Personal finance

Adamkaz | E+ | Getty Images Many Americans claim Social Security retirement benefits at the earliest age possible but see their monthly benefit checks reduced for life for doing so. Now, a bipartisan group of senators is proposing two changes to help encourage retirees to wait. The lawmakers include Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La.; Chris Coons,

Getty Images Roughly six weeks into the tax filing season, IRS improvements are underway with more staffing and technology upgrades as the agency begins deploying its nearly $80 billion in funding.  While processing may be faster this year, experts say there are some key things to know before filing your return. “Every tax season has

Pascal Broze | Onoky | Getty Images Lawmakers are hashing out plans to shore up Social Security’s ailing trust funds, and the possible changes will affect the benefits Americans receive. Broadly, that comes down to two key changes: raising the retirement age and increasing the amount of annual wages subject to the Social Security payroll

Joos Mind | Photodisc | Getty Images Workers who use health-care flexible spending accounts likely have at least one important deadline approaching. FSAs, as they’re called, let you stash away pre-tax money to cover your health-care expenses (or, separately, dependent-care expenses). Last year, individuals could have contributed as much as $2,850 to their health-care FSA.

Morsa Images | Digitalvision | Getty Images The pandemic-era trend of working from home remains a key feature of the U.S. job market — and is likely to stay entrenched as a permanent perk for a broad swath of the American workforce, according to labor economists. The pre-pandemic baseline of going into an office five

A sign calling for student loan debt relief is seen in front of the Supreme Court as the justices are scheduled to hear oral arguments in two cases involving President Joe Biden’s bid to reinstate his plan to cancel billions of dollars in student debt in Washington, U.S., February 28, 2023.  Nathan Howard | Reuters

momcilog | E+ | Getty Images For the most part, Medicare beneficiaries in Advantage Plans are happy with their coverage, a new study suggests. Of the more than 2,250 enrollees surveyed for the report from eHealth, 51% are “very satisfied” and 38% are “satisfied.” However, if you’re among those who are not thrilled about your

Justices on the bench hearing arguments about the student loan forgiveness program. Source: Bill Hennessy There were many tense moments Tuesday as the nine Supreme Court justices grilled the plaintiffs challenging the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness plan and the government attorney defending the policy. The Supreme Court agreed to hear two challenges against President

In this article SNAP Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT People shop at a 99 Cents store in Santa Monica, California, on Sept. 13, 2022. Apu Gomes | AFP | Getty Images Food stamp recipients may be in for a shock as temporary pandemic enhancements to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program expire, leading the average person

Ben Kirkhoff, a high school senior at Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul, Minnesota, knows that a four-year college degree isn’t for him. Even though his parents have a college savings account for him, he said money is still a factor. “I don’t want to put myself and my family in a lot of debt.” Instead, Kirkhoff,

U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar Artist: Bill Hennessey The government’s top Supreme Court lawyer may have saved President Joe Biden‘s $400 billion student loan forgiveness plan from what experts considered all but certain defeat. Experts lobbed praise on Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, the lawyer who represented the Biden administration in front of the nine justices

Despite higher prices, consumers are still spending, although not as much as they were a year ago, which is giving their budgets some breathing room. As of January, 60% of all U.S. adults, including 45% of high-income earners, were living paycheck to paycheck, according to a new LendingClub report. That’s down from 64% a year earlier,