Personal finance

Witthaya Prasongsin | Moment | Getty Images If your tax refund or bill is bigger than expected, it could be time to adjust your paycheck withholding — and a simple calculation could help, experts say.      Typically, you get a refund when you overpay taxes throughout the year, and you owe money when you don’t pay

Guido Mieth | Stone | Getty Images As millions of Americans start filing returns, experts warn that last year’s tax withholding errors could trigger an unexpected bill. The IRS requires tax payments throughout the year and many workers do that via automatic employer paycheck withholdings. Typically, you can expect a refund if you overpaid. By

Catherine Falls Commercial | Moment | Getty Images If you’ve noticed the cost of your car insurance policy has gone up, you’re not alone. Inflation takes some of the blame, but your credit score may have a role as well. The national average cost for full-coverage car insurance has gone up to $2,543 per year,

ozgurcankaya Filing taxes is more expensive this year as the industry raises prices to combat a growing accountant shortage. The cost of tax preparation and accounting fees grew 8.3% in November 2023 compared to the previous year, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Taxpayers typically spend an average of $140 to file taxes

Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images There’s no place like home — especially as you age. Most adults ages 50 and up — 77% — want to stay in their homes long term, according to AARP. Yet many are putting off the necessary improvements and upgrades to their homes to make that possible. “People might

Skynesher | E+ | Getty Images New government data shows a surprisingly strong job market for the month of January. But there are signs of weakness in the labor market, based on tens of thousands of workers who have been laid off since 2024 started. U.S. employers announced 82,307 job cuts in January, up from

Cavan Images | Cavan | Getty Images “Financial sextortion,” a type of cybercrime that targets teens and tweens, is on the rise. Reports of financially motivated sextortion involving minors increased at least 20% from October 2022 to March 2023 relative to the same six-month period the prior year, the FBI said in January.  “Sextortion is

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to United Auto Workers members at the UAW’s Community Action Program legislative conference in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 24, 2024. Leah Millis | Reuters The Biden administration announced on Wednesday that it will try to deliver student loan forgiveness to borrowers experiencing financial hardship. After the Supreme Court struck down

Travelcouples | Moment | Getty Images Jan. 30 is National Plan for Vacation Day — and travelers mapping out their next excursion have a few reliable money-saving hacks at their disposal. Total travel costs — including airfare, hotels, rental cars, dining out and entertainment — are down an average 2% in the past year, according

Maskot | Digitalvision | Getty Images Workers are sour on the job market — but that pessimism may be somewhat misplaced. The Glassdoor Employee Confidence Index in January fell to its lowest level since 2016, when the career site began tracking the metric, it said Monday. The index measures how workers feel about their employer’s

Fotostorm | E+ | Getty Images Millions of American workers are paying for early access to their paychecks. In some cases, it can come with a steep price. So-called “earned wage access” programs, which operate either directly to the consumer or through employers, let workers tap a portion of their wages before payday, often for

By many measures, Generation Z is doing well. Compared with their parents at this age, young adults are more likely to have a college degree and work full time — particularly women, who are not only achieving increasing levels of education but also earning more.    However, Gen Z adults are also less likely to own a