Personal finance

Wong Sze Fei / EyeEm The new year is fast approaching, and building an emergency fund for unexpected expenses should be at the top of your financial to-do list for 2020. Having fast cash at the ready for emergency situations — be it a surprise medical bill, necessary home repair, job loss or even a

Someone is having a good start to the holidays. A lottery player in Ohio won the $372 Mega Millions jackpot on Tuesday night, according to the lottery website. The ticket was purchased at the Giant Eagle supermarket in Mentor, a Cleveland suburb. We might not learn much about the lucky player: Ohio allows lottery winners

Some of the cash you’ve been accumulating all year is about to  disappear for good. Health-care flexible spending accounts, or FSAs, are tax-advantaged accounts you may be able to find at work. You can save pretax dollars in these accounts and then use your money tax-free to pay for qualified medical costs. You can’t hold

Phil Roeder Americans are likely losing a popular retirement tax strategy next year that allows the wealthy to leave large inheritances in retirement accounts. Several retirement provisions were tucked into a bipartisan $1.4 trillion spending package that federal lawmakers must pass by Friday to avoid a government shutdown. Among the many items in the bill

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable on small business at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S, on Friday, Dec. 6, 2019. Kevin Dietsch | Bloomberg | Getty Images The Supreme Court will determine next year whether investigators may finally get a glimpse at President Donald Trump’s tax returns. The court said on

Jaireme Barrow has been the victim of “porch pirates” several times. Jaireme Barrow While you’re gearing up for the holidays, fraudsters may be trying to take advantage of you. Empty gift cards, bogus charitable solicitations, cyber attacks and thieves who steal packages from your porch aren’t necessarily unique to this time of year. However, because

Unexpected medical bills are doing more than driving up debt. For many Americans, those debts are also making it more difficult to get a mortgage. Buyers with medical debt are more likely than others to be denied a mortgage, according to a report on consumer housing trends by online real estate marketplace Zillow. Zillow’s survey

Drazen | Getty Images For many people, it’s a call they’re not expecting. An unknown caller tells you that your Social Security number has been suspended or cancelled. If it happens to you, it’s likely the latest iteration of a robocall scam the IRS warned individuals about earlier this year. Still other calls try to

Hero Images | Hero Images | Getty Images The year is ending but, with a little ambition, you can still find some opportunities to cut your 2019 tax bill. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which went into effect in 2018, did away with several breaks filers could take prior to the end of the

For some, 2020 will be the year that retirement becomes a reality. For others, it will be a financial improbability. Retirement readiness nationwide is shaky overall. Only 23% of men and just 12% of women are “very confident” in their ability to fully retire with a comfortable lifestyle, according to recent research from the Transamerica

There’s one form of discrimination that the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act didn’t fix: economic. Until recently, people who were eligible for federal assistance programs such as Medicaid and SSI still faced an uneven playing ground. Using these programs meant you could not have assets over $2,000, a paltry amount when you consider life’s various

Hero Images | Hero Images | Getty Images Whether it’s a lemonade stand, mowing lawns or even — these days — developing a new app, there are plenty of ways kids can become entrepreneurs. They don’t even necessarily have to be a big success. Just developing an entrepreneurial mindset can help them form necessary life

I had just turned 21 and was celebrating my first legal drink when my friend pointed out that this was my last big birthday for a long time. I remember feeling a little sad. Now I’d add: Not long enough. Five years later, we find ourselves drinking to — if not celebrating — another turning

Technology firms dominate your online activity, so why not your wallet, too? Most recently, Google has announced it will offer checking accounts as part of a project code-named Cache, notching the boldest move yet by tech into consumer banking. In fact, the company is just the latest Silicon Valley leader to make a bid to

Alys Tomilson | Getty Images College students apparently have more to worry about these days than their grades and where to head for the weekend’s best party. A new form of financial fraud is exploiting college kids who own cars and are looking to make some extra cash, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Scammers

skynesher | E+ | Getty Images For millions of Americans, unexpected bills can be summed up in two words: medical debt. Surprise health-care costs have affected about 137.1 million adults in the past year, according to recent research. And many Americans are turning to credit cards to help manage those debt burdens, according to CompareCards.com.

Woman contemplating while sitting next to a jar full of dollar bills. Getty | JGI/Jamie Grill The vast majority of employers think workers are struggling to manage their personal finances. And while bosses are doing more to help alleviate their financial struggles, companies are still falling short. Nearly 8 in 10 employers offering a workplace

Medicare beneficiaries would see expanded benefits, including dental and vision coverage, if the Senate passes a bill that cleared the House on Thursday. The measure, H.R. 3 — which funds the changes by giving the government the right to negotiate lower prices with drugmakers — would provide dental, vision and hearing coverage through original Medicare.

A sign of Saudi Aramco’s initial public offering (IPO) is seen during a news conference by the state oil company at the Plaza Conference Center in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia November 3, 2019. Hamad I Mohammed | Reuters Saudi Aramco set new records as the world’s biggest initial public offering. And, chances are, you’re shut out

MoMo Productions | DigitalVision | Getty Images More than 2 million Americans could soon have access to mandatory paid parental leave. Senior congressional members have reached a bipartisan deal that would provide federal workers with 12 weeks of guaranteed paid time off for parents following the birth, adoption or fostering of a child. The proposed