Personal finance

A Social Security Administration office in Sebring, Florida. Jeff Greenberg | Universal Images Group | Getty Images Applying for Social Security benefits can be a complicated process. Now President Joe Biden wants to make it easier. This week, the president signed an executive order to streamline processes for Americans to apply for services and benefits

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau said Thursday it is opening an inquiry into popular “buy now, pay later” programs. The financial watchdog said it is particularly concerned about how BNPL impacts consumer debt accumulation, as well as what consumer protection laws apply and how the payment providers harvest data. “Buy now, pay later is the

Children draw on top of a Treasury check prop during a rally in front of the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 13, 2021. Alex Wong | Getty Images The IRS and U.S. Department of the Treasury are ending out the final monthly child tax credit payment of the year to millions of American families Dec. 15.

ljubaphoto | E+ | Getty Images The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbated many differences between haves and have-nots in the U.S. Now, a new survey shows that it also made the savings gap more pronounced between those groups. Of those with incomes less than $50,000, 36% say they now have less savings than before the pandemic, versus

mixetto | E+ | Getty Images The tax season is fast approaching — and the IRS has its eye on crypto investors.   Form 1040, which U.S. taxpayers use to file an annual income tax return, has a question about “virtual currency” near the top of the first page. Investors must report taxable 2021 transactions

Tetra Images | Getty Images Thousands of taxpayers may still be waiting for a tax refund on unemployment benefits collected during the Covid pandemic, as the IRS grapples with a backlog of tax returns. The American Rescue Plan Act, a pandemic relief law, waived federal tax on up to $10,200 of unemployment benefits a person

Liu Guanguan | China News Service | Getty Images News that inflation rose to a historic high in November probably comes as no surprise to retirees. But they may be in for another shock when they receive their monthly Social Security checks in January. The Social Security Administration announced in October that beneficiaries will get

Karen Tongson Courtesy: Karen Tongson Karen Tongson never imagined a moment when she wouldn’t be paying back her student loans. As a professor at the University of Southern California, the Los Angeles resident qualified for the public service loan forgiveness program but had heard too many stories of borrowers not getting the government’s promise of

Milos Dimic | E+ | Getty Images If a new job is what you want in the new year, you may want to start preparing now. That’s because January and February are the best times of year to look for a job, since companies that have a calendar-year budget tend to post new positions during

XiFotos | E+ | Getty Images Inflation is not just a day-to-day worry for Americans. It is now also their top risk for retirement. A survey from Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America finds that 25% of Americans see rising inflation as the single greatest risk to their retirement plans. That’s up from 8%

Employers are feeling particularly generous this season. After a year of unprecedented workloads amid a job market that’s increasingly competitive across nearly every industry, twice as many employers are offering their employees year-end bonuses, compared to last year. Google said it will give all employees, even interns, a one-time cash bonus of $1,600, while Tyson Foods

Nick Emery clears mountains of snow from his driveway on March 14, 2021 in Nederland, Colorado. Helen H. Richardson | Denver Post | Getty Images This winter could be especially cold and expensive. But there are a few ways to keep your wallet full and your family warm. People who heat their homes with natural