Personal finance

Field of wheat in central Kansas is nearly ready for harvest. Ricardo Reitmeyer | Getty Images With a population of about 2,100, Neodesha, Kansas, is roughly 100 miles from Wichita and Topeka in Kansas and Tulsa, Oklahoma. Its claim to fame is the 65-foot-tall tower that supported the drilling framework for the first commercial oil

Valentinrussanov | E+ | Getty Images As the IRS faces cutbacks, some taxpayers are weighing whether to file returns this season. But skipping your federal filing can be costly, experts say. Josh Youngblood, an enrolled agent and owner of The Youngblood Group, a Dallas-based tax firm, said he’s had a few clients ask whether they

Jaque Silva/ | Nurphoto | Getty Images With the price of bitcoin down from a record high in January, there’s a chance for some investors to score a tax break, experts say.   Following a post-election rally, the flagship digital currency touched $109,000 on inauguration day before falling in February. As of midday Friday, the price

A worker stocks eggs at a grocery store in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 12, 2025. Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images Whether it’s a dozen eggs or a new car, Americans are having a hard time adjusting to current prices. Nearly all Americans report experiencing some form of “sticker shock,” regardless of

A student studies in the Perry-Castaneda Library at the University of Texas at Austin, Feb. 22, 2024. Brandon Bell | Getty Images The Trump administration has taken down the applications for popular student loan repayment plans from the U.S. Department of Education‘s website, leaving millions of borrowers with fewer options for now. Borrowers are unable

Pra-chid | Istock | Getty Images With tax season well underway, you may be eager for strategies to reduce your 2024 taxes or boost your refund. However, there are limited options, especially for so-called “W-2 employees” who earn wages, experts say. After Dec. 31, there are “very few” tax moves left for the previous year,

Elon Musk and President Donald Trump in the Oval Office at the White House, Feb. 11, 2025. Andrew Harnik | Getty Images News | Getty Images As the so-called Department of Government Efficiency looks to cut federal spending, Elon Musk and President Donald Trump have floated the idea that some of any savings could come

Richard Stephen | Istock | Getty Images As lawmakers in Washington, D.C., work to rein in government spending, some advocates and consumers are concerned that Social Security could see cuts. Congress faces a March 14 deadline to extend funding for the federal government in order to avoid a government shutdown. Meanwhile, the Trump administration had

Skynesher | E+ | Getty Images The Social Security Administration has released a new expedited timeline for when more than 3.2 million individuals will see one-time payments and higher benefit checks following the enactment of a new law. The Social Security Fairness Act was signed into law by President Joe Biden on Jan. 5 and

Students walk through the University of Texas at Austin on February 22, 2024 in Austin, Texas.  Brandon Bell | Getty Images Amid President Donald Trump‘s threats to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education and recent reports that Elon Musk‘s secretive government-slashing effort, the Department of Government Efficiency, had gained access to confidential student loan data,

An attendant holds 1-kilogram gold bars on Feb. 17, 2025. Akos Stiller/Bloomberg via Getty Images Gold prices are popping. But investors should avoid the temptation to chase a shiny object, investment experts said. The SPDR Gold Shares fund (GLD), which tracks the price of gold bullion, is up about 11% in 2025 as of 2 p.m.

The average tax refund is 10.4% lower than last year according to the latest Internal Revenue Service data, and inflation is taking more of those dollars. Bill Oxford | E+ | Getty Images The average tax refund this year is down 32.4% compared to last year, according to early filing data from the IRS.  Tax

Oscar Wong | Moment | Getty Images Renters looking for a better deal may need to rethink the kind of properties they’re focused on in their search.  As of January, median single-family home rent prices are up about 41% since before the pandemic, according to a recent report by Zillow. Meanwhile, multi-family rents are up

Elon Musk speaks during the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbor, Maryland, U.S., Feb. 20, 2025.  Nathan Howard | Reuters A federal judge in Maryland on Monday granted a temporary restraining order barring staffers from Elon Musk‘s secretive government-slashing effort, the Department of Government Efficiency, from accessing the personal information of millions of student loan

Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images There’s a lesser-known tax break for low- to moderate-income Americans who save for retirement. However, most eligible taxpayers don’t claim it, experts say. The retirement savings contributions credit, or saver’s credit, helps offset funds added to an individual retirement account, 401(k) plan or another workplace plan. The tax break

Nitat Termmee | Moment | Getty Images The Trump administration’s tariff policies may raise auto insurance premiums for motorists, according to a new Insurify analysis. This at a time when drivers continue to see costs soar amid pandemic-era inflation. A 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico — which may take effect as soon

Protestors in New York City demonstrate against the push by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who leads the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, to gut federal services and impose mass layoffs, Feb. 19, 2025. Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images The Trump administration’s purge of federal workers may ultimately amount to the biggest job

Although inflation has eased considerably, in many ways, it is still alive and well. The consumer price index, which measures the cost of a wide-ranging basket of goods and services, has fallen gradually from a 9.1% pandemic-era peak in June 2022 to 3% in January. But it is still above the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal. “The progress toward 2%

Damircudic | E+ | Getty Images Student loan borrowers who expected smaller monthly payments under the new Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan received some bad news on Feb. 18, when a U.S. appeals court blocked the program. As a result, millions of people will need to switch to a new repayment plan

Vithun Khamsong | Moment | Getty Images Thousands of IRS employees are expected to lose their jobs as Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, continues widespread cuts to federal spending.  The move comes roughly three weeks since the opening of tax season and could impact millions of taxpayers who will file before the