Personal finance

Hispanolistic New $1,400 stimulus checks could be on the way to millions of Americans now that the House of Representatives has passed the latest coronavirus relief bill. The fate of those payments now rests in the hands of the Senate, which is due to begin considering the proposed legislation this week. The terms have called

The challenges of teaching in-person or online have stretched educators to their limits. After nearly a full year of either putting themselves at risk in a classroom or struggling to reach students remotely, many now say they may change careers or simply quit. “Teachers have been feeling the brunt of how drastically this pandemic has

ozgurcankaya Americans are not messing around this tax season. In just one week since the tax filing period opened on Feb. 12, the IRS received nearly 35 million individual tax returns, according to data released by the agency on Thursday. The rush of returns far outpaces what the agency saw last year, even before the

Laura Crovo still has some lingering Covid symptoms, despite having contracted the virus last April. It’s been 10 months since Laura Crovo has felt entirely normal. Since testing positive for Covid last April, the 41-year-old Marylander has yet to shake off all of her symptoms. And on top of battling them — mostly a racing

A Feb. 18 rally celebrating the California Labor Commissioner’s order for a McDonald’s franchise to rehire and compensate workers who went on strike for coronavirus protections was held on Feb. 18, 2021. Lucy Nicholson | Reuters The fight for a $15 federal minimum wage just hit a major roadblock. On Thursday, nonpartisan Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth

Stony Brook, N.Y. First day of the 2020 fall semester at Stony Brook University. Newsday LLC | Newsday | Getty Images Some of the most selective colleges and universities are seeing a surge in applications for incoming freshmen this fall. Yet other schools are struggling. That may present an opportunity for families to try to

Al Drago | Getty Images News | Getty Images Unemployment benefits extended Those programs include Pandemic Unemployment Assistance for self-employed, gig and other workers who don’t qualify for state-level assistance; and Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation, which pays extra weeks of state benefits to the long-term unemployed. The bill would offer PUA recipients a maximum 74

Brothers91 | E+ | Getty Images If getting health insurance through a public exchange has been too pricey for you, that could soon change. The $1.9 trillion Covid stimulus package that’s expected to clear the House of Representatives on Friday includes several provisions that aim to make health care more affordable for households. They include:

Austin Goergen, a student at Oregon State University, started a petition last year to allow dependents ages 17 and up to qualify for stimulus checks. Austin Goergen Washington lawmakers are one step closer to authorizing new $1,400 stimulus checks for millions of Americans. This time, one big group could become eligible for the first time:

Despite widespread job losses and financial uncertainty, Americans are faring well by most measures during the coronavirus pandemic. Federal relief, such as stimulus checks, expanded unemployment benefits and an extended pause in loan repayments, have even given some a boost. Consumers are paying down debt and saving more than they have in decades. Many are

Fabio Camandona | iStock | Getty Images For Covid-vaccinated individuals in the 65-and-over crowd, hitting the road (or sky) may become more alluring than it’s been in nearly a year. Be sure to consider whether your Medicare plan will travel with you.  While coverage when you’re away from home depends partly on your destination, it

Hinterhaus Productions As Congress works to finalize its latest coronavirus relief bill, some American families are poised to receive a financial windfall. Between new $1,400 stimulus checks and an enhanced child tax credit, that could add up to more than $14,000 for some families. “All of the focus has been on the $1,400 when, in

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, helps to give out food at the Saint Francis of Assisi Breadline on February 17, 2021 in New York City. Michael M. Santiago | Getty Images Jessica Cruz and her family were in a bind. When the coronavirus pandemic hit last March, Cruz, a 39-year-old care coordinator in

Avishek Das | LightRocket | Getty Images Got bitcoin or other crypto? It could come back to bite you if you don’t let the IRS know about it. Regardless of how you interacted with any cryptocurrencies last year, you’re expected to include the information on your 2020 tax return. And for those who had income

Kathy Kraninger, former president Donald Trump’s appointee to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images “Big deal” Both are a type of qualified mortgage, a category that carries legal protections for lenders from consumer lawsuits. That may happen, for example, if borrowers can’t make monthly payments and lose their homes to

Volunteers load cases of water into the bed of a truck during a mass water distribution at Delmar Stadium in Houston on Feb. 19. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images Some taxpayers are getting more time to file their 2020 returns. For individuals and businesses located anywhere in Texas — much of which has been declared

Al Drago | Getty Images News | Getty Images The measure, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, would pay unemployed workers an extra $400 a week through Aug. 29. Those additional relief payments would raise federal spending by about $163 billion through 2022, according to a cost estimate the Congressional Budget Office issued last

In this photo illustration, a visual representation of the digital Cryptocurrency, Bitcoin is on display in front of the Bitcoin course’s graph on February 09, 2021 in Paris, France. Chesnot | Getty Images Bitcoin‘s roller-coaster ride has continued, flashing a warning sign for curious investors who may be interested in putting money in the highly

Most student loan borrowers will be inelgible this year for the usual tax break they get for making payments on their debt’s interest. pcess609 Add it to the long list of changes in 2020: Your ability to claim the student loan interest deduction on your taxes. If you’re not familiar with all the details of

The smallest businesses that have had the most trouble accessing forgivable loans from the Paycheck Protection Program will soon get extra help. The Biden administration on Monday announced changes for the pandemic aid program focused on helping small and minority owned firms as well as sole proprietors. For two weeks, starting Wednesday, the Small Business