Personal finance

nelsonarts | E+ | Getty Images While private companies decide how to proceed with the payroll tax holiday, one major employer has decided that it’s in: the federal government. President Donald Trump’s payroll tax deferral, which he issued via executive order, took effect on Sept. 1. It’s a temporary suspension of the 6.2% tax employees

The U.S. Capitol Building is reflected against an ambulance along the East Front on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., July 16, 2020. Tom Brenner | Reuters While negotiations over the next coronavirus stimulus bill have carried on for months, there has been one certainty: Democrats, Republicans and President Donald Trump have all backed sending out

Getty Images There’s nothing like some volatility in the stock market to test an investor’s ability to make rational decisions. Whether share prices are heading up or down, it’s common for individuals to make mistakes that are driven by emotion, experts say.  “Investors tend to extrapolate,” said Dave Goodsell, executive director of the Natixis Center

Maskot | Maskot | Getty Images If you’ve been hunkering down in a different state due to Covid-19, your tax situation is about to get a little more complex. The longer you stay away from your home base — particularly as we approach the sixth month of remote work for many people — the greater

Tetra Images – Daniel Grill | Brand X Pictures | Getty Images Millions of Americans who were shut out of $1,200 coronavirus stimulus payments this year are about to get one more chance at a check. Later this month, the IRS will begin mailing letters to about 9 million people who normally don’t file a

As the pandemic rages on, many people have one less thing to worry about: Getting evicted. No-Mad | iStock | Getty Images What does the ban do? It bans evictions due to non-payment of rent in most residential properties between Sept. 4 and Dec. 31.  Who’s eligible? You’ll need to attest on a declaration form that

Ariel Skelley | DigitalVision | Getty Images Saving for retirement could look very different during the pandemic. Especially vulnerable are independent business owners and the self-employed, who in the best of times are on the hook for not only funding their own future retirement but daily income, as well. Even before the pandemic, just 13% of those

People pass by The New York Stock Exchange on Aug. 3, 2020. Angela Weiss | AFP | Getty Images You may be tempted to revisit your retirement investing strategy now that stocks are falling, but history shows those who get the best return on their money stay the course. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped more

This back-to-school season is like no other for many reasons. And that makes preparing for it especially challenging. As of a recent tally, a little more than half of U.S. elementary and high school students will attend school only virtually this fall, although changes are announced daily. As a result, families have delayed many traditional back-to-school purchases.

Traders work during the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on March 5, 2020. Johannes Eisele | AFP | Getty Images It may feel that much of our lives are on pause during the pandemic. But not the stock market. Especially over the last few days.  On Thursday, the S&P 500 tech sector

Jose Luis Pelaez Inc Millions of Americans who are eagerly waiting for a second round of $1,200 stimulus checks may be relieved to know those payments are still a priority for Washington lawmakers. But Republicans and Democrats in Congress must first end their stalemate and approve the next coronavirus relief bill before Americans can get

Angus Mordant | Bloomberg | Getty Images If you’re hoping to take advantage of special Labor Day car sales, a trade-in could make the purchase a bit less costly than usual. With inventory at dealerships still tight, used cars are fetching a premium. For instance, the average list price for a 2017 model climbed to

Carlos Ponce joins other demonstrators participating in a protest asking Senators to support the continuation of unemployment benefits on July 16, 2020 in Miami Springs, Florida. Joe Raedle | Getty Images Many states pay unemployment benefits to workers at a level below the federal minimum wage. That may leave families with little income to pay

Carlos Ponce joins others at a July 16 demonstration in Miami Springs, Florida, asking senators to support the continuation of unemployment benefits. Joe Raedle | Getty Images The fight over state and local funding  “Both sides have dug in on their philosophical grounds,” when it comes to supporting state and local governments, said Mark Mazur,

John Lund/Marc Romanelli | Getty Images For many workers, a traditional retirement is not part of their plans. Among baby boomers still in the workforce, 59% expect to keep working into retirement, a new study from Voya Financial shows. For Generation X, that share is 60% and for millennials, 49%. Overall, 54% of all workers

katleho Seisa For most Americans, deciding when to claim Social Security retirement benefits will be one of the biggest financial decisions they ever make. But the difference between the right or wrong decision can be costly. The typical beneficiary age 65 and up relies on Social Security for half of their income. But if a

Maskot/Getty Images Tough choices are ahead for employers as President Donald Trump’s payroll tax holiday goes into effect, but it’s never too early for employees to figure out what’s coming up. The payroll tax deferral went into effect on Sept. 1, following an executive order Trump had issued in August. It’s effective until the end of

Most renters in the U.S. are now protected from eviction until the end of the year, according to an order announced on Tuesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  The ban is unprecedented and could prevent millions of Americans from being forced out of their homes during one of the worst public health crises in

President Donald Trump delivers his acceptance speech as the 2020 Republican presidential nominee on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on Aug. 27. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters It’s the first official day of President Trump’s payroll tax holiday, and plenty of uncertainty is swirling around employers and their workers over how it

Win McNamee | Getty Images News | Getty Images August was a hard month for Donna Crenshaw. First, she stopped getting an extra $600 a week in federal unemployment benefits, which had been helping pay the bills. Absent that subsidy, Crenshaw gets just $33 a week before tax from North Carolina, where she lives just