Personal finance

For some college-bound students, free tuition programs are the only way to make higher education a reality. Now one of the bigger offers is in jeopardy, just when students need it the most. According to the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation, which runs the state’s Excelsior Scholarship, the coronavirus pandemic caused a dramatic reduction

Getty Images You’ve heard of buyer’s remorse when it comes to things people buy. But you may not know that people can experience those same regrets because of the way they choose to pay for their purchases. One frequent culprit: retail credit cards. Purchases made with those accounts will likely end up costing consumers more

kali9 | E+ | Getty Images The Covid-19 pandemic has produced a rise in estate planning. To that point, a survey conducted for LegalZoom.com found that 32% of young people ages 18 to 34 said they got a will because of Covid-19. What’s more, 21% of that age group also drew up a will specifically

A woman, of Lexington, waits in a line outside a temporary unemployment office established by the Kentucky Labor Cabinet at the State Capitol Annex in Frankfort, Kentucky, U.S. June 17, 2020. Bryan Woolston | Reuters As workers who were brought back to their jobs after furloughs and layoffs due to the Covid-19 crisis face additional

Siraj Ahmad | iStock | Getty Images Jasmine Johnson is constantly afraid of being evicted from her house in St. Paul, Minnesota. The single mother of five children, all under the age of 13, hasn’t been able to earn enough during the pandemic to stay caught up on her $1,350 rent.  First, the daycare where

kali9 | E+ | Getty Images If you’re retired and are thinking about downsizing or relocating, and it involves buying a home, you might want to look into how you would finance it. You may discover that qualifying for a mortgage is different from the last time you bought a house. Not only have lenders

Justin Sullivan | Getty Images With 74-year-old President Donald Trump testing positive for Covid-19, Medicare beneficiaries may be reminded of their own vulnerability. For the 62.7 million people enrolled in Medicare —  the majority of whom are age 65 or older —  the coronavirus generally poses a greater health risk. While Congress and regulators have

AJ Watt | Getty Images If you’re worried about Covid-19 and want to virtually check in with your doctor following news of President Donald Trump’s positive test, there’s good news: Many major insurance companies are still waiving fees for such visits. Telehealth, or doctor visits done by video or telephone, have surged in popularity amid

A man fills out paperwork while waiting for his number to be called at an unemployment event in Tulsa, Oklahoma on July 15, 2020. Nick Oxford for The Washington Post | Getty Images Washington lawmakers say they are still optimistic that a coronavirus stimulus deal can go through. But if both political parties do not

katleho Seisa It’s fairly easy to be befuddled by Medicare. With different coverage options, confusing enrollment deadlines and disparate cost-sharing among beneficiaries, ending up with faulty assumptions isn’t hard. However, some mistaken beliefs can be more costly than others. A survey of 1,000 Medicare beneficiaries explored their knowledge and found several misconceptions — related to

More than six months into the pandemic, layoffs show no sign of abating any time soon. undrey | iStock | Getty Images 1. Apply for unemployment  You should file for unemployment as soon as possible, experts say. Amid the pandemic, wait times for your benefits can be longer than usual and you want to avoid

Jill Justin is trying to figure out the next move for her business, Jill Justin Dance Alliance, after the pandemic cut business in half. Source: Jill Justin Jill Justin had to think fast when the coronavirus pandemic hit. As the owner of Jill Justin Dance Alliance in Middlesex County, New Jersey, she went from having

sturti | E+ | Getty Images Alfred Abraham has had colon cancer, prostate cancer, open heart surgery and his left eye removed. Yet at 100, he’s still alive and well. Every day, he and his partner Brian eat fruit and salad and go for walks. He and his family were planning a big party to

A young couple going through financial problems Geber86 | E+ | Getty Images As Americans prepare to vote in the Nov. 3 presidential election amid the global coronavirus pandemic, some are wondering if the potential for outsized market volatility is a reason to delay investing in stocks. The U.S. stock market has moved sharply up,

silvana magnaghi | Moment | Getty Images Tens of thousands of job cuts have been announced this week as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. With 28,000 employees expected to be laid off at Disney and 7,000 to 9,000 jobs cut at Royal Dutch Shell by the end of 2022, job losses are mounting

Amy Blacklock, 52, managed an early retirement by cutting expenses and boosting her salary. Source: Amy Blacklock We all know the advice on retirement planning. The younger you start, the easier it will be, and the less you’ll have to save. Not everyone, however, is able to get that early start. Ironically, the most common

Congress may be poised to head off a potential premium spike for some Medicare beneficiaries. As part of a short-term government funding bill passed by the House last week and expected to be considered by the Senate on Wednesday, any increase in Medicare Part B premiums for 2021 would be capped. While it’s still uncertain

Joe Biden speaks at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia on Sept. 20, 2020, to make a statement on the nomination for replacement of recently deceased Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Roberto Schmidt | AFP | Getty Images Residents in high-tax states who lost out on a substantial write-off are in good company. Democratic

kate_sept2004 If you’re still waiting on $500 stimulus payments for your children, time is running out to meet a deadline to make sure the government gets that money to you. The IRS has set Wednesday, Sept. 30 for federal beneficiaries who were shut out of those dependent payments to submit their information to the agency’s

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters during a news conference inside the James S. Brady Briefing Room at the White House September 27, 2020 in Washington, U.S. Ken Cedeno | Reuters Apparently, losing millions of dollars can work in your favor – if you’re President Donald Trump and can hire a team of professionals