Personal finance

Fast-food workers and supporters fight to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour. James Leynse | Corbis Historical | Getty Images The Biden administration seems to have pegged a student loan policy announced Wednesday to its broader push for a national $15-an-hour minimum wage. The White House detailed a long-awaited plan to forgive up

For millions of Americans, learning Wednesday that the Biden administration plans to move ahead with sweeping student loan forgiveness likely sparked feelings of relief — followed by a lot of questions. The government has already made a surprising number of answers available, though time will tell how smoothly the cancellation unfolds between the U.S. Department

Supachok Pichetkul / Eyeem | Eyeem | Getty Images Some policy experts were quick to sound an alarm after President Joe Biden announced a sweeping new plan Wednesday to cancel up to $10,000 in federal student loans for borrowers with incomes under $125,000. Biden will cancel up to $20,000 for recipients of Pell Grants. The

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 President Joe Biden’s long-awaited plan to forgive student debt, announced Wednesday, drew immediate pushback from some lawmakers and consumer groups even as they praised the historic

President Joe Biden could make his announcement on student loan forgiveness as soon as Wednesday, five sources with knowledge of the matter told NBC News. Administration officials repeatedly said the decision would come before the end of August, when monthly loan payments are scheduled to resume after being paused for over two years as part

A ‘for sale’ sign hangs in front of a home on June 21, 2022 in Miami, Florida. According to the National Association of Realtors, sales of existing homes dropped 3.4% to a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 5.41 million units. Sales were 8.6% lower than in May 2021. As existing-home sales declined, the median price

Air conditioner units for sale during a heat wave in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday, July 19, 2022. Sergio Flores | Bloomberg | Getty Images Labor Day deals are already underway, with big discounts on summer clothing, appliances and outdoor furniture. “Sales have already started,” said Julie Ramhold, a consumer analyst at DealNews.com. For cash-strapped consumers, this

Oscar Wong | Moment | Getty Images Most investors think of exchange-traded funds as a simple way to buy a diversified basket of individual stocks tracking an index or with exposure to a particular theme. But now there are also so-called single-stock ETFs, allowing leveraged bets on individual stocks. However, regulators and advisors warn these

Srdjanpav | E+ | Getty Images Many companies have announced layoffs in recent weeks, and others have hinted that cuts may be coming. Luckily, there are steps workers can take to prepare. “At the end of day, you can’t control what’s happening in the economy, but you can control building a strong professional resilience,” according

A pedestrian carries shopping bags in San Francisco, California, US, on Wednesday, June 1, 2022. David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images Even as many people struggle to stretch their incomes amid high inflation, it turns out there’s money they already have they’re probably overlooking — unused gift cards. To that point, 47% of

Drazen Zigic | Istock | Getty Images The U.S. Department of Education is giving federal student loan borrowers who’ve fallen behind on their debt a chance to get into current standing. As part of its “Fresh Start” initiative, the 7.5 million student loan borrowers who are in default will be able to return to repayment

andresr | E+ | Getty Images Medicare may seem like a maze when you first try to navigate it. After all, there are different “parts” to the federal health insurance program, which provides coverage for about 56.5 million individuals in the 65-and-older crowd. And, whether you’re reaching the eligibility age of 65 or you are

kate_sept2004 | E+ | Getty Images The youngest workers entering the workforce — Gen Z, who range in age from 10 to 25 — showed dramatic adoption of individual retirement accounts, according to second quarter data released by Fidelity Investments this week. Fidelity IRAs owned by that generation increased 87% over the second quarter of

“We are a four-generation household,” said Jason Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald, 45, and his wife, Rachel Zack, 41, bought a house with Rachel’s parents Beverly and Arthur Zack, who are in their 70s, and Rachel’s 98-year-old grandmother Lillian, who goes by “Bubbie.” The home has six bedrooms, with five full and two half bathrooms.  They all live

Impulse buys can quickly erode even the best financial plans. And yet, between sponsored posts on social media and “revenge spending,” they are nearly impossible to avoid. As the cost of living surges and more Americans say they are stretched too thin amid concerns about a possible recession, they’re dipping into their cash reserves and nearly half are falling

In this article FTCI Srdjanpav | E+ | Getty Images The Federal Trade Commission announced this week that it would send thousands of checks totaling more than $822,000 to student loan borrowers who lost money in a debt-relief scam. More than 14,500 consumers who paid money to a company that operated under the name Student

Getty Images As Generation X edges closer to retirement, inflation appears to be weighing more heavily on that age group than other adults. Compared with millennials (ages 26 to 41) and baby boomers (ages 58 to 76), a larger share of Gen Xers (ages 42 to 57) are concerned about the nation’s economic outlook, maintaining

U.S. President Joe Biden gestures as he delivers remarks on the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 at the White House in Washington, July 28, 2022. Elizabeth Frantz | Reuters The new 1% excise tax on corporate stock buybacks — a late addition to President Joe Biden‘s sweeping tax, health and climate package — adds a

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaking at a news conference on July 14. Made Nagi | Reuters With President Joe Biden‘s sweeping tax, health and climate package newly signed into law, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is asking the IRS to deliver a plan within six months for the agency’s nearly $80 billion in funding. “The Inflation

Getty Images Another state has joined the growing list of those aiming to boost retirement savings among workers at companies that don’t offer a 401(k) or similar workplace plan. Delaware Gov. John Carney signed a bill into law on Thursday that will create a state-run program to automatically enroll eligible private sector workers in Roth