As if getting in to a top college wasn’t hard enough, Covid-19 adds a new challenge. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, many would-be freshmen have decided to postpone college rather than start their education online. As a result, colleges and universities are well below their enrollment numbers for the 2020-2021 academic year, a report shows. Overall,
Personal finance
Trying to move but weighing a potential pay cut? It still might be worth it. The coronavirus pandemic has spurred many people to reconsider their living situations and trade big cities for the suburbs as companies say employees can work remotely on a permanent basis. In some cases, those moves come with a catch. Companies
In mid-September, the envelope finally arrived. As Erin Madden opened it and pulled out the debit card with her unemployment benefits on it, all she could think about was the half a year she’d waited for this moment. She had come to feel it would never happen. “I almost didn’t believe that it had finally
Morsa Images | DigitalVision | Getty Images Chances are, you aren’t seriously thinking about how to pay for long-term care when you are older. Most people only think about it at two points in their lives: when their parents need it or when they start to get much older and realize they need to have
Trump and Biden would approach the student loan crisis very differently. Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images Whether Donald Trump or Joe Biden wins the presidency may have a significant impact on the country’s 42 million student loan borrowers. Student loans have outpaced credit card and auto debt as a burden to Americans, and
Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore. Sarah Silbiger | CQ-Roll Call Group | Getty Images Americans are hurting financially amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and that includes the nation’s seniors. Now, two House Democratic lawmakers are hoping to help retirees with a bill to increase next year’s Social Security cost-of-living adjustment. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., is introducing a
Joe Biden and Donald Trump speak during the first U.S. presidential debate on Sept. 29, 2020. Kevin Dietsch/UPI | Bloomberg | Getty Images President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden have diverging views on the economic rebound that has played out after the coronavirus pandemic upended the country last spring. Trump and administration
Courtney Keating | Getty Images Even homeowners with poor credit scores may be able to take advantage of mortgage refinancing options to ease their financial burden amid the coronavirus pandemic. The housing market is one of the only parts of the economy that’s seen a solid rebound during the Covid-19 crisis, thanks in part to
izusek | E+ | Getty Images The Social Security Administration announced this week that the cost-of-living adjustment for benefits in 2021 will be 1.3%. For the average retirement benefit, that amounts to just a $20 increase per month. Now, two Congressional Democrats — Reps. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., and John Larson, D-Conn. — plan to propose
AJ_Watt | E+ | Getty Images This year, don’t just cram your completed 2019 income tax return into a drawer. Use it as a guideline to help you save more money. Oct. 15 is the deadline for taxpayers who sought additional time to complete the prior year’s return. Bear in mind, the taxes you owed
Geber86 | E+ | Getty Images Americans who are concerned about the economy say the coronavirus pandemic is the No. 1 menace to the nation’s growth. Indeed, 44% of the people polled by Bankrate.com last month cited Covid-19 as a top threat to the economy in the next six months. The personal finance site surveyed
Amazon Prime Day, which was originally slated for July but postponed due to the pandemic, is turning into one of the biggest shopping events of the year. In fact, even I had to get in on the 48-hour extravaganza before it ends at 3 a.m. ET Thursday. Not surprisingly, Amazon devices, such as the Ring
Prisoners are getting a second chance at receiving the $1,200 stimulus checks the government sent this spring. Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California recently ruled that the government should not withhold those checks from people solely because they are incarcerated. There are roughly 1.5 million incarcerated
Getty Images Social Security beneficiaries will see a 1.3% increase to their monthly checks in 2021. The amount was announced on Tuesday by the Social Security Administration, and was in line with previous estimates. Last month, The Senior Citizens League, a nonpartisan advocacy group for older Americans, projected a 1.3% boost, based on available Consumer
Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images It’s now easier for older savers to continue socking money away for retirement. Just be aware that unintended consequences may follow — and they could cost you. That’s due to the Secure Act, legislation that was signed into law late last year and took effect in 2020. The measure
10’000 Hours | DigitalVision | Getty Images This fall, when employees sign up for next year’s workplace benefits, they should take a close look at the offerings. Odds are they’ll be changing in 2021. The coronavirus pandemic was hard on employers and workers, forcing them to adapt on the fly amid social distancing and efforts
Even as consumer spending slowed amid the coronavirus crisis, e-commerce sales have soared — and are about to go even higher, thanks to Amazon. Prime Day, which was originally slated for July but postponed due to the pandemic, starts at midnight PT (3 a.m. ET) on Tuesday, Oct. 13 and runs through Wednesday, Oct. 14. Over the course of
It’s that time of year again — open enrollment season is approaching, giving many Americans an opportunity to sit down and go over their employer-sponsored workplace benefits for next year. This year, amid the coronavirus pandemic, more than 70% of employees plan to spend more time reviewing voluntary benefit options offered by their employer, according
Millions of Americans are hoping another $1,200 stimulus check will make it to their bank accounts. Whether that happens or not depends on Congress. Republicans, Democrats and the White House still have not been able to strike a compromise on how much to spend and where to provide aid for the next coronavirus stimulus package.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act into law on Aug. 14, 1935. FPG | Archive Photos | Getty Images Many people think of Social Security as the program their parents and grandparents rely on for financial support in retirement. For James Roosevelt, Jr., it has a special significance. His grandfather created it.