Personal finance

Damircudic | E+ | Getty Images There’s one upside to your student loan payments: they might reduce your 2024 tax bill. The student loan interest deduction allows qualifying borrowers to deduct up to $2,500 a year in interest paid on eligible private or federal education debt. Before the Covid pandemic, nearly 13 million taxpayers took advantage of the

Simpleimages | Moment | Getty Images As the first paycheck of 2025 hits your bank account, it could have slightly more money due to IRS tax bracket changes. The IRS in October announced the federal income tax brackets for 2025, which raised each income threshold by roughly 2.8%. By comparison, the brackets increased by about

sturti | E+ | Getty Images The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Tuesday announced it has finalized a rule to remove about $49 billion in medical debt from credit reports, a change that will affect an estimated 15 million Americans. Individuals who have medical debt on their credit reports may see their credit scores increase

President Joe Biden after he signed the Social Security Fairness Act at the White House on Jan. 5 in Washington, D.C.  Kent Nishimura | Getty Images News | Getty Images President Joe Biden on Sunday signed the Social Security Fairness Act into law, clearing the way for nearly 3 million public workers including teachers, firefighters

Gipi23 | E+ | Getty Images If you’re eager to max out your 401(k) plan early in 2025, you could miss part of your employer’s matching contribution if the plan doesn’t have a special feature known as a “true-up.” Typically, you receive your employer’s full 401(k) plan match by saving a certain percentage of your

 U.S. President Joe Biden speaks as he participates in a bill signing ceremony for the “Social Security Fairness Act” in the East Room of the White House, in Washington, U.S. on Jan. 5, 2025. Nathan Howard | Reuters President Joe Biden on Sunday signed the Social Security Fairness Act, bipartisan legislation that clears the way

Lordhenrivoton | E+ | Getty Images If you’re eager to save more for retirement, you could be overlooking ways to maximize your 401(k) plan, including key changes for 2025. Some 40% of Americans are behind on retirement planning and savings, according to a CNBC poll conducted by SurveyMonkey, which polled 6,657 U.S. adults in August.

Djelics | E+ | Getty Images Retirees can expect to see some big changes in 2025 when it comes to their Social Security and Medicare benefits. President Joe Biden is expected to sign a bill that will increase Social Security benefits for certain pensioners. Additionally, the annual Social Security cost-of-living adjustment goes into effect for

Getty Images While the Biden administration withdrew its plans to forgive student loan debt for millions of people, borrowers should look into the many other existing debt cancellation opportunities, experts say. The U.S. Department of Education posted notices in the Federal Register in December that it was pulling its wide-scale loan forgiveness plans. The Department cited “operational

Marco Vdm | E+ | Getty Images If you’re ready to focus on retirement in 2025, early January could be the perfect time to boost your 401(k) plan contributions, financial experts say.  More than half of American workers feel they are behind on retirement savings, according to a Bankrate survey that polled 2,445 U.S. adults

From left, Elon Musk, House Speaker Mike Johnson and Vivek Ramaswamy arrive for a meeting on Capitol Hill on Dec. 5, 2024. Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images When Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy laid out their vision for slashing the size of the federal government, they touted plans to bring workers back to the office

U.S. President Joe Biden shakes hands with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on November 13, 2024 in Washington, DC.  Alex Wong | Getty Images The country’s roughly 40 million federal student loan borrowers should brace for changes related to their debt when President Joe Biden exits office toward

Ezra Bailey | Stone | Getty Images Opening presents during the holidays is of course a lot of fun. But for many, opening those credit card statements will be just the opposite. Months before the holidays hit, consumers were already bracing for the anticipated costs. More than half of 2024 holiday shoppers, or 55%, felt

Rgstudio | E+ | Getty Images When it comes to financial resolutions, paying down debt is at the top of many to-do lists for 2025. But financial advisors who work with clients every day have their own wish lists for what they think should be top financial priorities for 2025. Here are some tips covering

Pedestrians walk in front of the New York Stock Exchange, decorated with a giant U.S. flag, in New York City, Nov. 6, 2024. China News Service | China News Service | Getty Images Assets in U.S. exchange-traded funds in November topped $10 trillion for the first time, according to the latest data from Cerulli Associates.

Hobo_018 | E+ | Getty Images The U.S. Department of Education recently announced that it was reopening two student loan repayment plans, leaving borrowers with more choices to tackle their debt. Those options are: the Pay As You Earn Repayment Plan and the Income-Contingent Repayment Plan. They’re both income-driven repayment plans, which means they set

J Studios | Digitalvision | Getty Images In Saïd Sayrafiezadeh’s fictional short story, “Minimum Payment Due,” the main character is trapped in credit card debt and desperate for a way out. The fact that the experience is common — more than a third, or 38%, of adults in the U.S. have credit card debt, according

Hill Street Studios | Getty Images Keith Harris, a 17-year-old high school senior at KIPP DC College Preparatory, has studied accounting, investing and budgeting, among other basic lessons, like his English, history and math curriculum. Harris is enrolled in his high school’s NAF Academy of Business, a rigorous three-year finance program with a work-based learning

A woman shops at a Target store in Chicago on Nov. 26, 2024. Kamil Krzaczynski | AFP | Getty Images Heading into the holidays, many Americans were already saddled with record-breaking credit card debt. And yet, consumer spending is set to reach a fresh high this season.  The National Retail Federation reported last week that

Images By Tang Ming Tung | Digitalvision | Getty Images Many people, especially those with debt, will be discouraged by the recent Federal Reserve forecast of a slower pace of interest rate cuts than previously forecast. However, others with money in high-yield cash accounts will benefit from a “higher for longer” regime, experts say. “If