Personal finance

Pixelfit | E+ | Getty Images Falling behind on federal student loans is likely to trigger other major financial consequences for borrowers, according to new research by The Pew Charitable Trusts. More than 80% of borrowers who experienced default stated that they’d faced at least one additional consequence as a result. The most common impact

Many Americans are feeling increasingly cash-strapped. An extra paycheck next month could help. If you are a W-2 employee and get paid biweekly, there are two months out of the year when you will receive three paychecks instead of the usual two. Depending on your pay schedule, your first three-paycheck month in 2023 could be

Skynesher | E+ | Getty Images The pandemic-relief policy suspending federal student loan payments has now been extended eight times and spanned nearly three years. When will the payments actually resume? It’s still uncertain. Experts say the Supreme Court hearings on Feb. 28 over President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan will solidify the timeline.

Urbazon | E+ | Getty Images Democratic lawmakers in Washington are renewing a proposal to give every American child $1,000 at birth. The “baby bond” funds, called American Opportunity Accounts, would then be topped off with up to $2,000 per year, depending on a family’s income. The accounts would be federally insured and managed by

dowell | Moment | Getty Images If you’re looking for ways to trim your yearly tax bill, experts may check your portfolio, since some assets are more likely to trigger taxes in certain accounts. Your 401(k) account offers tax-deferred growth, meaning you won’t owe levies on yearly income, such as dividends and capital gains. By

Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images Eager to take advantage of Presidents’ Day sales, many shoppers may not realize how much holiday discounts on a range of items – from mattresses to home appliances and electronics to new cars – could really cost them. “Consumers should look closely at the fine print and long-term financial

SDI Productions Despite the cooling market, many homeowners made money selling their property in 2022 — and part of that windfall may be taxable. Home sellers made a $112,000 profit on the typical sale in 2022, a 21% increase from 2021, and a 78% jump from two years ago, according to ATTOM, a nationwide property

In this article LNC CVNA AUTO-GB CARS Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Craig Stowell loves what he does for a living. He gets to follow his passion and go car shopping as a profession. Stowell owns Flying Wheels, a car dealership in Danville, New Hampshire. The business, which is valued at an estimated $3

A gas station in Arlington, Virginia. Xinhua News Agency | Xinhua News Agency | Getty Images New government data for January shows high inflation has continued into the new year. That has some economists worried high prices may prove to be sticky, even as the Federal Reserve works to slow inflation by raising interest rates.

Olezzo | iStock | Getty Images There’s no question 2022 was a rough year for investors. With record-high inflation, economic uncertainty and aggressive interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve to combat rising prices, stocks took a beating. All three of the major indexes had their worst year since 2008: The S&P 500 Index dropped

A shopper browses meat department at a Los Angeles supermarket on Feb. 13, 2023 in Los Angeles. Mario Tama | Getty Images News | Getty Images A recent Morning Consult survey recently found almost half of adults — 46% — think the U.S. is already in a recession. Such a downturn — traditionally defined as

Inflation is still taking a hefty toll on households, recent reports show. Prices continued their upward momentum in January, rising 0.5% for the month and 6.4% over the past 12 months, according to the latest consumer price index data released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. To make ends meet, 27% of Americans said they’ve had to

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., questions IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig at a Senate Finance Committee hearing. Tom Williams | Pool | Reuters President Joe Biden‘s nominee to lead the IRS answered questions during a Senate Finance Committee hearing this week, highlighting key issues from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Daniel Werfel,

Daniel Swan, 26, started as an apprentice and now works full time as an HVAC technician in California. Courtesy: Lee’s Air For Daniel Swan, a 26-year-old father of two, it was simply a means to a well-paying job during an uncertain time. Armed with a technical degree, Swan joined an apprenticeship program with Lee’s Air

Pablo Rasero | Istock | Getty Images While those with federal student loans wait to see if the Biden administration’s sweeping loan forgiveness plan survives two Supreme Court challenges, another big change is also on the horizon for borrowers. The U.S. Department of Education is working to create a new repayment option for the tens

In this article RJF Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT A man walks past a grocery store on February 01, 2023 in New York City. Wages for workers in most major U.S. cities grew at a slower pace in the final three months of 2022, with inflation still outstripping pay for many workers. Leonardo Munoz

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky at the U.S. Capitol Building on Feb. 13, 2023. Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images News | Getty Images Dozens of Republican members of Congress have filed briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness plan should be ruled unlawful. “Congress authorized

Collectively, Americans owe more on credit cards than ever before. Thankfully, 0% balance transfer credit card offers — which are “one of the best weapons Americans have in the battle against credit card debt” — are even more plentiful than they were a year ago, said Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree. Yet 37% of

Ivan Kyryk | Istock | Getty Images If you got married in 2022, you can add “tax return” to the list of things you’ll now be sharing. For some newlyweds, this is going to mean a bigger tax bill due to a so-called “marriage tax penalty.” It can happen when tax-bracket thresholds, deductions and credits

Fotostorm | E+ | Getty Images The start of 2023 has seen a number of large companies announce deep cuts to their head counts, including Amazon, Dell, Google, Microsoft, PayPal and Zoom. Being laid off can be one of the most disruptive events in a person’s life, setting off a host of financial and existential