Personal finance

President Joe Biden speaks about his economic plan at the Flex LTD manufacturing plant in West Columbia, South Carolina, on July 6, 2023. Sean Rayford | Getty Images Since the Biden administration’s first student loan forgiveness plan was rejected at the Supreme Court, it has been working on creating a new, legally viable relief package.

A Johnson, Vermont, resident removes items destroyed in flooding of a finished basement in 2023. Jessica Rinaldi/The Boston Globe via Getty Images American basements are a hodgepodge of personal property, leveraged as storage units, man caves, game rooms, wine cellars, home bars and secondary living rooms. The problem is: If your basement floods, your flood

Jose Luis Pelaez Inc With consumer prices still rising due to higher inflation, there is one way to save money that you may be overlooking: raising your credit score. Increasing your score from fair (580 to 669) to very good (740 to 799) may help you save $22,263 over the life of your credit and

  Klaus Vedfelt | Digitalvision | Getty Images This year, I want to be more intentional with my money. A lot of uncertainty lies ahead, especially as a Gen Z adult. We often “doom scroll” and read headlines about how the globe is becoming more uninhabitable with every passing day. While I sometimes question if

Taking a financial education class in high school does pay off. In fact, there is a lifetime benefit of roughly $100,000 per student from completing a one-semester course in personal finance, according to a recent report by consulting firm Tyton Partners and Next Gen Personal Finance, a nonprofit focused on providing financial education to middle and

Marlon and his dog, George. Courtesy: Since 1988, Marlon Fox has been paying down his federal student debt. He didn’t see an end in sight. Then, on Aug. 25, 2023, an email popped up in his inbox with the subject line: “Your student loans have been forgiven!” His $119,500 balance was reset to zero. “I

Olga Rolenko | Moment | Getty Images The nation’s largest credit card companies typically charge higher interest rates than small banks and credit unions — and switching may save the average cardholder hundreds of dollars a year, according to an analysis issued Friday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. However, some consumers, depending on their

Andreswd | E+ | Getty Images Certain retirees can now change their health coverage during Medicare Advantage open enrollment, which runs until March 31. Medicare Advantage is health coverage provided through private companies that are paid by Medicare to cover your benefits. If you’re already on a Medicare Advantage plan, you can take advantage of

Andresr | E+ | Getty Images It looks like 2024 could be the “Year of the Layoffs.” The Los Angeles Times, Google, Amazon, Macy’s, Paramount and other companies have recently shed substantial numbers of employees. Could your company be next?  Over the past two decades in my work as an advisor, I have helped scores

President Joe Biden speaks about his economic plan at the Flex LTD manufacturing plant on July 6, 2023 in West Columbia, South Carolina. Sean Rayford | Getty Images The Biden administration has released its proposal for which struggling borrowers should qualify for its new student loan forgiveness plan. The Supreme Court’s conservative majority blocked President

Vasily Pindyurin | fStop | Getty Images Consumers lost a record $10 billion to fraud in 2023, and imposter scams were the most prevalent swindle, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Nearly 854,000 people filed complaints to the FTC about imposter scams last year, representing 33% of the total consumer fraud reports filed to the

PeopleImages | E+ | Getty Images Above all else, the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid was designed to improve college access. However, problems with the rollout have left many students and their families frustrated with fewer students applying overall. As of the last tally, nearly 4 million students have submitted the 2024-25 FAFSA form so

Violetastoimenova | E+ | Getty Images House lawmakers are weighing relief for a “marriage penalty” that impacts the federal deduction limit on state and local taxes, known as SALT. While the bill doesn’t have broad support, it could help shape future tax policy discussions, experts say. Enacted via the Republicans’ 2017 tax overhaul, there’s currently

Customers shop at an RC Willey home furnishings store in Draper, Utah, Aug. 28, 2023. George Frey/Bloomberg via Getty Images Inflation has pulled back significantly from its pandemic-era peak. In fact, some categories have fallen into outright deflation, meaning consumers are seeing the prices decline instead of rise. Deflation has largely occurred among physical goods

Momo Productions | Digitalvision | Getty Images Caregiving needs for our aging population are booming. Most older people want to age in place, but this is wishful thinking without planning for the logistics of how care will be provided. Finding good caregivers is the hardest part of delivering care in the home. Family members provide

Getty Images Going to community college and then transferring to a four-year school is often considered one of the best ways to get a degree for significantly less money. More students are choosing community college at the outset. Enrollment last fall at community colleges rose 2.6%, far more than any other institution type, according to the National

Image Source | Image Source | Getty Images As Americans file returns this season, some worry about IRS audits amid agency efforts to ramp up service, technology and enforcement. Recent IRS enforcement has targeted high-income individuals, large corporations and complex partnerships. But everyday filers could still face an audit — and certain issues are more

Black founders of startup companies in the U.S. raised 0.48% — or less than half of 1% — of all venture dollars allocated in 2023, according to Crunchbase. The share of funding has been falling since 2021. Over the past year, startups seeking funding have faced significant headwinds as higher interest rates have made risky investments

Anna Bizon | Gallo Images Roots Rf Collection | Getty Images President Joe Biden took to social media ahead of the Super Bowl on Sunday to take a jab at snack companies that are giving consumers less food for their money. The phenomenon called shrinkflation — where consumer products become smaller in quantity, size or

US President Joe Biden arrives to board Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, on August 15, 2023. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images It’s never been a better time to get rid of your student debt. Although President Joe Biden’s plans to cancel up to $400 billion in student debt for