Personal finance

In an economy that has produced the highest inflation rate since the early 1980s, Americans are struggling to keep up with day-to-day expenses. More consumers are now relying on credit cards to get by, which has helped propel total credit card debt to $930 billion in the third quarter, just shy of the all-time record, according to

Student loan borrowers gather near The White House to tell President Biden to cancel student debt on May 12, 2020. Paul Morigi | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images Student loan default rates could dramatically spike if the Biden administration’s loan forgiveness plan is blocked, a top official for the U.S. Department of Education said

Marcos Elihu Castillo Ramirez | iStock | Getty Images For some individuals, signing up for Medicare hasn’t translated into coverage starting right away. That’s poised to change: Beginning next year, current months-long delays in certain Medicare enrollment situations will be eliminated. Additionally, would-be beneficiaries who missed signing up when they were supposed to due to

Thomas Barwick | Digitalvision | Getty Images If you haven’t filed a 2021 federal tax return, there may be a chance you could be missing out on some generous tax credits. A simplified filing tool — GetCTC.org — will let you submit your information in order to receive any money due to you. But you

Bloodua | Istock | Getty Images With the legal blows to President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan mounting, it’s possible that the administration could extend the payment pause on the monthly bills yet again, experts say. “I’m sure they have to be considering it as an option,” said Scott Buchanan, executive director of the

An ‘open house’ flag is displayed outside a single family home on September 22, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. Allison Dinner | Getty Images There are signs inflation may fall further in coming months, but housing threatens to mute any improvement. The consumer price index, a key barometer of inflation, rose 7.7% in October from

MStudioImages | E+ | Getty Images If you’re one of the masses of new Series I bond owners, there are a few things to weigh before cashing in your assets, experts say.   Investors purchased nearly $7 billion in I bonds in October, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury, with $979 million flooding into

High-profile layoffs at Meta and Twitter and planned cuts at Disney have heightened concerns on the part of managers and senior executives at employers nationwide who are struggling with how to lead a team through a round of corporate downsizing.  How a company handles a layoff can have a major impact on its future success.

Jbyard | Istock | Getty Images When President Joe Biden announced over the summer a sweeping plan to forgive student debt, millions of Americans celebrated the fact their financial situation looked like it would soon improve. But now the Biden administration finds itself unable to start delivering its relief because of a court-ordered stay of

ronnachaipark | iStock | Getty Images Health-care expenses can often be unpredictable and unwelcome. However, depending on your situation, there may be strategies you can employ that make those outlays a bit less financially painful. Because some of them involve taxes, experts say they shouldn’t be viewed in a vacuum. In other words, you may

A shopper checks a carton of eggs at a San Francisco grocery store on May 2, 2022. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Which (price change) came first, the chicken or the egg? Grocery prices are increasing at their fastest pace in decades — none more so than eggs. Yet chicken prices fell

Srdjanpav | E+ | Getty Images Layoffs at tech giants Twitter and Meta this week have affected thousands — and they’re just the latest examples in a downsizing trend that was already taking place across the industry.  The news has put a spotlight on what rights employees have in mass layoff situations. While the laws

Even with college application season in full swing, many families are questioning whether a four-year degree is still worth it.  Some experts say the value of a bachelor’s degree is fading and more emphasis should be directed toward career training. A growing number of companies, including many in tech, are also dropping degree requirements for

martin-dm | E+ | Getty Images Car buyers are usually aware that their new vehicle will start losing value as soon as it’s driven off the dealership’s lot. These days, depending on the car, depreciation may be a lot less than it was in past years, according to a new study from iSeeCars.com. With supply-chain

Election workers open mail in ballots at the Maricopa County Tabulation and Election Center in Phoenix on Nov. 11, 2022. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images It may take until December to know which political parties control both chambers of Congress after Tuesday’s midterm elections. But that does not mean your personal investment strategy should also

U.S. President Joe Biden is flanked by U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona as he speaks about administration plans to forgive federal student loan debt during remarks in the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., August 24, 2022. Leah Millis | Reuters The Biden administration has stopped accepting applications for federal student

With grocery prices up sharply from a year ago, Thanksgiving is hitting households a lot harder this year.   Per-pound prices for turkey, the holiday’s biggest staple, are up 17% year over year, according to the latest inflation data. Turkey is forecast to be 23% pricier in the fourth quarter due to both inflation and

Gary John Norman If you make more than $1 million a year in Massachusetts, you may soon be subject to a “millionaire tax” approved by voters this week through a ballot initiative. The new law creates a 4% tax on annual income above $1 million, on top of the state’s current 5% flat income tax,

People shop for bread at a supermarket in Monterey Park, California on Oct. 19, 2022. Frederic J. Brown | Afp | Getty Images Inflation was cooler than expected in October, although household staples like shelter, food and energy remained among the largest contributors to consumer prices still rising at a historically fast pace, the U.S.

Feverpitched | Istock | Getty Images You may know that it’s open enrollment time for Medicare. So do scammers. The Federal Trade Commission is warning that fraudsters could take advantage of this annual period to impersonate Medicare agents. The program’s open enrollment, which started Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7, is when Medicare beneficiaries