Personal finance

Nederland, Colorado resident Nick Emery clears mountains of snow from his driveway on March 14, 2021. Helen H. Richardson | Denver Post | Getty Images It’s gearing up to be an expensive winter, especially for those grappling with rising heating costs. In the last year, about 20% of Americans struggled to pay their energy bill

New Hampshire parents and others gather outside of Sen. Maggie Hassan’s Manchester office on Sept, 14, 2021.. Scott Eisen | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images Democrats on Capitol Hill will face a big task when they regroup in the new year — finding common ground on the Build Back Better legislation. One key question

RgStudio | E+ | Getty Images Just in time for winter travel, gas prices are ticking up again. Nationwide, the average price for a gallon of gas is $3.34, up 2 cents from a week ago, according to GasBuddy.com. However, that’s down from about $3.43 a month ago. Average prices range from about $2.84 in

DjelicS | E+ | Getty Images If you still have money in your flexible spending account, be aware that you may have only another week or so to spend it. Congressional action loosened FSA rules for 2020 and 2021 as a way to give workers more time to spend unused funds, yet many companies did

Supporters demonstrate in favor of Build Back Better on the Senate Steps of the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 15, 2021. Leigh Vogel | Getty Images As the Build Back Better bill and the new government aid it promised stalls on Capitol Hill, millions of Americans who may have been expecting more help amid the pandemic

A graduate who calls himself “April Vendetta” protests student debt in New York’s Washington Square Park on May 19, 2021, after New York University’s virtual commencement ceremony. Timothy A. Clary | AFP | Getty Images Most Americans want the government to forgive at least some of the $1.7 trillion in outstanding student loan debt. Some

President Joe Biden addresses graduates of South Carolina State University during their commencement ceremony on Dec. 17, 2021. Mandel Ngan | AFP | Getty Images The Biden administration is considering extending the payment pause and interest waiver for most federal student loan borrowers once again. “Since day one of the Biden Administration, we’ve been hard

Labor activists hold a rally in support of a national $15 minimum wage on May 19, 2021, in Washington, D.C. Kevin Dietsch | Getty Images News | Getty Images As the calendar changes to a new year, residents of some states can expect to see a boost to their paychecks. Starting Jan. 1, 2022, several

Secretary of Education Dr. Miguel Cardona answers questions during the daily briefing at the White House August 5, 2021 in Washington, DC. Win McNamee | Getty Images The U.S. Department of Education announced Wednesday a host of major changes to the public service loan forgiveness program, which could bring more than 550,000 borrowers closer to

Elizabeth Frantz | Reuters Two years after Congress passed a law that ushered in improvements to the U.S. retirement system, lawmakers’ efforts to make further enhancements are moving forward — albeit slowly. There’s bipartisan backing for measures in both the House and Senate that would build on the 2019 Secure Act, which aimed to increase

Advocate JoAnna Vance joins families, parents and caregivers at Capitol Hill to call on Congress to include paid family and medical leave in the Build Back Better legislative package on Nov. 2, 2021. Paul Morigi | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images Hopes for a federal paid family and medical leave program have dimmed after

Washington, D.C.-area residents Cara Baldari and her 9-month-old daughter Evie (left) and Sarah Orrin-Vipond and her 8-month-old son Otto (right), join a rally in front of the U.S. Capitol on Dec. 13, 2021. Alex Wong | Getty Images On Sunday, Sen. Joe Manchin, the conservative Democrat from West Virginia, said that he would not support

In this article GSBD damircudic | E+ | Getty Images Working Americans rank credit card debt as one of the top challenges to their ability to save for retirement. That’s the finding in a new surveyconducted over the summer by Goldman Sachs that included more than 1,200 people. Melinda Opperman, president and chief relationship officer

Getty Images Without the child tax credit, Stormy Johnson is worried about having enough to eat. Johnson, 44, works as a student support specialist in Preston County Schools in Kingwood, West Virginia. Since July, she’s been receiving an additional $500 each month through the enhanced child tax credit for her two children, Violet, 14, and

Heading into 2022, many workers are ready for a change. But you don’t have to join the “Great Resignation” and quit to shake things up. You may be able to give your old job a new look with a few small tweaks. As return-to-office plans are pushed back once again with the rise of the

Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images One of the most coveted holiday gifts of the year might be unexpected. Some 65% of Americans want financial investments such as stocks and cryptocurrency as gifts this year, according to a recent survey of more than 2,000 adults from MagnifyMoney. In addition, about one-quarter of those surveyed said

Pedestrians stand in line at a Covid-19 mobile testing site at Columbus Circle in New York, on Dec. 5, 2021. Jeenah Moon/Bloomberg via Getty Images Covid cases are spiking in some parts of the U.S., and the highly contagious omicron variant is expected to fuel another virus wave headed into winter. In New York, some

JaruekChairak | iStock | Getty Images Amid all the worrisome news about the omicron variant, there one’s good development: Soon most Americans should be able to pick up at-home Covid tests for free. The Biden administration said earlier this month that those with private health insurance can request reimbursement from their plans for these takeaway

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

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