Personal finance

Workers with Patriot Environmental Services mop up oil on the surface of the water at Talbert Marsh in Huntington Beach, CA on Monday, October 4, 2021. Paul Bersebach | MediaNews Group | Getty Images A massive oil spill off the coast of southern California this past weekend has clean-up crews racing to prevent an ecological

Vitalii Petrushenko | iStock | Getty Images Big changes are coming to the federal government’s public service loan forgiveness program. The loan forgiveness program is “an important, but largely unmet” promise to people who serve their communities, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said this week. “Fixing this program has been a priority for this

New York University graduates celebrate in Manhattan’s Washington Square Park on May 19, 2021. Liao Pan | China News Service | Getty Images If you are looking to get the best return on your investment in a college degree, you may want to consider a major in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

kate_sept2004 | E+ | Getty Images The recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic has been slower than a lot of people expected. For many Americans, that means their incomes are not yet back on track or may have suffered again during the onset of the delta variant. Data shows that hiring is still slow. Weekly initial

Americans have been hammered by life changes since the start of the pandemic, and it’s taken a big mental and financial toll. In just the last year and a half, many Americans either left a job, moved or changed their relationship status, for better or for worse — or even all of the above. Finances

For some college students, the Covid vaccine is a price they are not willing to pay for a degree. Justin Mishler, a 29-year-old junior at Northern Illinois University, is one of them. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, Mishler enrolled in the state school in 2016 through the GI Bill, which helps cover the

In this article EXPE Mike Coppola | Getty Images Online travel powerhouse Expedia Group plans to unify and expand customer loyalty program offerings across its portfolio of brands. The move will result in “the most complete travel rewards offering in the industry,” according to the Seattle-based firm, with member discounts and reward earning and redemption

Sporrer/Rupp | Image Source | Getty Images When it comes to Social Security, even small mistakes in planning or claiming the benefit can cost you money. The application process is relatively straightforward, yet there are nuances that you may not be thinking about. In fact, many Americans aren’t aware of the right steps to take.

FatCamera | E+ | Getty Images A sweeping new legislative proposal on Capitol Hill could give Congress a rare opportunity to address an issue that has long been on the backburner – paid family leave. Today, only some workers have access to paid time off to care for their loved ones or their own medical

In this aerial photo taken with a drone, flood waters surround storm damaged homes, Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021, in Lafourche Parish, La., as residents try to recover from the effects of Hurricane Ida. Steve Helber | AP Climate change can have a direct impact on your wallet. Not only can it affect your bills, from

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen testifies during a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on the CARES Act, at the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, DC, U.S., September 28, 2021. Matt McClain | Reuters Congress faces an Oct. 18 deadline for raising the U.S. debt ceiling. If it is not increased by that

Photo by Mike Kline (notkalvin) | Moment | Getty Images Life insurance planning for wealthy Americans may be upended by a proposal in Democrats’ tax reform package. The House Ways and Means Committee passed measures on Sept. 15 that would raise an estimated $2.1 trillion in taxes from corporations and the rich, to help finance

A Social Security Administration office in San Francisco. Getty Images The debt ceiling debate has sparked conversation about whether Social Security payments will still go out on time. However, Congress also faces another deadline with regard to the nation’s largest social insurance program. In just 13 years the trust funds Social Security relies on to

Prostock-Studio | iStock | Getty Images As teenagers navigate matters of love and money, a troubling percentage of young relationships are showing signs of financial abuse. Some 31% of U.S. teens aged 13 to 18 have flagged the signals of financial abuse — which may be controlling a partner’s ability to receive, spend or save

Jose Luis Pelaez, Inc. | Getty Images A significant number of harmed investors still aren’t receiving award money after winning disputes with brokers or brokerage firms, a watchdog organization says. When companies mishandle money, investors can fight for compensation through the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or FINRA, an independent, self-regulatory organization that oversees brokers and

In this article WRBY A customer tries on glasses at a Warby Parker store in Los Angeles. Michael Buckner | Getty Images Warby Parker’s stock debut may be a bit different from the norm, yet the expert advice still applies: Invest with caution. The popular eyewear maker began trading publicly on Wednesday through what’s called

Courtney Keating | iStock | Getty Images Being able to review a credit report in Spanish will be a huge help for Rosalie Remarais in her job as the Community Development Mortgage Loan officer at Five Star Bank in Rochester, New York. Remarais works with low- to moderate-income families, many of whom are first-time homebuyers,

Jodi Jacobson | E+ | Getty Images House Democrats proposed a change to the estate tax that would lead to more households having to pay up each year. But just how many people actually pay the tax, and how might the proposal change that share? The short answers: Few people pay it now, and the

Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference announcing the State and Local Taxes (SALT) Caucus outside the U.S. Capitol on April 15, 2021. Sarah Silbiger | Bloomberg | Getty Images Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., is expecting an agreement this week for changes to the $10,000 limit on the federal deduction for state and

Stacey Vanek Smith Photo: Sylvie Rosokoff Why aren’t things getting better for women? Stacey Vanek Smith couldn’t stop asking that question as she looked over the grim statistics: Eighty percent of CEOs are still men, corporate boards are more than 80% male, two-thirds of federal judges are male and 98% of venture capital goes to