Personal finance

A San Francisco grocery store. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images Inflation is taking a big bite out of workers’ paychecks, eroding many of the raises businesses have offered to attract and keep employees in a hot job market. But strong wage growth in certain sectors, such as hotels and restaurants, has eclipsed those consumer

Sinenkiy | iStock | Getty Images Social Security beneficiaries are receiving the highest cost-of-living adjustment in decades, thanks to rising inflation. That 5.9% increase went into effect in January. Prices have continued to climb higher since that change was announced in October. The Consumer Price Index, a government measure for price changes for certain goods,

Inflation is increasing at its fastest rate in decades, and anyone who’s been to a supermarket lately can tell that one of the hardest-hit groups is food.  The cost of bacon is up more than 18% from last year. Meanwhile, chicken and egg prices have swelled by more than 10%. If your grocery bill is

Morsa Images | E+ | Getty Images Tax season begins on Jan. 24 and filers should expect delays as the IRS combats a backlog and limited staffing, Treasury officials say. The IRS still had not processed 6 million individual returns already submitted by taxpayers as of Dec. 23, according to the agency, and the situation

Damir Khabirov | iStock | Getty Images How high would you score yourself when it comes to feeling comfortable with your current financial situation? If you’re like most, you wouldn’t give yourself very high marks, according to a survey from TIAA. The financial services company set out to evaluate Americans’ financial wellness – defined as

SolStock | E+ | Getty Images During these hard times, at least one thing should should soon get easier: Getting tested for Covid-19. Starting Saturday, many people will be able to get free at-home tests, thanks to a new initiative by the Biden Administration. Here’s what you need to know. Who can get the free

Georgijevic | E+ | Getty Images The start of the year is the perfect time to review your retirement savings, including pre-tax versus Roth 401(k) contributions. Roughly 86% of 401(k) plans offered a Roth account in 2020, up from 75% in 2019, according to the Plan Sponsor Council of America. While pre-tax deposits offer a

Chesnot | Getty Images Major cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and ether have had a rough start to 2022. For some investors, it may be an opportunity to buy into the risky digital assets. Bitcoin slumped as much as 6% Monday, falling below $40,000 per coin for the first time since September, according to Coin Metrics.

A worker installs U.S. flags as part of a Covid-19 memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., on Jan.18, 2021. Carlos Barria | Reuters When the Covid-19 pandemic took hold in March 2020, Stephanie Bonin and her husband, Keith Arnold, co-owners of a Denver restaurant, worried they would face financial disaster. The pandemic prompted

Sarah Jessica Parker and Bridget Moynahan are seen on the set of “And Just Like That…” the follow up series to “Sex and the City” in Midtown Manhattan on July 27, 2021 in New York City. Raymond Hall | GC Images | Getty Images For many people, their last will and testament, a document that

NicolasMcComber | E+ | Getty Images Air travel continues to be disrupted this week by the national surge in Covid infections, and many worried Americans may be wondering whether or how to ensure — and insure — upcoming or planned trips. More than 2,221 flights nationwide were canceled Thursday alone, according to website FlightAware. That

Kirby Hamilton | Getty Images The Biden administration in December again extended the moratorium on student loan payments and interest, meaning most people with federal loans are off the hook until May 1. In the meantime, however, confusion about the pause, continued calls for broad-based forgiveness and changes to other aspects of student loan debt