Personal finance

Residents of Fayetteville, Arkansas, wait in line to file for unemployment on April 6, 2020. Nick Oxford | Reuters The coronavirus pandemic prompted Congress to rush out emergency legislation to help Americans facing new financial challenges. But there’s a growing group of citizens opposed to one aspect of the federal aid effort — and some

The Federal Reserve said Wednesday it will hold its benchmark interest rate near zero through 2022 to help the economy recover from the coronavirus crisis. “The Fed has cut interest rates as low as they are going to go without going into negative rates,” said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com. The economic shock from Covid-19 may call for drastic measures,

Slowly but surely, small businesses are rehiring workers as plans to reopen from the coronavirus lockdown progress across the country. Employee headcount increased by 3.2% in May, although it remains below pre-pandemic levels overall, according to exclusive data compiled by human resource provider Gusto and based on more than 100,000 small businesses nationwide. In addition,

With 45 million borrowers owing $1.5 trillion, the student debt crisis in the United States has exploded in recent years. (ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images) ROBYN BECK Unless Congress passes more relief measures for student loan borrowers, they will be required to resume their monthly payments on Oct. 1. And new graduates, entering one of

When it comes to hiring a diverse workforce, Wall Street could use a little help.  That’s what Troy Prince, founder and CEO of nonprofit organization Wall Street Bound, is trying to do.  “We know that talent and IQ is equally distributed,” he said in an interview Tuesday with Halftime Report. “Opportunity is not. “This demographic,

Around 71% of the 21 million unemployed people in May had been out of work between five and 14 weeks. About 19% have been unemployed for fewer than five weeks. “There aren’t many people who are long-term unemployed,” said Stephen Woodbury, an economist at Michigan State University. “There are gazillions of people that have lost

Hero Images | Hero Images | Getty Images One of the risks that comes with pension plans may be looming larger than usual. As many companies work to regain their financial footing in the midst of continuing economic uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic, a retiring worker’s decision to take either a lump sum or

Mixmike | Getty Images Gen Z may also be Gen DIY. “There’s an underlying assumption that almost any task can be taught or learned by yourself,” said Jonah Stillman, co-author of Gen Z @ Work. “I grew up with YouTube: I can log on and learn to play an instrument, write code or tile a

Audrey Saracco / EyeEm The U.S. government has sent 159 million stimulus checks to Americans. But there are still an estimated 30 million to 35 million payments yet to be issued, according to new data on the progress of the payments from the House Ways and Means Committee. The stimulus checks — up to $1,200

More than half of U.S. travelers planning to book trips will not insure their purchase, according to a survey of more than 1,200 Americans by ValuePenguin. That’s despite the near-shutdown of global tourism, the struggle to get refunds on canceled spring and summer travel plans, and lingering questions over how and when airlines, cruise lines,

Scammers gravitate to tightened finances like moths to a flame. To complicate matters, shelter-in-place restrictions have pushed people to make more online transactions. That means new opportunities for fraudsters to take advantage of seniors who may be new digital accountholders. Between financial worries and health fears about the novel coronavirus, it’s a time to be

Joseph Louis joins others in a protest asking the state of Florida to fix its unemployment system on May 22, 2020 in Miami Beach, Florida. Joe Raedle | Getty Images One generous proposal on Capitol Hill could put as much as $10,000 per month into American families’ hands to help them weather the coronavirus pandemic.

Ravin Jesuthasan Source: Ravin Jesuthasan The coronavirus pandemic has destroyed tens of millions of American jobs. How many of them will come back?  That might be one of the most pressing questions of the Covid-19 recession. Arguably no other downturn has threatened to leave American life so unrecognizable.  What will the labor market look like

Investors who were sitting on the sidelines during coronavirus will get some more time to partake in a new tax play. Qualified opportunity funds were created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. They offer taxpayers an incentive to invest capital gains they incur elsewhere into economically distressed communities, granting investors an attractive

A “Now Hiring” sign advertising jobs at Lowe’s is seen as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues, in Homestead, Florida, U.S., April 17, 2020. Marco Bello | Reuters Payroll tax cuts could be in the next round of coronavirus aid legislation, if President Donald Trump gets his way. Vice President Mike Pence reiterated

Hero Images | Getty Images If you’re eyeing your 401(k) account to help shore up your finances amid the coronavirus crisis, there are a couple of penalty-free ways you can do it if your employer allows it. Just be sure you’re aware of the long-term implications. Each of the options available — a loan or

LOS ANGELES-CA-MAY 25, 2020: Veterans including Karla Gonzalez, second from right, who served 12 years in the U.S. Army, salute during a Memorial Day ceremony at Los Cinco Puntos. Christina House Americans are hurting from the economic fallout of coronavirus pandemic. Military veterans are no exception. More than 1 million vets filed for unemployment in

U.S. President Donald Trump’s name appears on the coronavirus economic assistance checks that were sent to citizens across the country April 29, 2020 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images If you’re eligible for a $1,200 stimulus check and haven’t received yours yet, there’s good news: Money is still available. The U.S. government just

Business owners who received a forgivable loan through the Paycheck Protection Program are likely getting more leeway on how to spend those funds.   The Senate passed legislation Wednesday night that restructures how entrepreneurs can use loans issued through a new federal relief program for small businesses ailing from the economic contagion unleashed by the coronavirus

Pakorn Polachai / EyeEm Don’t feel comfortable getting on a plane given Covid-19? If you’re thinking of canceling an upcoming flight you paid for, you might have resigned yourself to losing your money or perhaps, best-case scenario, getting an airline credit for some or all of the fare. That’s because air carriers in the U.S.