Personal finance

Residents of Imperial County, California, line up in front of a bookkeeping shop in Calexico to fill out unemployment claim forms on July 24. Mario Tama | Getty Images News | Getty Images Millions of Americans are getting a big cut in their unemployment checks after the expiration of a policy that offered an extra $600

Joshua Roberts | Reuters Capitol Hill lawmakers seem to agree on one thing: Sending a second round of stimulus checks to help Americans weather the economic storm brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic is is  worthwhile. But the conditions around who gets those checks could still be subject to change, particularly when it comes to

This guide lays out the seven key steps to focus on to get you working toward long-term financial security. Step 1: Set short-term and long-term goals Step 2: Create a budget Step 3: Build an emergency fund Step 4: Pay off costly credit card debt Step 5: Save for retirement Step 6: Invest for retirement

Protesters gather at a July 22 rally in Boston in support of legislation to block evictions in Massachusetts for up to a year. Boston Globe | Boston Globe | Getty Images If you’re facing eviction during the coronavirus pandemic, you’re definitely not alone.  Up to 40 million Americans may lose their homes in this downturn, four times

cdwheatley | E+ | Getty Images Millions of Americans have altered their travel plans amid the pandemic, with some switching to road trips this summer and others postponing long-haul air and sea travel till next year or beyond. But one demographic — the affluent vacationer — appears to be more optimistic, making plans and holding

Couple buying a new house. PeopleImages | Getty Images A Roth individual retirement account is often cited as a way to save for your golden years. It could  also help you buy a house. In a nutshell, up to $10,000 in earnings can be withdrawn from such an account — free of both taxes and

Hundreds of unemployed Kentucky residents wait in long lines outside the Kentucky Career Center for help with their unemployment claims. John Sommers II Individuals receiving unemployment benefits this year could face a tax surprise in 2021: owing Uncle Sam or receiving smaller refunds. Some 1.43 million people filed for unemployment last week, according to the

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R- Ky., walks to the Senate floor at the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, July 30. Democrats and Republicans have given no ground after three days of negotiations on a virus relief package as enhanced unemployment insurance for millions of out-of-work Americans and protections from evictions run out. Al Drago/Bloomberg via

Getty Images When a person passes away, it’s not unusual for them to leave behind some unpaid debt. So what happens to those remaining balances? It depends.  Upon death, a person’s assets — no matter how meager or massive — become their “estate.” This includes everything they own: financial accounts, real estate and possessions. And,

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. listens at left as Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks during a news conference prior to a town hall-style meeting in Aston, Pa., Monday, April 23, 2012. Jae C. Hong | AP A second set of stimulus checks could be on the way, but the ink on the

Aimstock | Getty Images The Covid-19 pandemic has prompted more Americans to wonder if Social Security will be there when they retire. In a survey from Nationwide, 61% of adults of all generations said they are more worried now that Social Security will run out of funding. The reults come as many respondents said the

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, stops to speak to reporters as he arrives for the Senate Republicans weekly lunch on Tuesday, June, 9, 2020. Bill Clark | CQ-Roll Call | Getty Images While Washington lawmakers negotiate over how much money to inject into a U.S. economy battered by Covid-19, one group of politicians hopes to also

fstop123 | E+ | Getty Images This summer, more than a dozen states are offering shoppers a back-to-school sales tax break. Whether it’ll be enough to draw legions of parents to mom-and-pop shops amid a pandemic is looking iffy. Depending on the state where you’re shopping, you can knock off anywhere from 4% (Alabama) to

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., leaves the Senate Republican Policy luncheon in Hart Building on Tuesday, July 21, 2020. Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images A second round of $1,200 stimulus checks could be coming, thanks to Senate Republicans’ new stimulus proposal. The terms of the new payments were outlined in

Demonstrators rally near the Capitol Hill residence of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to call for the extension of unemployment benefits on Wednesday, July 22, 2020. Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Wage replacement Unemployment benefits offer temporary income replacement for workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. The

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) (L) listens to U.S. President Donald Trump talks to reporters while hosting Republican congressional leaders and members of Trump’s cabinet in the Oval Office at the White House July 20, 2020 in Washington, DC. Doug Mills | Getty Images It’s the question that’s been on everyone’s minds: Will there

Jose Luis Pelaez Inc Covid-19 has upended much of U.S. society. And it’s changing how Americans think about money. A survey from money manager Charles Schwab finds their new mantra could very well be, “Less is more.” When it comes to how much it takes to be considered wealthy, Americans now say it’s an average

In response to the coronavirus pandemic, a growing number of U.S. colleges have said their campuses will remain closed through the fall semester.  Still, students are heading back to school as soon as this weekend. For some, there is nowhere else to go. About 52% of high school and college students said going back to school

People who lost their jobs wait in line to file for unemployment benefits, following an outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), at Arkansas Workforce Center in Fort Smith, Arkansas, U.S. April 6, 2020. Nick Oxford |File Photo | REUTERS In mid-March, Erin Madden was furloughed from her job as a bartender at the Hollywood Burbank

Cynthia Pineda lost her accounting job in early April. Without the $600 weekly unemployment boost, she’ll get just $275 each week in aid from Florida. Meanwhile, finding a new job has proven extremely challenging. Cindy Pineda was the breadwinner of her family before the coronavirus pandemic hit. But Pineda, 60, lost her accounting job in