Personal finance

Getty Images Consumers may feel their medical bills are unyielding, inflexible, set in stone. But that’s not always true: A new study shows patients can often reap financial benefits by disputing charges that seem erroneous or by negotiating for financial relief. Of consumers who don’t reach out to question a medical bill, 86% said it’s

Author Stephanie Dhue’s difficult-to-repair microwave. Courtesy Stephanie Dhue I bought a General Electric microwave oven in 2020 for $355. Recently, I noticed the interior light was out. I told my husband, since he’s the one who takes care of repairs in our house. He took a look, only to learn that this wasn’t going to

Cavan Images | Cavan | Getty Images House lawmakers in Washington have the signatures they need to force a vote on a bill to eliminate rules that reduce Social Security benefits for certain retirees who also receive pension income. On Thursday morning, Reps. Abigail Spanberger, D-Va., and Garret Graves, R-La., marked the 206 signatures a

Moyo Studio | E+ | Getty Images The Federal Reserve announced a half percentage point, or 50 basis points, interest rate cut at the end of its two-day meeting Wednesday. And, naturally, some Americans will want to make the most of the central bank’s first rate cut since the early days of the Covid pandemic.

Greg Hinsdale | The Image Bank | Getty Images If you’ve inherited a pretax individual retirement account since 2020, you could face a sizable tax bill without proper planning, experts say.  Previously, heirs could take inherited IRA withdrawals over their lifetime, known as the “stretch IRA.” However, the Secure Act of 2019 enacted the “10-year

Solstock | E+ | Getty Images Victoria Szafarski currently has $10,000 in credit card debt.  The New Yorker’s outstanding balance peaked at $25,000 last year, before she took on a second job as a waitress for a few months. The extra cash Szafarski brought in helped her make headway paying down the debt and increase

Luminola | E+ | Getty Images Four years after the Covid pandemic began, there are more than 900,000 fewer undergraduates enrolled in college. The overall rate of high school graduates choosing to enroll in college held steady in 2023, compared to a year earlier, according to a recent report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center — which Doug

Yellow Dog Productions | The Image Bank | Getty Images No one likes a surprise tax bill, and there is still time to take action if you have not paid enough taxes for 2024, experts say.   Generally, employees pay taxes via withholdings from each paycheck. Other income requires quarterly estimated payments. Overpaying typically results in

In this article NAVI Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT jetcityimage The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau last week said it had reached a $120 million settlement with student loan giant Navient that could lead to compensation for hundreds of thousands of borrowers. The CFPB accused Navient of steering student loan borrowers into expensive forbearances, miscalculating their

Andreswd | E+ | Getty Images Open enrollment season can be a whirlwind for anyone. Being in a relationship adds an extra layer of complexity, especially when your workplace enrollment windows don’t align. Conflicting deadlines, varying benefits options and differing risk appetites make it challenging for couples to coordinate their choices. However, you can make

d3sign | Moment | Getty Images If you want — or need — to travel this holiday season, start planning now because the ideal time to book Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s travel is fast approaching.  “The most important thing is for travelers to continue to think about planning now and booking in October,” said

Aire Images | Moment | Getty Images The third-quarter estimated tax deadline for 2024 is Sept. 16, and skipping a payment could trigger a penalty, according to the IRS. Typically, you need estimated payments for any income without tax withholdings, such as earnings from self-employment, contract or gig economy work and investment or retirement income. 

Traders on the New York Stock Exchange floor on Sept. 9, 2024. Spencer Platt | Getty Images News | Getty Images September historically hasn’t been kind to stock investors. Since 1926, U.S. large-cap stocks have lost an average 0.9% in September, according to data from Morningstar Direct.   September is the only month during that

D3sign | Moment | Getty Images Inflation cooled in August and fell to its lowest level since February 2021, which was around the time the consumer price index began to climb during the pandemic era. This broad trend in the U.S. economy — a declining but still-positive rate of inflation — is known as “disinflation.”

Skynesher | E+ | Getty Images Rare bipartisan momentum is growing in the House of Representatives to force a vote on a bill that would address a topic Congress typically avoids — Social Security. The bill — the Social Security Fairness Act — would repeal two rules that reduce Social Security benefits for workers and

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., questions IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig at a Senate Finance Committee hearing. Tom Williams | Pool | Reuters With trillions in tax breaks scheduled to expire after 2025, lawmakers are debating policy priorities that could impact millions of families and small businesses. Enacted by former President Donald Trump in

Rgstudio | E+ | Getty Images Owning a home makes some people feel more confident about their prospects for retirement — but that may be misguided, some experts say. About 37% of polled workers — including those with part- or full-time jobs, or who are self-employed or business owners — say they are “ahead of

Former U.S. President and current Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks about the economy, inflation, and manufacturing during a campaign event at Alro Steel on August 29, 2024 in Potterville, Michigan.  Bill Pugliano | Getty Images Former President Donald Trump says that he wants to make in vitro fertilization treatments free of cost, either by

People watch the presidential debate between Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris at a watch party hosted by the New York Young Republican Club, in New York City, U.S., September 10, 2024.  Adam Gray | Reuters With fewer than 60 days until

Patchareeporn Sakoolchai | Moment | Getty Images Social Security beneficiaries have seen higher cost-of-living adjustments in recent years, prompted by record high inflation. Yet next year’s increase may not be as generous. Based on new government inflation data, beneficiaries may see just a 2.5% increase to benefits in 2025, estimates Mary Johnson, an independent Social