Personal finance

Moyo Studio | E+ | Getty Images With half of 2024 in the rearview mirror and the second half on the horizon, you may be able to give yourself a pat on the back for sticking to the financial goals you set at the start of the year — or, maybe, discover that you’ve veered

U.S. President Joe Biden gestures after speaking about student loan debt relief at Madison Area Technical College in Madison, Wisconsin, April 8, 2024. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images Mishima Hughson filed for bankruptcy in December, joining the ranks of hundreds of thousands of Americans who undergo the process each year. Along the way,

Chris Wattie | Reuters The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday that it will leave interest rates unchanged. Fresh inflation data issued earlier in the day showed that consumer prices are gradually moderating though remain above the central bank’s target. The Fed’s benchmark fed funds rate has now stood within the range of 5.25% to 5.50% since

Halfpoint Images | Moment | Getty Images The federal government has issued more than $1 billion in tax credits as an upfront cash incentive to buyers of electric vehicles, the U.S. Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service said Wednesday. The Inflation Reduction Act created a mechanism whereby tax credits for buyers of new and used

Martonaphoto | Moment | Getty Images A federal benefit program for people with disabilities and older adults made its first benefit payments 50 years ago. In 1974, Supplemental Security Income, or SSI, began sending the first monthly checks starting at around $140 per individual, or $210 per couple. In 2024, the maximum monthly benefit is

Joe Biden and Donald Trump 2024. Brendan Smialowski | Jon Cherry | Getty Images Presumptive nominees President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have both pledged to extend expiring tax breaks for most Americans — but questions remain on how to pay for it. Trillions in tax breaks enacted by Trump via the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

Urbazon | E+ | Getty Images If you’re living and working abroad and still need to file 2023 taxes, the deadline is only one week away. While the regular tax deadline was April 15 for most taxpayers, there’s an automatic two-month extension to June 17 for those U.S. citizens and resident aliens, including dual citizens,

Ascentxmedia | E+ | Getty Images It can feel like the U.S. economy has divided consumers into groups of haves and have nots — and retirees are no exception. Research has found a great wealth transfer is underway, with research and consulting firm Cerulli Associates estimating an $84 trillion to shift from older to younger

Joe Biden and Donald Trump 2024. Chip Somodevilla | Alex Wong | Getty Images Trillions in expiring tax breaks are at stake this election season — and those sunsets could raise taxes for most Americans after 2025 without extensions from Congress. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, or TCJA, temporarily reduced taxes for most

Alvaro Gonzalez | Moment | Getty Images Despite a strong labor market, some applicants are facing more competition on the job hunt. But prolonged unemployment and lower income for 2024 could offer the chance for tax planning, experts say. One “silver lining” of a job layoff can be a temporary lower federal income tax bracket,

Maca And Naca | E+ | Getty Images Your student loan bill may get smaller next month. Here’s why: A feature of the Biden administration’s latest income-driven repayment plan that will reduce millions of borrowers’ monthly payments kicks in on July 1. For some borrowers, “it’s a dramatic drop,” said higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz.

Justin Paget | Digitalvision | Getty Images The work-from-home trend is here to stay. Many companies have continued to let employees work remotely for at least some of the workweek — four years on from the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic — due to the win-win nature of the arrangement: Remote work is more