Tetra Images | Getty Images The IRS has already issued 22 million refunds, at an average $3,536 each. That’s $700 more than last year, when the average refund was just over $2,800. For most people, a lump-sum payment of this size is rare. “The tax refund is often the biggest windfall households receive all year,” said
Personal finance
A trader works at the New York Stock Exchange on Feb. 25, 2022. Xinhua News Agency | Xinhua News Agency | Getty Images Everyday investors may unknowingly have exposure to Russian stocks — but the good news is, those holdings likely represent a small part of their overall portfolios. Investments linked to Russia have taken
Getty Images If you’re considering a Roth conversion, stock market drops may make the strategy more appealing, according to financial experts. While the popular move, allowing higher earners to bypass income limits for Roth individual retirement account contributions, was in peril as House Democrats passed Build Back Better, the spending package stalled in December. Nevertheless,
Getty Images | filadendron You’re not alone if you panic sold during this week’s stock market volatility and you’re feeling regret, experts say. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine triggered U.S. stock market swings on Thursday, with the S&P 500 dropping by as much as 2.6% before closing 1.5% higher. The Nasdaq Composite recovered from a nearly
It’s been almost two years since most borrowers have had to pay their monthly student loan bill. And yet, 93% of them are not prepared to resume payments on May 1, according to a survey of more than 23,000 student loan borrowers by the Student Debt Crisis Center. “The payment pause has meant everything,” said
Bill Oxford | E+ | Getty Images The tax season kicked off on Jan. 24, and the IRS has issued more than 22 million tax refunds worth around $78 billion, the agency reported Friday. As of Feb. 18, the average refund was $3,536, over $700 higher than last year’s payment of $2,815, as reported through
Cybercriminals capitalize on uncertainty and Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine is just the type of upheaval that may put individuals at risk. “The problem is kinetic warfare is almost always accompanied by cyberwarfare,” said Vahid Behzadan, an assistant professor of cybersecurity at the University of New Haven. “It’s unlikely Russia would target the critical infrastructure here
Daniel Acker | Bloomberg | Getty Images Drivers may need to prepare for more potential pain at the pump. The national average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gas has reached $3.59, up 33 cents so far this year, according to GasBuddy data. With ongoing uncertainty over how oil supplies could be affected by
Lightspeedshutter | Istock | Getty Images After two years of federal student loan payments being suspended because of the Covid pandemic, the government doesn’t expect an easy process to get millions of borrowers back into repayment. That’s the takeaway from a new report by the Government Accountability Office, which found that as many as half
The United States Capitol is seen framed with a canopy of trees from Fort Stanton Park on in Washington, D.C. The Washington Post | The Washington Post | Getty Images The Covid-19 pandemic caused unexpected financial shocks for many Americans, particularly low-income service workers who were at higher risk of losing their jobs. The emergency
Valeriy_G | iStock | Getty Images Married couples have the choice to file taxes jointly or separately every season. While filing together generally pays off, splitting returns may be better in some scenarios, financial experts say. Married filing separately involves two individual returns, each reporting their own income, deductions and credits. And the tax code
Marko Geber | DigitalVision | Getty Images U.S. stocks whiplashed Thursday following Russia’s attack on Ukraine as investors fled risk assets and turned towards safe havens such as gold. It can be a difficult time for investors who have been used to seeing markets gain and are now dealing with volatility that comes with global