Personal finance

The top source of financial stress is saving enough for a comfortable retirement, a worry that is trending upward as a result of the pandemic, according to a newly released nationwide survey by Charles Schwab of 1,000 currently employed 401(k) plan participants between the ages of 25 and 70.  The survey, conducted between May 28 and

Residents of Imperial County, California, line up in front of a bookkeeping shop in Calexico to fill out unemployment claim forms on July 24. Mario Tama | Getty Images News | Getty Images Millions of Americans are getting a big cut in their unemployment checks after the expiration of a policy that offered an extra $600

Courtney Davis Source: Courtney Davis In a few weeks, Courtney Davis will give birth to her first child, a son, Bentli Jaymes. In the meantime, she’s afraid that she won’t have a home to bring him back to.  “My biggest concern is becoming homeless right now,” Davis, 23, said. Without an extension of a federal

This guide lays out the seven key steps to focus on to get you working toward long-term financial security. Step 1: Set short-term and long-term goals Step 2: Create a budget Step 3: Build an emergency fund Step 4: Pay off costly credit card debt Step 5: Save for retirement Step 6: Invest for retirement

Joshua Roberts | Reuters Capitol Hill lawmakers seem to agree on one thing: Sending a second round of stimulus checks to help Americans weather the economic storm brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic is is  worthwhile. But the conditions around who gets those checks could still be subject to change, particularly when it comes to

New Yorkers pick up free groceries at a Food Bank For New York City distribution event at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on July 30. Scott Heins | Getty Images News | Getty Images Most of the relief measures delivered to Americans in the first stimulus package have dried up.  The weekly $600 federal unemployment checks

Timothy Young and his family Source: Timothy Young On Monday, July 27, two days after the eviction moratorium in Maryland expired, Timothy Young, his wife, Tammy, and their two children, Hermione, 8, and Negan, 2, scrambled to move out of their duplex. They’d received their notice to vacate.  Young estimates that he’s applied to more

Couple buying a new house. PeopleImages | Getty Images A Roth individual retirement account is often cited as a way to save for your golden years. It could  also help you buy a house. In a nutshell, up to $10,000 in earnings can be withdrawn from such an account — free of both taxes and

Hundreds of unemployed Kentucky residents wait in long lines outside the Kentucky Career Center for help with their unemployment claims. John Sommers II Individuals receiving unemployment benefits this year could face a tax surprise in 2021: owing Uncle Sam or receiving smaller refunds. Some 1.43 million people filed for unemployment last week, according to the

For millions of students with disabilities and special needs in U.S. public and private schools, the shift to remote learning has created an even greater host of challenges — and, in some cases, additional financial pressures for their families.  Special needs students require varied educational and support services. In this coronavirus pandemic, many families are

Getty Images When a person passes away, it’s not unusual for them to leave behind some unpaid debt. So what happens to those remaining balances? It depends.  Upon death, a person’s assets — no matter how meager or massive — become their “estate.” This includes everything they own: financial accounts, real estate and possessions. And,

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R- Ky., walks to the Senate floor at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, July 30. Democrats and Republicans have given no ground after three days of negotiations on a virus relief package as enhanced unemployment insurance for millions of out-of-work Americans and protections from evictions run out. Al Drago/Bloomberg via

U.S. President Donald Trump delivers a speech during a tour of the Double Eagle Energy Oil Rig in Midland, Texas, July 29, 2020. Carlos Barria | Reuters Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are in agreement on sending a second batch of $1,200 stimulus checks to millions of Americans. And now President Donald Trump

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. listens at left as Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks during a news conference prior to a town hall-style meeting in Aston, Pa., Monday, April 23, 2012. Jae C. Hong | AP A second set of stimulus checks could be on the way, but the ink on the

Aimstock | Getty Images The Covid-19 pandemic has prompted more Americans to wonder if Social Security will be there when they retire. In a survey from Nationwide, 61% of adults of all generations said they are more worried now that Social Security will run out of funding. The reults come as many respondents said the

Residents of Imperial County in California wait in a bookkeeping shop in Calexico after filling out unemployment forms on July 24. Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images Senate Republicans unveiled their plan to replace an extra $600-a-week boost in unemployment benefits on Monday. That subsidy — which the federal government has been paying on top of typical

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, stops to speak to reporters as he arrives for the Senate Republicans weekly lunch on Tuesday, June, 9, 2020. Bill Clark | CQ-Roll Call | Getty Images While Washington lawmakers negotiate over how much money to inject into a U.S. economy battered by Covid-19, one group of politicians hopes to also

fstop123 | E+ | Getty Images This summer, more than a dozen states are offering shoppers a back-to-school sales tax break. Whether it’ll be enough to draw legions of parents to mom-and-pop shops amid a pandemic is looking iffy. Depending on the state where you’re shopping, you can knock off anywhere from 4% (Alabama) to

Spencer Platt | Getty Images News | Getty Images Medicare beneficiaries would get a reprieve on higher Part B costs next year in the coronavirus relief package proposed by Republicans in the Senate on Monday. Under the provision included in the GOP proposal, called the HEALS Act, premiums for Medicare Part B in 2021 — which

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., leaves the Senate Republican Policy luncheon in Hart Building on Tuesday, July 21, 2020. Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images A second round of $1,200 stimulus checks could be coming, thanks to Senate Republicans’ new stimulus proposal. The terms of the new payments were outlined in