Personal finance

Items on sale at a Washington, D.C., supermarket on Jan. 12, 2022. Stefani Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images If surging costs are a concern, you may consider using your tax refund to bypass the purchase limits on I bonds, a nearly risk-free and inflation-protected asset. Annual inflation rose by 7.5% in January, growing at

Brothers91 | E+ | Getty Images Tax season is underway — and the IRS is warning of a likely increase in scams targeting taxpayers. Agency officials are sounding the alarm on “IRS impersonation scams,” in which criminals pose as IRS agents to try stealing money or personal information. The latter can lead to identity theft

Ariel Skelley | DigitalVision | Getty Images Municipal bonds, also known as muni bonds, have become a popular option for investors seeking security and tax-free portfolio income. However, these assets may also trigger a costly surprise for retirees.  Demand surged in 2021 amid President Joe Biden‘s proposed tax increases, with a record $96.8 billion of net money

sturti The Covid-19 pandemic has made it difficult for people to answer big questions about their futures, and many financial planners are underestimating the financial anxiety that is causing, according to a survey. A majority of financial planning clients — 71% — report experiencing financial anxiety at least half of the time, according to researchers

mediaphotos | E+ | Getty Images Tax filing season is underway. Most Americans should be able to file their 2021 tax returns to the IRS for free. About 100 million Americans, or roughly 70% of people filing taxes in the U.S., are eligible to submit their tax returns to the IRS at no cost, according

staticnak1983 | E+ | Getty Images Millions of parents who’ve defaulted on their federal student loans may get part of their child tax credit seized this tax season. The federal government has long been able to collect past-due debts, like child support, owed to state and federal agencies. This occurs via the Treasury Offset Program,

The White House is exploring ways to forgive federal student loan debt. Bloomberg Creative | Bloomberg Creative Photos | Getty Images Under pressure from Democrats, advocates and borrowers, the White House is looking at actions it might be able to take to forgive federal student debt. The country’s outstanding federal student loan balance exceeds $1.7

Steven Heap/EyeEm/Getty Images It’s easy to miss necessary tax forms as more companies go paperless, but with mounting challenges at the IRS, filing an inaccurate tax return will only lead to delays, the agency says. It’s critical to have all the required forms for a complete and error-free return, the IRS said in a statement.

Liu Jie/Xinhua via Getty Images States can forgo clawing back pandemic-era unemployment benefits in a broader set of circumstances than previously allowed, the U.S. Department of Labor said Monday. In the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, states implemented new federal benefit programs created by the CARES Act to support the jobless. That quick turnaround,

Signage outside the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) headquarters in Washington, D.C. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images The IRS on Monday announced it will stop using a controversial third-party service for facial recognition to verify identity for online accounts. The move comes amid bipartisan backlash over the collection of biometric data through video selfies for

Muhammad Yungai’s ‘We Shall Always March Ahead’ mural is displayed on the side of Privado Grooming Barbershop in Atlanta’s Vine City neighborhood. Raymond Boyd | Michael Ochs Archives | Getty Images Legendary civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., grew up and preached in the Old Fourth Ward of Atlanta. Soon, that neighborhood will

Steve Debenport | E+ | Getty Images People who got raises last year might not see their paychecks stretch much farther. That’s because those increases in pay are up against the worst inflation in 40 years. Employers struggling to retain talent amid the so-called Great Resignation anticipated giving out larger pay increases and bonuses in

PeopleImages | E+ | Getty Images Millions of Americans are quitting their jobs and rethinking what they want when it comes to work and work-life balance. Companies are responding, meeting their employees’ needs in areas like remote work, flexible hours, four-day workweeks, compensation and more. This story is part of a series looking at the

JGI/Jamie Grill If you save for retirement through a 401(k) plan, you may have noticed changes to it over the years — for example, automatic increases in your contributions and “catch-up” amounts for the over-50 crowd. A couple more tweaks, which were included in a 2019 retirement bill called the Secure Act, could also become

Pekic | E+ | Getty Images The $1.7 trillion outstanding federal student loan market tends to get most of the headlines, but another type of education debt has also been on the rise: private student loans. Many college students have likely heard about the financing option. “Private lenders advertise all over, including on TV, radio

A job seeker receives information from a recruiter during a job fair in Miami on Dec. 16, 2021. Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images Long-term unemployment fell significantly in January, continuing a downward trajectory from its pandemic-era peak after having plateaued in recent months. The number of Americans out of work for at least six

courtneyk | E+ | Getty Images The IRS has warned about “challenges” this tax season, and a slew of automated notices are already causing distress for filers. Some taxpayers who sent last year’s return and paid their balance have received a CP80 notice saying they may lose their credit for payment if they don’t file

Chile requires visitors furnish proof of insurance coverage for Covid-19 and related conditions. Pictured, capital city Santiago. Oleh_Slobodeniuk | E+ | Getty Images Are you planning a trip abroad? You may need to buy travel insurance to visit your destination country. Many countries had insurance requirements even before the pandemic. But about a dozen more

Getty Images The roughly 50 million American consumers who either don’t have credit history or have a limited record are in luck.   In recent years, many financial services companies have come out with programs to establish and build credit for those who have struggled to access the traditional banking system. There are even ways

damircudic | E+ | Getty Images The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a decline in U.S pregnancies and prompted a number of women to opt out of the workforce. Now, a bipartisan proposal in Congress aims to alleviate the hurdles pregnant women face so that they can stay in their jobs. On Wednesday, Sens. Bob