Personal finance

Urbazon | E+ | Getty Images The tax deadline is approaching and the IRS has already issued more than 43 million refunds worth nearly $135.3 billion. As of March 8, the average refund was $3,145, up from $2,972 the same week in 2023, the agency reported last week. However, the average refund could change as

Maskot | Maskot | Getty Images After a year full of supply shortages and climbing borrowing costs, 2024 is shaping up to be a better time to buy a car. The average transaction price for a new car in the U.S. last month was $47,244, down 2.2% from February 2023. That’s also down 5.4% from

U.S. President Joe Biden announces a preliminary agreement with Intel for a major CHIPS and Science Act award, during a visit to the Intel Ocotillo Campus, in Chandler, Arizona, U.S., March 20, 2024.  Kevin Lamarque | Reuters The Biden administration announced on Thursday it would forgive $5.8 billion in student debt for 77,700 borrowers through

Former Gov. Martin O’Malley (D-MD), President Biden’s nominee to be the next Commissioner of Social Security, testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on November 02, 2023 in Washington, DC. Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images Three months into his role as commissioner of the Social Security

Hinterhaus Productions | Digitalvision | Getty Images Inflation in the U.S. has hit a speed bump. While the rate of price increases has come down significantly from its peak in the summer of 2022, the most recent reading from the consumer price index showed overall inflation stuck at just above 3%. Core inflation — which

Affordability is the No. 1 issue among college hopefuls. And yet, fewer students are applying for financial aid. Problems with the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid have discouraged many high school seniors and their families from completing an application, experts say. At the current rate, the number of FAFSAs submitted by the end of August will

The Good Brigade | Digitalvision | Getty Images Over the last few years, the Biden administration has repeatedly announced that it was forgiving student debt for small groups of qualifying borrowers. So far, it has canceled the loans for almost 3.9 million people, totaling $138 billion in relief. Those who haven’t qualified for the aid

In this article RDFN Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images While inflation is 10 times higher now than 60 years ago, home prices are 24 times more expensive, a new study found. If home prices increased at the same rate as inflation since 1963, the median price of a

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks at the Pieper-Hillside Boys & Girls Club in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on March 13, 2024. Sara Stathas | Bloomberg | Getty Images The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 made student loan forgiveness tax-free at the federal level through the end of 2025. President Joe Biden wants to extend that policy

Kate_sept2004 | E+ | Getty Images Investing can seem overly complicated, and that complexity may paralyze Americans into doing nothing. But investing — and doing so smartly — doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, getting started can be relatively easy, according to financial experts. “You don’t need to be a rocket scientist. Investing is

Chris Wattie | Reuters Economists expect the Federal Reserve to leave interest rates unchanged at the end of its two-day meeting this week, even though many experts anticipate the central bank is preparing to start cutting rates in the months ahead. In prepared remarks earlier this month, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said policymakers don’t want to ease

Pixelseffect | E+ | Getty Images Some grocery store products are providing less for your money. And everyone from President Joe Biden to Cookie Monster has noticed. Blame shrinkflation. The term — which is increasingly used in conversation — refers to products becoming smaller in size, weight or quantity as their prices stay the same

For decades, research showed that earning a degree is almost always worthwhile. Recent college graduates working full-time earn $24,000 more a year than those with just a high school diploma, according to newly released data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Additionally, finishing college puts workers on track to earn a median of $2.8 million over

In this article BTC.CM= Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Chesnot | Getty Images The price of bitcoin notched record highs this week, and experts have tax tips for investors flocking to the flagship digital currency. Fueled by demand for newly approved spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds, bitcoin set a fresh record of $73,000 on Wednesday.

President Joe Biden announces the cancellation of an additional $1.2 billion in student loan debt for about 153,000 borrowers, at meeting with community at Culver City Julian Dixon Library in Culver City, CA. Irfan Khan | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images The White House is talking up its actions to reduce the expenses burdening

Peopleimages | Istock | Getty Images High inflation has prompted higher Social Security cost-of-living adjustments. But as the rate of price growth subsides, the annual increases for Social Security may fall in 2025 and beyond, predicts Mary Johnson, Social Security and Medicare policy analyst at The Senior Citizens League, a nonpartisan senior group. In 2024,

Momo Productions | Digitalvision | Getty Images WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Choosing when to claim Social Security is a decision that can carry big financial stakes for all older Americans, but it’s especially important for women. “It all comes down to longevity,” Mary Beth Franklin, a certified financial planner and Social Security expert, said

In this article COST WPM-CA Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Fg Trade | E+ | Getty Images Among the cans of tuna and flashlights in doomsday preppers‘ closets, there is an increasingly popular staple — gold bars. The recent rise in value of the yellow metal is not just another chapter of favorable economic

Margot Robbie as Barbie in a movie from Mattel and Warner Bros. Mattel | Warner Bros. In the “Barbie” movie, the narrator says, “Barbie has a great day every day.” It might be because she gets to be what her heart desires. The film’s Barbies participate in a wide range of roles and professions, from

Portra | E+ | Getty Images Spring is almost here — and people looking for a new rental face a competitive market. Asking rent prices in the U.S. jumped to $1,959 in February, according to Zillow Group’s latest Rental Market Report. That’s up just 0.4% from the month prior, but a 3.5% increase from a