avoid costly blunders, according to Drew and Jonathan Scott, the stars of HGTV’s “Property Brothers.” “[The] No. 1 common mistake that so many people make

If you’re changing your Medicare coverage during open enrollment and you plan to travel at some point, make sure you know whether your insurance will go with you. Coverage away from home depends partly on where you travel to, along with whether you’re on basic Medicare or get your benefits through an Advantage Plan. It

President Donald Trump addresses the International Association of Chiefs of Police annual convention at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida on October 8, 2018. Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images President Donald Trump is making his move to Florida official. His home state of New York may not let him go without

Tereza | Twenty20 As the Federal Reserve cuts rates, it’s a good idea to make sure your savings are still getting the biggest boost possible. The central bank slashed its benchmark short-term interest rate this week by a quarter point for the third time this year. As a result, some banks are pulling back their

The reporter’s kitchen in November 2017, shortly after she and her husband closed on their first home. Darla Mercado If you think bringing your garish 1960s-era kitchen up to date is just a matter of new paint and appliances, think again. Home renovations modernize your dwelling, potentially make it more energy-efficient and may enhance its

MACON, Ga. — At 5:01 a.m. on Thursday October 24, Dr. Wayne Johnson, who was hired by the Trump administration to oversee the country’s $1.6 trillion in student loan debt and its 44 million borrowers, submitted his resignation letter to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. Around an hour later, Johnson made an announcement that hurled him

Former Massachusetts Governor and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is interviewed at the Silicon Slopes Tech Conference on January 19, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. George Frey | Getty Images Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, is taking the lead on a new proposal aimed at fixing funding shortfalls for Social Security, Medicare and the nation’s

The Federal Reserve‘s decision to cut interest rates by a quarter point for the third time this year is meant to bolster the economy. Everyday Americans may lose some ground. On the one hand, lower rates often mean cheaper loans, which can impact your mortgage, home equity loan, credit card, student loan tab and car

If you hate paying taxes, at least it’s a reason to pretend you’re glad you never win big in the lottery. So far this year, the 12 winners who have hit Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots — worth an advertised $3.3 billion in all — have collectively fed roughly $505.5 million to the IRS. And

Mary Smyth | Moment | Getty Images For older adults, perhaps nothing is scarier than the prospect of spending their later years in a nursing home. More than 1 in 2 adults aged 50 and over said that they would rather die than live in a long-term care facility, according to a recent survey from

Move over, pumpkin spice latte. You’re no longer the only budget-crusher in town. Unconscious spending is the next Starbucks-like personal finance cliché, says Chris Kampitsis, a certified financial planner at the Barnum Financial Group in Elmsford, New York. “An overuse or overreliance on subscriptions, everything from Netflix to different delivery services, like monthly boxes, all

If Valentine’s Day is a Hallmark holiday, Halloween was made for Instagram. When it comes to spending, nearly half, or 48%, of millennials said they purchased items strictly for the social media posts, compared to less than a third of those in Generation X, according to a new report from CompareCards by LendingTree. About 4

Medicare beneficiaries would get dental, vision and hearing coverage if several bills now before Congress pass. In addition, the government would get authority to negotiate prices with drugmakers and create a cap for Medicare out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs. All have cleared the necessary committees over the last couple of weeks and now await full