A gift-card display at a Publix supermarket. Jeff Greenberg | Universal Images Group | Getty Images If you’re like many Americans, you could be sitting on a small financial windfall. A new Bankrate.com survey finds that more than half of adults — 51% — currently have unused gift cards, vouchers and store credits. In total,
Personal finance
Thomas Barwick | DigitalVision | Getty Images In July, the first of six monthly child tax credit payments went out to more than 35 million households with about 60 million kids, according to the IRS. The money is an advance on a 2021 credit and is an enhancement of the existing child tax credit. For
Marko Geber | DigitalVision | Getty Images On July 15, more than 35 million American families received the first of six monthly child tax credit payments. However, some families may want to opt out of the remaining payments, according to financial experts, and instead wait to claim the entire credit when they file their 2021
lisegagne | E+ | Getty Images Barbarett Corbbins was relieved when she saw an extra $500 deposited into her bank account last week. She had received letters from the IRS that she was eligible for child tax credit payments for her two children, ages 10 and 17, but had forgotten when the money was to
A concert at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre outside Denver. John P Kelly | The Image Bank Unreleased | Getty Images With the pandemic upending where Americans live and work, many now face the dizzying maze of income tax issues. However, workers in some industries, such as entertainment, have been dealing with these problems for
In this article MORN A_Carina | iStock | Getty Images Bonds are typically thought of as the safer part of an investors’ portfolio — a form of protection when the stock market gets unruly. Yet as inflation becomes a growing concern, that form of security is looking a little wobbly. “One of the single greatest
President Joe Biden signs an executive order on “promoting competition in the American economy” at the White House on July 9, 2021. Alex Wong | Getty Images News | Getty Images The Biden administration wants to rein in use of abusive non-compete agreements by businesses. A non-compete is a legal contract between an employer and
When Lawrence Carpenter was released from prison in 2001, he was determined to make a better life for himself and his family. Yet he knew that having a criminal record would make it tough to find a job. “I shouldn’t have to live in poverty for the rest of my life because I made a
Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto via Getty Images More than 1 in 10 Americans invested in cryptocurrency over the past year, according to a survey published by the University of Chicago, a sign of the popularity of digital currencies like bitcoin and ethereum. Specifically, 13% bought or traded crypto in the past 12 months — by comparison, 24%
Even before the pandemic, Eden Schiano, 19, had concerns about her first year of college. Schiano suffered from anorexia in high school and was uncertain how the fall of 2020 would go as a freshman at Virginia Commonwealth University. Being mostly isolated in her dorm quickly took a toll. “I was in my dorm room,
Hispanolistic It looks like the combination of stimulus checks and at least two expanded tax credits will be a boon to most U.S. households. Between cash hitting bank accounts — in the form of stimulus payments and advance child tax credits — and the expanded earned income tax credit, the value is an average of
When it comes to getting into investing, keeping it simple is key, according to investing legend Charles Ellis. In fact, he equates it to parenting teenage children. “Every parent of teenage children realizes at some point or another, less is better,” Ellis told CNBC contributor Jenny Harrington in an interview for CNBC Pro. (Harrington is
A job seeker fills out an application form during a restaurant and hospitality career fair in Torrance, California, on June 23, 2021. Eric Thayer/Bloomberg via Getty Images State withdrawals from pandemic-era unemployment programs aren’t speeding up the job recovery, according to a new analysis. Twenty-five states have ended their participation in at least some of
kali9 | E+ | Getty Images Ah, summertime. It’s the perfect time to think about taxes. No, seriously. Some activities and pursuits that are more common during this season also may be things that impact your taxes, the IRS noted recently. And the sooner you evaluate how these endeavors will figure into your tax return
lechatnoir | E+ | Getty Images Workers who are nearing age 65 and have health insurance through their job may want to consider how Medicare could factor into their medical coverage. While not everyone must sign up for Medicare at that age of eligibility, many are required to enroll — or otherwise face lifelong late-enrollment
A used car dealership is seen in Laurel, Maryland on May 27, 2021, as many car dealerships across the country are running low on new vehicles as a computer chip shortage has caused production at many vehicle manufactures to nearly stop. Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images True, used-car prices have surged. You may
LPETTET | iStock | Getty Images About 2.2 million more stimulus checks have gone out over the last six weeks, the government said Wednesday. The latest batch brings the total number of payments disbursed to more than 171 million, with an aggregate value of $400 billion, according to the announcement from the IRS, Treasury Department
Hundreds of colleges have said the Covid vaccine will be mandatory for fall 2021, and with just weeks left before classes start, not all students are on board. Some are taking their cases to court, others are petitioning. And yet, no college has reversed its policy. Earlier this week, a federal judge upheld Indiana University’s
In this article BCH.CB= TSLA Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images Bitcoin is falling, again. The popular cryptocurrency slumped as much as 5% Tuesday, falling below the key $30,000 level for the first time since June 22, according to data from CoinMarketCap. Other cryptocurrencies were also dragged lower. Ether slid as much as 6%, while XRP
Witthaya Prasongsin | Moment | Getty Images “Buying the dip” is an investment thesis often touted by stock traders and financial advisors to juice returns. The thinking is: When a stock index like the S&P 500 falls in value, it’s a good time to buy since shares can be bought at a discount. Investors then