Personal finance

LPETTET | iStock | Getty Images If you didn’t get the last stimulus check, don’t despair. You still have time to claim the money if you’re eligible. A third round of stimulus payments was sent to Americans as a part of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, signed into law in March 2021. Starting that

Getty Images Money has piled into municipal bonds, known as muni bonds or “munis,” as investors aim to lower risk and reduce taxes. But some may worry about price drops amid rising interest rates. Investors funneled a record-breaking $96.8 billion of net money into U.S. muni mutual and exchange-traded funds in 2021, according to Refinitiv

Austin, Texas. Ryan Martinez | Moment | Getty Images Several states have stopped accepting applications for federal rental assistance. The programs in New Jersey, New York, Oregon and Texas, as well as Washington, D.C., are either closed or on hold, leaving many struggling renters cut off from their only hope of paying off their debt

FG Trade | E+ | Getty Images Even as the coronavirus continues to upend American life, most pandemic-era relief measures have dried up by now. The recent shelving of the Build Back Better Act, the massive spending bill with a number of provisions to lift up middle-class families, means the chances for new relief is

New Yorkers queued for Covid-19 testing in Times Square on Dec. 26, 2021, as the omicron variant continued to spread. Andrew Kelly | Reuters  Omicron is wreaking more disruption on the American economy. That could prompt Washington lawmakers to revisit relief strategies from earlier in the Covid-19 pandemic. Conversations on Capitol Hill have turned to

Troels Graugaard | E+ | Getty Images There’s a do-over for Medicare beneficiaries who discover early in the year that their Advantage Plan is not an ideal fit. Between Jan. 1 and March 31, you can switch to a different Advantage Plan or drop the one you have altogether in favor of basic Medicare (Part

A healthcare worker administers a Covid-19 swab test at the Boulder County Fairgrounds testing site in Longmont, Colorado, on Dec. 14, 2021. Chet Strange/Bloomberg via Getty Images Covid-19 infections are ballooning, and sick Americans who miss work due to the virus may wonder if they qualify for unemployment benefits. The short answer: They don’t. There

An employee watches as checks are run through a printer at the U.S. Treasury printing facility in Philadelphia. William Thomas Cain | Getty Images The new year will usher in bigger Social Security checks for many beneficiaries starting this month. That’s as a record 5.9% cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, takes effect. It marks the biggest

Pascal Broze | ONOKY | Getty Images As retirees kick off the new year, high inflation and strong market returns may leave many wondering how much cash they need to have handy. Annual inflation grew by 6.8% in November, rising at the fastest pace since November 1982, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The

Tetra Images | Tetra images | Getty Images Filing 2021 taxes will look slightly different for families who received the enhanced child tax credit last year. That’s because the monthly payments that were sent to millions of families with eligible children from July to December only accounted for half of the credit. Now, those who

Oscar Wong | Moment | Getty Images Planning to save more this year? There’s a higher 401(k) employee deferral limit for 2022, and now’s the time to boost contributions, financial experts say. Employees may funnel $20,500 into 401(k), 403(b) and other plans for 2022, up from $19,500 in 2021, thanks to cost-of-living adjustments from the

The new year offers opportunities for many Americans in their careers and financial lives. The “Great Reshuffle” is expected to continue as employees leave jobs and take new ones at a rapid clip. At the same time, many workers have made a vow to save more this year, yet many admit they don’t know how

d3sign | Moment | Getty Images Has your grocery bill been making you do a double take? You’re not to blame. Inflation is. Rising prices are hitting almost every aisle in supermarkets across the U.S. The cost of steaks swelled by 25% between November 2020 and November 2021. Eggs and fish were up 8%, to

Flashpop | Stone | Getty Images Getting impatient waiting to hear if your student loans will be forgiven? Millions of other borrowers are in the same spot. The topic of loan cancellation has been floated for years now. On the campaign trail, President Joe Biden promised to forgive at least $10,000 of the debt for

A young woman walks past a Bitcoin symbol in the window of a company that offers blockchain application services. Sean Gallup | Getty Images News | Getty Images Bitcoin took a beating in December — but that price plunge opens a tax loophole for investors. The cryptocurrency lost about 18% this month through Thursday, with

MilosStankovic | E+ | Getty Images People have the best of intentions. At the start of a new year, millions make resolutions — goals they want to reach throughout the upcoming months. Getting a handle on money issues is usually near the top of many such lists. The most financial popular goals are paying down

One thing is for sure: 2022 is going to cost you. Between inflation and ongoing supply chain issues, prices are rising on consumer goods nearly across the board. “I really don’t think there’s any way to escape,” said Julie Ramhold, a consumer analyst with DealNews.com. But that doesn’t mean you can’t shop smarter for the

Ariel Skelley | DigitalVision | Getty Images Looking to be happier with your life and finances in 2022? The answer may be finding professional help. People who worked with a financial advisor were found to be nearly three times happier than those who didn’t, according to a study by Herbers & Company. Predictors of happiness

Phynart Studio | E+ | Getty Images When the calendar flips to 2022, certain Medicare costs will creep higher. For the program’s 63.6 million beneficiaries — most of whom are 65 or older — annual adjustments can affect premiums, deductibles and other cost-sharing aspects of Medicare. While each change doesn’t necessarily involve a huge dollar

Gaviota Azul beach in Cancun, Mexico. Getty Images Just as countries have started to lift pandemic travel bans and Americans begin to at least think about booking vacations abroad, the spread of the delta and omicron variants of Covid-19 has thrown the tourism industry’s fortunes to the wind again. That said, hope springs eternal and