By every measure, the job market is getting grim. With many non-essential businesses forced to close, workers across the country are suddenly facing extended furloughs or lay-offs. The unemployment rate jumped to 4.4% — from 3.5% — its highest level since August 2017, and it will likely climb much higher. “There’s no avoiding a substantial rise in
Personal finance
Elenaleonova | Getty Images Online tax preparation service TurboTax has launched a free stimulus registration website so that Americans who do not typically file tax returns can get their relief checks faster. Millions of Americans are slated to get one-time government checks of up to $1,200 or $2,400, based on whether they are single or
Damircudic As the country grapples with an unprecedented pandemic that’s left millions of Americans unemployed, the U.S. Department of Education is giving most federal student loan borrowers a break from their monthly bills until at least October. That reprieve started on March 13 and goes until Sept. 30. And during that time, no interest will
SIphotography | Getty Images It’s been about a week since Congress pushed through a new bill that will send $1,200 stimulus payments to millions of Americans. And your questions about who is eligible for that money and how soon it could arrive keep on coming. Individuals with adjusted gross income of up to $75,000 stand
Steven Mnuchin, U.S. Treasury secretary, speaks during a Coronavirus Task Force news conference at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, April 2, 2020. Kevin Dietsch | Bloomberg | Getty Images The Treasury Department changed the terms on some loans it’s offering to small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, making them less favorable
In times of market downturns, many of the stocks that take a beating will eventually rebound. Others, not so much. For investors who have a big portion of their assets in one particular stock, the current drubbing may serve as a reminder that diversification matters. It might also be time to make sure you still
As millions of jobs are lost to the coronavirus pandemic, almost half of low-income Americans say they expect to burn through their savings within three months, according to a survey released Thursday. The government’s monthly employment numbers for March, due to be released Friday, are expected to show an unprecedented surge in layoffs by businesses
A customer pays with cash at a Best Buy store in Texas, United States, on November 26, 2010. Aaron M. Sprecher | Bloomberg | Getty Images If you’re counting the days until you receive your stimulus money from the government, hold tight: It could take up to five months. A House Ways and Means Committee
PeopleImages | E+ | Getty Images Restaurants and concert venues aren’t the only places that are off limits due to coronavirus. A visit to your tax professional is probably out of the question, too. States and localities have been imposing restrictions on social interactions as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to skyrocket: Thirty-eight states
Self-employed and gig workers may have to wait a little longer than other jobless Americans to get their unemployment benefits. The new coronavirus relief law significantly expanded the financial assistance it gives to out-of-work Americans, partly by expanding pay to groups of workers who were previously ineligible. But the claims-filing process for these groups has
NoDerog | iStock | Getty Images There may be a catch for individuals who typically don’t file a tax return but are expecting to receive a stimulus check. They may have to send a return to the government in order to get paid. New guidance was released on Monday by the IRS, which said there
shot of social security card Kameleon007 People who receive Social Security benefits and who do not submit tax returns will not have to file in order to get a government stimulus check. The announcement by the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service on Wednesday night reverses earlier guidance that said those people would have to
President Donald Trump meets with supply chain distributors in reference to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, in the Cabinet Room in the West Wing at the White House on Sunday, March 29, 2020. Pete Marovich | Getty Images The ink is barely dry on the new coronavirus relief bill, yet tax mavericks are hatching strategies around
NoDerog | E+ | Getty Images Those government stimulus checks should be on their way soon to millions of Americans. Many people have still have a lot of questions about them. Last week, Washington lawmakers approved a $2 trillion relief bill in response to the coronavirus outbreak that includes a payment of $1,200 for single taxpayers
Don’t be surprised if your employer pauses its contributions to your 401(k) plan during the U.S. economic downturn. As the coronavirus pandemic wallops the economy, and businesses deal with dropping revenue and limited cash flow, employers are exploring how to trim their obligations to those plans without violating federal regulations. Companies commonly give to worker’s
These may be extra scary times for Medicare beneficiaries. For the 62 million people enrolled — most of whom are age 65 or older, or younger with disabilities — the coronavirus generally poses a greater health risk. And while Congress and regulators have eliminated out-of-pocket outlays for testing — and taken other steps to improve
I drafted a notice to my firm’s clients so they can have a clear understanding of the provisions in the CARES Act, the $2 trillion economic rescue bill that President Trump signed into law last week. I wanted to share some of this information. I am only including information about how the act actually impacts
US President Donald Trump participates in a meeting with Supply Chain Distributors to discuss the response to COVID-19 at the White House in Washington, DC, on March 29, 2020. Jim Watson | AFP | Getty Images This year, heirs of retirement accounts can bypass mandatory withdrawals from those IRAs. The coronavirus relief bill, which President
US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi signs the bill after the House passed a $2 trillion stimulus bill, on March 27, 2020, at the US Capitol in Washington, DC. Alex Edelman | AFP | Getty Images For people who turned 70½ last year and were required to take a withdrawal from their individual retirement
A ride share driver picks up passengers at O’Hare Airport on April 10, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. Scott Olson / Getty Images Earlier this month, as talk of a new virus outbreak in the U.S. revved up, Robert Richwine, an Uber driver in Columbus, Ohio, devised a game plan to try to stay on the road.