Personal finance

Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced an interim rule on Monday that will allow tenants to sue debt collectors who violate the national ban on evictions. Attorneys for landlords and other debt collectors who wrongly evict tenants could also face federal and state prosecution, the bureau said. In addition, these

fotostorm As more people get Covid-19 vaccinations and the U.S. reopens, people may be wondering what they should do to get on track with their money during an economic recovery. There are signs that the economy is about to take off. Businesses across the U.S. are reopening as states loosen virus-related restrictions, and employers are

Luis Alvarez | DigitalVision | Getty Images More than ever, young investors are engaging with the stock market. An E-Trade study found that 51% of millennial and Gen Z investors reported their risk tolerance had increased since the pandemic — 23 percentage points higher than the total population. The study also found that they are

The government’s stimulus response to the pandemic may accelerate the trend of companies offering student loan assistance as a benefit. Mark Chilton | iStock | Getty Images Phyllis Wintter has had student debt for more than 30 years. At 67, she still owes around $48,000. Now she hopes that change could be coming, and that

Halfpoint Images | Moment | Getty Images Millions of Americans have received some form of financial support from the government to help them get through the Covid-19 pandemic. The coronavirus has prompted the federal government to send three sets of stimulus checks, increase federal unemployment benefits and extend the duration and eligibility of those benefits,

Matthew Turner (on the right) and his husband, Gerard. Photo: Matthew Turner Since Matthew Turner was laid off in October, he estimates he’s applied to close to 600 jobs, with no luck. Nearly as difficult has been his hunt for rental assistance. Turner’s contacted many local organizations in North Carolina where he lives, but has

As financial literacy advocates push for more personal finance education in schools, students are also joining the cause. Only 21 states require personal finance coursework to graduate high school, with just a handful mandating a stand-alone class, according to the Council for Economic Education. Yet research shows that those who have some financial education typically

Ty Wright | Bloomberg | Getty Images It’s a challenging time to be a car buyer. High consumer demand coupled with a manufacturing shortage of microchips — key parts needed for today’s autos to operate — have pinched new-car inventory at dealerships across the country. And with drivers seeking affordable options for hitting the open

Getty Images With the end of tax-filing season swiftly approaching, people who worked in multiple states last year due to Covid may be wondering — where do I owe taxes? The answer might not be simple. Between March 2020 and October 2020, nearly 9 million Americans relocated, according to research from the National Association of

In this article PWC Pekic | E+ | Getty Images There’s a shift happening in corporate America. The coronavirus pandemic, which resulted in mass layoffs and reduced salaries and work hours, has left millions of people financially stressed. Employers are starting to respond. “The role of employers has really evolved,” said Julia Lamm, a New

The coronavirus crisis has had a devastating impact on many families’ finances. And some students were forced to sacrifice college as a result.   One quarter of last year’s high-school graduates delayed their college plans, according to a survey from Junior Achievement and Citizens, largely because their parents or guardians were less able to provide

Signs calling for more relief, a second Paycheck Protection Program and more as part of a campaign by Goldman Sachs supporting small businesses near the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 5, 2021. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI | AFP | Getty Images Stimulus checks have injected about $850 billion in financial support to Americans over the past year. Now,

kupicoo | E+ | Getty Images Congressional lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are calling for a repeal of the state and local tax cap, arguing that they hurt middle-class Americans. On Thursday, representatives led by Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y.; Rep. Andrew Garbarino, R-N.Y.; and Rep. Young Kim, R-Calif., announced a bipartisan caucus to

nd3000 | iStock | Getty Images Retirees who are considering a move that involves buying a home may want to consider how they’d finance the purchase. It can be tricky for seniors to get a mortgage in retirement, said Al Bingham, a mortgage loan officer with Momentum Loans in Sandy, Utah. Not only are lenders

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden, D-Ore., speaks at a Senate Finance Committee hearing at the U.S. Capitol on Feb. 25, 2021. Tasos Katopodis | Getty Images News | Getty Images A Senate bill introduced Wednesday would broadly reform the U.S. unemployment system, seeking to plug gaps in the safety net for jobless Americans in

In this article COIN The Coinbase cryptocurrency exchange app pictured on the screen of an iPhone on February 12, 2018. Chesnot | Getty Images Coinbase went public on Wednesday on the Nasdaq exchange, and you probably have at least one friend pointing to the news as a sign that cryptocurrencies are here to stay. Many

SelectStock | Getty Images The U.S. government has issued a new set of $1,400 stimulus checks, and this time Veterans Affairs beneficiaries were included. The latest round marks the fifth batch of direct payments sent since the $1,400 checks were first authorized by Congress through the American Rescue Plan Act in March. The latest payments

Alex Wong | Getty Images News | Getty Images While the latest stimulus package and a new massive infrastructure bill are the main topics of conversation in Washington of late, President Joe Biden continues to be under mounting pressure to take action on student loan forgiveness, too. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., held a hearing on

kate_sept2004 | E+ | Getty Images There’s good news for American families. The IRS plans to begin sending monthly payments from the new $3,000 child tax credit in July, Commissioner Charles Rettig said Tuesday during a hearing with the Senate Finance Committee. The new and significantly expanded child tax credit was included in the $1.9 trillion

Luis Alvarez | DigitalVision | Getty Images Ivory Johnson was one of the many financial advisors who were forced to pivot quickly when the pandemic hit the U.S. more than a year ago. In a business that is often relationship-driven, Covid largely put a halt to in-person meetings for advisors, including Johnson. However, the shift

10’000 Hours Some states are requiring workers who received a federal tax break on unemployment benefits to file an amended tax return to get their refund. This largely applies to taxpayers who’d filed a federal and state tax return before the American Rescue Plan became law. That $1.9 trillion Covid relief measure waived federal tax

sturti A year into the pandemic, some Americans are still confused as to why they received less stimulus check money than they anticipated and, in some cases, no money at all. If that’s you, there’s good news: A recovery rebate credit on this year’s tax return will let you submit your claim for those funds.

Jose Luis Pelaez Inc | DigitalVision | Getty Images Ever wonder how your nest egg fares in comparison to your neighbors’? From state to state, the median amount — half fall above, half below — that retirement savers have earmarked for their golden years ranges from about $83,500 in Mississippi to $177,500 in Washington, according

Jason York | Getty Images So you inherited a retirement account.  Before you make any decisions on when and how to access the money, it’s worth familiarizing yourself with the rules that apply to different beneficiaries. The rules for these retirement plans can be complicated. Therefore, mistakes can be made, and depending on the specifics,

After looking at more than 50 houses and writing 17 offers, Taryn and Antonio Orellana recently closed on a house in Lakewood, Calif. Source: Taryn Orellana When pandemic life began to feel too tight inside the one-bedroom apartment Taryn Orellana shared with her husband, Antonio, she knew they had to move. In October, the couple

Chase Kensrue Before the coronavirus pandemic hit last March, Danny Samet, 28, had big financial plans for the year. The freelance tour manager and merchandiser for bands had a goal to pay off his credit card debt, which is about $6,000, he said. Once he’d done that he was considering looking to buy a house

Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images The SEC is eyeing potentially misleading earnings projections made by SPAC sponsors and is seeking clearer disclosures, with one official hinting Thursday that the agency may issue a future rule to rein them in. Special purpose acquisition companies, known as SPACs or blank-check funds, are a hot-ticket item

HRAUN Linda, a lawyer from California who was laid off from her job in January, is like millions of others in the pandemic who are living without health insurance. But she discovered that the government would fully subsidize her COBRA health insurance premiums from April until September, thanks to a provision in the latest stimulus

A person walks under a marquis for a closed down Paramount theater in Oakland, Calif. on Feb. 12, 2021. JOSH EDELSON | AFP | Getty Images It’s been a year since unemployment claims peaked at nosebleed levels and signaled the depth and severity of the Covid downturn. Yet claims for unemployment benefits persist at rates

antongvozdikov / 500px | 500Px Plus | Getty Images Some newlyweds get an unwelcome gift from the IRS: a bigger tax bill.  While many couples end up paying less in taxes after tying the knot, some face a “marriage penalty” — that is, they end up paying more in taxes than if they had remained