David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images High gas prices have put a strain on many Americans’ budgets. Now some Democratic lawmakers are proposing a possible solution: direct rebate payments to Americans. Three congressional leaders have proposed $100 energy rebate payments that would be sent to Americans during any month where the national average
Personal finance
The IRS has already issued more than 45 million refunds this year, at an average $3,352 each. That’s over $500 more than last year, when the average refund was just over $2,800. For most Americans, a lump-sum payment of this size is rare and fewer people want to squander it. Now, nearly half — or 46%
Gas prices stay high as people line up for discounted prices at Costco. Regular at $5.39 per gallon. Robert Gauthier | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images Low-earners bore the brunt of the economic fallout after the initial onset of Covid-19. Now, as gas prices have spiked and historic high inflation drives consumer costs up,
Bloodua | Istock | Getty Images Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., are among those calling on President Joe Biden to bypass Congress and forgive student debt through executive order. “You just need the flick of a pen,” Schumer has often been quoted saying on the matter. Yet there
Marko Geber | DigitalVision | Getty Images The IRS has issued a warning about how to answer the cryptocurrency question on the front page of your tax return. You’ll need to respond to a yes-or-no question about virtual currency, regardless of whether you “engaged in a transaction” in 2021, according to the agency. And the wrong
Chris Ryan | Getty Images Prices are rising, squeezing consumer budgets more than they’ve seen in the last 40 years. It also means that for many investors, it may be more important than ever to continue to put their long-term savings in the stock market. That’s because over time, investing in equities is generally a
A sign reflects the price per gallon of fuel at a gas station on March 10, 2022 in Miami, Florida. Joe Raedle | Getty Images Americans are feeling the pinch of rising gas prices. Now two states — Maryland and Georgia — are temporarily suspending their gas taxes in order to help their residents save
Weekend Images Inc. | E+ | Getty Images Americans are being squeezed by higher inflation. That may have retirees on a fixed income concerned about getting by or running out of savings during their golden years. Inflation rose 7.9% in February from 12 months ago, the highest in more than 40 years, according to the
Tom Werner | DigitalVision | Getty Images If you haven’t filed your taxes, there are four weeks until the federal deadline, which is April 18 for most Americans. Some 63.5 million payers have sent returns through March 11, according to the latest IRS filing data, with an average refund of $3,352. However, millions of Americans have
A man walks past a bitcoin symbol in the window of a company that offers blockchain application services on Dec. 21, 2021 in Berlin, Germany. Bitcoin and other virtual currencies rose strongly in value in 2021. Sean Gallup | Getty Images News | Getty Images Financial advisors have been reluctant to integrate cryptocurrency into client
Poba | E+ | Getty Images Getting financial advice online is easier than ever before. Even so, many investors are likely to discover that there is no substitute for a human financial advisor. The problem, however, is selecting the right one. One thing an investor should consider is the advisor’s investing acumen. Low-cost funds that
Eakgrunge | Istock | Getty Images Ageism is one of the most unfair paradoxes in the labor market: People put in decades of hard work and then find themselves penalized for having done so. And the problem is only worsening: Nearly 80% of older workers say they’ve seen or experienced age discrimination in the workplace,