Hero Images | Hero Images | Getty Images Whether you’re building an emergency fund or short-term savings, finding the best place for your cash isn’t easy — especially as the Federal Reserve weighs a pause in interest rate hikes. The central bank on Wednesday unveiled another quarter percentage point interest rate increase, with signals that
Personal finance
Getty Images If you’re one of the millions of taxpayers who paid for TurboTax when the filing software should have been free, you may soon receive a settlement check, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Thursday. TurboTax owner Intuit in May 2022 agreed to pay $141 million to lower-income Americans who were “unfairly
The U.S. may default on its debt within a month — an event that could threaten severe financial harm for American households and the economy at large, experts warn. To avoid that outcome, lawmakers are trying to find a path forward to raise or suspend the debt ceiling, which would enable the U.S. to pay
Fatcamera | E+ | Getty Images Now that a pandemic-era policy that guaranteed Medicaid enrollees wouldn’t be dropped from their coverage has come to an end, affected parents may be worried about how to keep their children insured. Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, states were required to provide continuous Medicaid coverage to enrollees in order
Maskot | Digitalvision | Getty Images The job market is still hot but is clearly slowing from the scorching levels seen during much of the past two years, according to labor experts. Job openings and voluntary worker departures (or, quits) declined in March, while the layoff rate increased, according to data issued Tuesday by the
Steve Prezant | The Image Bank | Getty Images May 1 is College Decision Day, the deadline many schools set for students to decide which college they will attend. One key consideration should be picking a school that doesn’t require taking on too much student debt, experts say. “Families are increasingly getting price-sensitive when choosing
Peopleimages | Istock | Getty Images For many Americans, a comfortable retirement may feel out of reach. Retirement confidence has dropped significantly in 2023, marking the biggest decline since 2008 among both workers and retirees, according to a new report from the Employee Benefit Research Institute and Greenwald Research. Workers’ confidence dropped to 64% from
Consumers are sending mixed signals. For the most part, people are concerned about inflation and the direction of the U.S. economy. Consumer spending sank in March, according to Morning Consult. “Sticker shock” has taken a toll, the report found, with consumers more likely to walk away from a purchase because the price is too high. However, many
Series I bonds will offer a 4.3% interest rate through October, according to new rates issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury on Friday. The new rate marks a decline from the 6.89% annual returns Series I bonds were offering for the six months ending in April. That record rate prompted higher demand for
FatCamera | E+ | Getty Images If you had a surprise tax bill this season, it’s not too soon to prepare for next year, financial experts say. As of April 14, the IRS processed nearly 76 million refunds, with an average payment of $2,840, which is 8.5% smaller than refunds at the same point last
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., speaks to reporters in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol after announcing his debt limit increase plan on the House floor on April 19, 2023. Bill Clark | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images As Republicans scramble to put together a plan to fix the nation’s debt limit,
JGI/Jamie Grill After years of relatively low yields, certificates of deposit, or CDs, have recently shelled out higher rates, following a series of interest rate hikes from the Federal Reserve. While there’s uncertainty around the Fed’s future moves and the direction of interest rates, experts say CD ladders may capture higher yields while offering flexibility.