Personal finance

kate_sept2004 As the Covid-19 pandemic set in, the federal government stepped up to provide Americans with unprecedented financial relief. In order to access those funds, from stimulus checks to monthly child tax credit payments, most Americans had to file tax returns. But submitting that paperwork could have put some individuals and families in a vulnerable

Jack Taylor | Getty Images News | Getty Images More people are jumping into cryptocurrency, many because of how easy it’s become to trade the digital assets, a CNBC/Momentive Invest in You survey found. More than 10% of those surveyed said they’re invested in cryptocurrency, ranking the digital coins fourth after real estate, stocks, mutual funds and

Getty Images Divorcing parents often have plenty to navigate. And the latest stimulus package has dumped even more onto the negotiating table in the form of enhanced tax credits. The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan provided Covid-19 relief for millions of Americans, including increases to three write-offs in 2021: the child tax credit, the earned

Douglas Rissing | iStock | Getty Images Those who’ve been stuck with a credit card balance may wonder if they should use the savings in their 401(k) plan to clear their debt up. Credit cards, after all, come with high interest rates — the average charge is over 16% a year. Being dinged at that

LPETTET | iStock | Getty Images Almost a third of investors who received government stimulus money during the pandemic invested some of it, according to a new CNBC/Momentive Invest in You survey. However, younger and newer investors were more likely to put their stimulus money into assets. Of those aged 18 to 34 years old,

Brocreative | Getty Images Since July, millions of American families with children have received monthly checks through the new enhanced child tax credit. Even more will see a larger than usual credit — and potential refund, depending on other aspects of their situation — come tax time next year. So far, the credit has slashed

Los Angeles County Regional Food Bank workers help with food distribution in Willowbrook, California on April 29, 2021. Frederic J. Brown | AFP | Getty Images States that withdrew early from federal unemployment programs pushed few people back to work and fueled a nearly $2 billion cut in household spending, potentially hurting their local economies,

Flashpop | DigitalVision | Getty Images There’s something different about the flood of new investors who entered the market in the last 18 months. They are younger, more diverse, use technology to make trades and turn to social media to learn about investing and research investment ideas, a new CNBC/Momentive Invest in You survey found.

There are fun expenses that come with any vacation you’re flying off to — that souvenir t-shirt, a fancy dinner or even a poolside cabana rental — but forking over a fortune to park your car at your home airport while you’re away isn’t one of them. Travelers departing major U.S. airports can often expect

In this article ZNOG Tourists crowd in to the Midway Geyser Basin on July 14, 2021 at Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Yellowstone is one of many national parks seeing record numbers of visitors this summer. Natalie Behring | Getty Images News | Getty Images Cadillac Mountain in Maine’s Acadia National Park is among the country’s

lisegagne | E+ | Getty Images So far, two monthly payments totaling $30 billion have gone out to American families with kids through the new enhanced child tax credit benefit. For families that have eligible children but haven’t signed up — likely those that don’t traditionally file a tax return — there is still time

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen answers questions during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on June 23, 2021. Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Images) States can pay benefits to the unemployed past a looming Sept. 6 expiration date using pandemic funds that Congress previously allocated to state and local governments, Labor and Treasury Department officials said Thursday. The American Rescue

One year ago, rising cases of coronavirus put an abrupt halt to the fall semester on many college campuses, just as classes got underway. This year, the delta variant is threatening to shut down schools once again. And the possibility of more campus closures has sparked renewed interest in college refund policies and tuition insurance.

FG Trade | iStock | Getty Images Help may be on the way for workers who lose track of their 401(k) accounts as they move from job to job throughout their careers. Under a proposal included in retirement legislation that’s pending in Congress, an online “lost and found” database would be established to help locate

John Lund | Photodisc | Getty Images Alyssa, a marketing and communications assistant in New York, loves working from home. “You can wear what you want, run a quick errand,” said Alyssa, 22, who asked to use her first name only because she was discussing her job. “It’s just more comfortable.” She was hired remotely

kate_sept2004 | E+ | Getty Images In August, millions of American families received the second of six advance child tax credit payments — hundreds of dollars per month for those with eligible kids. Just one payment has already helped, data shows. For 56% of families, receiving just the first monthly child tax credit payment in

Education Secretary nominee Miguel Cardona testifies before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee during his confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill Washington, DC., February 3, 2021. Susan Walsh | Pool | Reuters The U.S. Department of Education announced on Thursday it will cancel $5.8 billion in student debt for more than 320,000 borrowers. The

dusanpetkovic | iStock | Getty Images A push to rein in the cost of prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries could emerge on Capitol Hill in the coming months. President Joe Biden called on Congress last week to reduce those costs through several means: letting Medicare negotiate with drug manufacturers, generally limiting price increases to the

Brothers91 | E+ | Getty Images About 36 million American families have received a second batch of monthly child tax credit payments worth about $15 billion. Yet a survey from personal finance website MagnifyMoney finds that many Americans are still confused about how the payments work. Those who were most likely to lack clarity were

People line up outside a newly reopened career center for in-person appointments in Louisville, Kentucky, on April 15, 2021. Amira Karaoud | Reuters In just a few weeks, enhanced federal unemployment insurance put in place during the coronavirus pandemic will end as the delta variant continues to threaten the economic recovery. Some 7.5 million Americans