Personal finance

Demonstrators rally near the Capitol Hill residence of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to call for the extension of unemployment benefits on Wednesday, July 22, 2020. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Wage replacement Unemployment benefits offer temporary income replacement for workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. The

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., arrives at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Monday, July 27, 2020. Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg via Getty Images Unemployment benefits would be cut by nearly half in a new plan proposed by Senate Republicans on Monday. The policy would replace a $600-a-week federal boost, which lapsed over the weekend in

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) (L) listens to U.S. President Donald Trump talks to reporters while hosting Republican congressional leaders and members of Trump’s cabinet in the Oval Office at the White House July 20, 2020 in Washington, DC. Doug Mills | Getty Images It’s the question that’s been on everyone’s minds: Will there

Jose Luis Pelaez Inc Covid-19 has upended much of U.S. society. And it’s changing how Americans think about money. A survey from money manager Charles Schwab finds their new mantra could very well be, “Less is more.” When it comes to how much it takes to be considered wealthy, Americans now say it’s an average

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, a growing number of U.S. colleges have said their campuses will remain closed through the fall semester.  Still, students are heading back to school as soon as this weekend. For some, there is nowhere else to go. About 52% of high school and college students said going back to school

“My stomach is growling and I have a headache,” said Sheila Ritter, 51. Sheila Reiter Sheila Ritter was laid off from her job as a security guard on March 14, the same day as her oldest daughter’s birthday. Affording enough food to feed her family has been a struggle for Ritter, who lives in Denver,

10’000 Hours The ask First, take your pre-Covid-19 job description and evaluate how your position has changed since. “You have probably taken on way, way more responsibilities,” said Jaras, author of “Know Your Worth, Get Your Worth” and host of the podcast, Her Career Talk. Take a “red marker” to that job description and underline

Cynthia Pineda lost her accounting job in early April. Without the $600 weekly unemployment boost, she’ll get just $275 each week in aid from Florida. Meanwhile, finding a new job has proven extremely challenging. Cindy Pineda was the breadwinner of her family before the coronavirus pandemic hit. But Pineda, 60, lost her accounting job in

People who lost their jobs wait in line to file for unemployment benefits, following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at Arkansas Workforce Center in Fort Smith, Arkansas, U.S. April 6, 2020. Nick Oxford |File Photo | REUTERS In mid-March, Erin Madden was furloughed from her job as a bartender at the Hollywood Burbank

Blank Social Security checks are run through a printer at the U.S. Treasury printing facility February 11, 2005 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. William Thomas Cain | Getty Images Congress won’t move on the next round of stimulus legislation this week. Despite that, however, a second set of stimulus checks is still on the table. Draft legislation

Savings The approaches generally boil down to two general ideas: trimming expenses or turning existing assets into income, according to Jeffrey Levine, CFP, director of advanced planning at Buckingham Wealth Partners in Long Island, New York. An emergency fund is the first place to look in a cash crunch. This may be a no-brainer: This

A view of the Capitol’s Rotunda is seen reflected in an ambulance as negotiations on a COVID-19 economic bailout continue on Capitol Hill March 24, 2020, in Washington, DC. Brendan Smialowski | AFP | Getty Images Congress is expected to make some big decisions that will affect how much money flows to Americans in the

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin arrives to the Capitol for a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., about the COVID-19 relief plan, on Thursday, July 23, 2020. Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Unemployed workers may see about $200 or $300 a week in extra jobless benefits when the current $600-a-week

Rowan Jordan If you’re feeling more warm and fuzzy about stocks lately, be sure to know thyself. The stock market now ranks as the best place to put money not needed for at least a decade, according to a Bankrate survey of investors, with 28% choosing it, compared with 20% a year ago, when real

With declining enrollments, reduced giving and state funding cuts, colleges are resorting to last-ditch efforts to stay afloat. Now teachers are the latest victims of extreme cost cutting. The University of Akron, Boston University and the University of Arizona are just a few of the schools to lay off or furlough staff in response to the

President Donald Trump met with cabinet members and Republican Congressional leaders in the Oval Office on July 20 to discuss a proposed new round of financial stimulus. Doug Mills | Pool | Getty Images The people who would get the greatest benefit from a payroll tax holiday may be the ones who need it the

Despite the coroanvirus pandemic, home sales are up.  If you were thinking of taking advantage of low mortgage rates yourself, first make sure you know what you can afford.  “When we first decide to purchase a home, we get really excited about that ideal home,” said Winnie Sun, co-founder and managing director of Irvine, California-based Sun Group

All eyes are on Congress to see what they will include in the next coronavirus stimulus bill. That could include a second set of stimulus checks. Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said on Tuesday that lawmakers want to send another round of direct payments to Americans.  For some, that could mean a new chance

Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at a “Build Back Better” Clean Energy event on July 14, 2020 at the Chase Center in Wilmington, Delaware. Olivier Douliery | AFP | Getty Images An overhaul of your tax planning could be around the corner if former Vice President Joe Biden wins the

Melissa da Silva, president of tour operators Trafalgar Tours, Brendan Vacations and Costsaver, divisions of Cypress, California-based The Travel Corporation. Trafalgar Tours/The Travel Corporation One of the biggest disappointments of the pandemic lockdown of 2020 — and there are many — has to be the eagerly awaited vacations and getaways that millions of Americans have