Personal finance

@lelia_milaya via Twenty20 In the last few months, millions of American families with eligible children have received the first half of six advance child tax credit payments. For those who are eligible but haven’t yet signed up, generally because they don’t traditionally file a tax return, time is running out to claim the advance payments.

Female doctor working with senior patient in a modern office clinic / hospital momcilog | E+ | Getty Images Sure, there are probably more entertaining things to do than review your Medicare coverage. Nevertheless, it’s about that time of year. Open enrollment, which starts Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7, is when you can

PeopleImages | E+ | Getty Images American families grappling with the cost of higher education may consider a 529 college savings plan to lessen the financial burden. But there are several things to weigh when picking a plan. A 529 plan is an investment account offering tax-free growth, as long as the beneficiary uses the money for

Two women sit at the Capitol Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 26, 2021. Samuel Corum | Getty Images Congress is hard at work on a deal to keep the U.S. government from defaulting on its debt this month. But the short-term agreement, which was passed by the Senate and is expected to go

quavondo | E+ | Getty Images For lower-income Hispanic and Latina mothers, affordable and accessible child care would be a lifeline. As the country celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month, it looks like that may soon become a reality. Democrats have set a deadline of Oct. 31 to enact President Joe Biden‘s economic agenda, which includes

Lawmakers agreed to a short-term increase of the U.S. debt ceiling to avoid a first-ever default, but everyday Americans are not entirely out of the woods. A debt limit extension into December took pressure off both parties to reach a compromise by Oct. 18, when the Treasury Department warned the U.S. would exhaust its emergency

A Social Security Administration office in San Francisco. Getty Images The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2022 could be the biggest in decades. However, that increase to monthly checks will not be enough, according to The Senior Citizens League, a nonpartisan advocacy group. Now, in a letter sent to members of both the House of

AsiaVision | E+ | Getty Images A third of working Americans saw their health-care costs rise this year, according to a survey published Thursday by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. Those expenses led some employees to decrease retirement plan contributions, delay going to the doctor, increase credit card debt or use up all or most

Mark Mirsberger Source: Dana Investment Advisors On Tuesday, Sept. 27, stocks were in the red, and the S&P 500 was having its worst day in months. As Mark Mirsberger, CEO of Dana Investment Advisors, watched the market drop, he was calm. “It’s part of the journey,” Mirsberger, 59, said. “It shouldn’t go up every day.”

mediaphotos | E+ | Getty Images The tax extension deadline for 2020 returns is approaching, but there’s still time to avoid extra penalties and fees. Filers have until Oct. 15 to submit their extended return, originally due on May 17.  Those who filed for an extension can skip late penalties by sending in their return

Getty Images As the coronavirus pandemic drags on, many Americans have learned to cope with the new normal. Saving for emergencies and long-term goals, such as retirement, is still a top concern, however. More than 60% of Americans said in June they were either extremely concerned or somewhat concerned about the state of their finances,

In this article UAL AAL LUV DAL A patient receives a Covid-19 vaccine booster shot at a Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination clinic in Southfield, Michigan, on Sept. 29, 2021. Emily Elconin | Reuters Some people are still holding off getting vaccinated against Covid-19, even as mandates increase for the immunization. Those who aren’t yet vaccinated have been

Workers with Patriot Environmental Services mop up oil on the surface of the water at Talbert Marsh in Huntington Beach, CA on Monday, October 4, 2021. Paul Bersebach | MediaNews Group | Getty Images A massive oil spill off the coast of southern California this past weekend has clean-up crews racing to prevent an ecological

Vitalii Petrushenko | iStock | Getty Images Big changes are coming to the federal government’s public service loan forgiveness program. The loan forgiveness program is “an important, but largely unmet” promise to people who serve their communities, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said this week. “Fixing this program has been a priority for this

New York University graduates celebrate in Manhattan’s Washington Square Park on May 19, 2021. Liao Pan | China News Service | Getty Images If you are looking to get the best return on your investment in a college degree, you may want to consider a major in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

kate_sept2004 | E+ | Getty Images The recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic has been slower than a lot of people expected. For many Americans, that means their incomes are not yet back on track or may have suffered again during the onset of the delta variant. Data shows that hiring is still slow. Weekly initial

Americans have been hammered by life changes since the start of the pandemic, and it’s taken a big mental and financial toll. In just the last year and a half, many Americans either left a job, moved or changed their relationship status, for better or for worse — or even all of the above. Finances

For some college students, the Covid vaccine is a price they are not willing to pay for a degree. Justin Mishler, a 29-year-old junior at Northern Illinois University, is one of them. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, Mishler enrolled in the state school in 2016 through the GI Bill, which helps cover the

In this article EXPE Mike Coppola | Getty Images Online travel powerhouse Expedia Group plans to unify and expand customer loyalty program offerings across its portfolio of brands. The move will result in “the most complete travel rewards offering in the industry,” according to the Seattle-based firm, with member discounts and reward earning and redemption

Sporrer/Rupp | Image Source | Getty Images When it comes to Social Security, even small mistakes in planning or claiming the benefit can cost you money. The application process is relatively straightforward, yet there are nuances that you may not be thinking about. In fact, many Americans aren’t aware of the right steps to take.