Personal finance

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

Getty Images High-income households will come out ahead – at the possible expense of the poor – if the Supreme Court overturns the Affordable Care Act. Last month, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to do away with the health-care measure, arguing that the law became unconstitutional when Congress eliminated the penalty for not

Rob Daly | OJO Images | Getty Images Households aren’t too happy with the U.S. consumer financial ecosystem these days, a report suggests. Complaints made to the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau were up 50% from March through June this year compared with the same time period in 2019, according to research from consumer advocacy

Resist the urge to shove your completed 2019 tax return into a drawer. It could help you save money next spring. Taxpayers and tax professionals were focused on the sprint to July 15 – the new deadline for 2019 federal income tax returns and payments. Indeed, the IRS received 147.1 million individual income tax returns

One of the trickiest parts of retirement planning is knowing whether you’ll need long-term care down the road — or how much it might cost. While not everyone will need such care — help with daily living activities like bathing or dressing — those who do can face a big tab. Medicare — relied on

Jodi Furman, 46, says negotiating over a car purchase or lease is best done over the phone or through email. Jodi Furman Jodi Furman is married to a man who loves expensive cars. “Pretty cars, fast cars,” said Furman, 46. She has bought 12 cars in about 20 years, and she’s picked up a wealth

Robert Miller, a Pittsburgh area restaurateur, has watched with sadness as some of his favorite local eateries closed for good in recent weeks. Union Standard, Pizza Taglio, Spoon — just a handful of the businesses lost in the age of the coronavirus pandemic. “They’re all places people would know by name,” Miller said. Miller, 45, expects

Glenda West was hoping to retire in comfort with her wife, Juliana. Yet like many Americans, the 60-year-old has seen her retirement plans thrown out of whack by the coronavirus pandemic. “We had a clear plan on how much to put away every year,” said West, who owns a small construction company with her wife

President Donald Trump speaks on the “Rebuilding of America’s Infrastructure: Faster, Better, Stronger” in Atlanta on July 15. Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images Your paycheck could get bigger if the White House gets its way. President Trump said this week that he won’t sign the next coronavirus relief package into law if it

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., indicated the $600 weekly enhancement to unemployment benefits won’t be in the next coronavirus relief package. Photo by Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images Paid not to work Lawmakers intended the $600-a-week supplement to fully replace lost wages for the average American. In other words, someone who lost a job would be