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In the first week of May 2020, gas prices fell below $1.80, nearly the lowest in history when adjusted for inflation. By the second week of June 2022, they peaked above $5 — a record high. By Andrew Lisa It’s no secret why the price per gallon bottomed out in 2020. The pandemic turned the world’s highways into ghost roads, airports went dark and oil-thirsty factories closed their doors. The result was an unprecedented drop in demand....

National average gas prices have fallen slightly in mid-July, down to $4.67 from their record high of just under $5 in June 2022, according to AAA. The drop occurred in spite of increased demand sparked by holiday weekend travel and summer vacations. However, many Americans are still struggling to fill their tanks while juggling other expenses. By Dawn Allcot Legislation To Ease Costs Two California Democrats, Rep. Ro Khanna and Sen....

It’s Never Give Up Day, and we certainly hope you are not giving up despite the many challenges — financial and otherwise — many of us are facing today. Take care of yourself, and keep on truckin’. By Gary Dudak The Big Lead: Summer Heat Wave Prompts Safety Concerns at Social Security Offices The combination of hot weather and ongoing customer service issues at the Social Security Administration has created a worrying problem this summer: safety concerns over Social Security customers who must stand in the heat waiting to get into field offices....

If you currently receive a Social Security check and wonder whether a government shutdown will impact your payment, rest easy: Social Security payments will continue to go out as usual. By Vance Cariaga See: Senior Stimulus: How an Additional $1,400 Check Could Help Social Security Recipients Afford Rising Grocery CostsFind: 5 Things Most Americans Don’t Know About Social Security That’s because the Social Security Administration has the authority to continue mailing checks to beneficiaries even if the government gets shut down, ABC7 Chicago reported....

The Bethpage Federal Credit Union routing number is 221473652. By David Granahan About Routing Numbers Wire Transfers Using Zelle Opening a Bethpage Account It can be found on the top left-hand side of the credit union’s website next to its contact number. On a check, customers can find the number on the bottom left-hand side of the check — it’s the first nine digits in the horizontal code at the bottom of a check, right before the account number....

Family Dollar, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dollar Tree, initiated a voluntary recall of certain products regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that were stored and shipped to 404 stores from Family Dollar due to the presence of rodents and rodent activity, the chain said in a press release. By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy See: Should You Buy Groceries at the Dollar Store? Find: How Much Money You Can Save Each Month By Shopping at the Dollar Store...

When you get your first full-time job and paycheck, you may be excited to use some of that money to rent an apartment and move out on your own. But rent is only one of the many new expenses you’ll encounter when you live on your own for the first time — and it’s easy to get in over your head (or land in expensive debt that can last for years) if you aren’t prepared for all of the costs....

We tend to believe we know what “middle class” means. After all, it seems easy enough to define if we only consider income. But being a part of the middle class is more complicated than it may seem at first; factors like location and debt also play a role. For example, a person who makes $40,000 per year may be middle-class in a small, rural town. But that same income in a large coastal city would be well below the median income....

Michelle Williams is one of America’s most critically acclaimed movie stars and has made headlines for her dealings with the salary inequity between men and women in Hollywood. Some have argued that she tends to star in smaller, independent films, which typically pay less than Hollywood mega-productions. The same cannot be said for her upcoming return as Anne Weying, a.k. a. the symbiote She-Venom in “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” that opens on Oct....

If you’ve decided to buy cryptocurrency, you’ll be happy to know that the hard part of your journey is over. Conducting the research needed to make an educated decision about investing in digital tokens is a much more exhaustive process than the relatively simple act of buying the coins. By Andrew Lisa Steps To Buy Crypto Things To Consider Learn: 3 Things You Must Do When Your Savings Reach $50,000...

You’re freshly engaged and beyond excited to start planning your wedding. While you’re grateful your parents or future in-laws want to help pay for your big day — or pick up the entire check — you’re a bit nervous about their level of involvement in the planning process. By Jennifer Taylor Check Out: Here’s How Much Cash You Need Stashed If a National Emergency HappensUber Lost and Found Index 2022: The Strangest (and Most Common) Items People Leave Behind...

It is ever too late for anyone to start investing. “A very old aphorism in our industry is: When’s the best time to plant an apple tree? 50 years ago. When’s the second-best time? Today,” said Warren Ward, CFP at WWA Planning & Investments. By Heather Taylor See Our List: 100 Most Influential Money ExpertsRead: 5 Things You Must Do When Your Savings Reach $50,000 Today is a great day for someone a bit older to begin investing, especially since individuals starting to invest later in life often have the benefit of doing so during their peak earning years....

On June 7, PayPal announced that it is enabling the transfer of cryptos to and from other wallets and exchanges within a user’s account — as well as the potential to conduct business with millions of merchants via its Checkout with Crypto function — in response to customer demand. By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy Discover: In Less Than a Decade, You Won’t Be Able To Afford a Home in These Cities More: Top 10 Richest People in the World...

By Cynthia Measom According to a poll conducted by The Washington Post and the George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government, most Americans expect the situation with rising prices to get worse in the next year. Another survey found that 70% believe a recession is coming, while roughly the same amount are not prepared for it. If your finances are in a dire state, here’s a list of resources for financial emergencies you can use right now to get help....

Both traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs are great ways to save for retirement, but the characteristics of the two are nearly opposite in nature. With a traditional IRA, you can get a tax deduction on contributions but you’ll owe tax on your future withdrawals. With a Roth IRA, you can’t deduct your contributions but your qualifying withdrawals will be tax-free. By John Csiszar See: The Best Cities To Retire on $2,000 a MonthFind: 7 Surprisingly Easy Ways To Reach Your Retirement Goals...

By Gabrielle Olya Here It Is: Our 2022 Small Business SpotlightSee Our List: 100 Most Influential Money Experts This year’s most-nominated business is The Bakester’s Pastries, located in Willcox, Arizona. The bakery-slash-deli offers a variety of homemade food and pastries, from cinnamon rolls to biscuits and gravy. More From Your Money: Choose a high-interest saving, checking, CD, or investing account from our list of top banks to start saving today....

A recent Forbes article by Andrew Biggs took the editors of Bloomberg to task for claiming that the U.S. is facing a pending and dire “retirement crisis,” which could “under reasonable assumptions” overwhelm state budgets. By Dawn Allcot Discover: Best Cities To Retire on a Budget of $1,500 a Month More: 8 Best Food Products To Buy at Costco Biggs, however — an expert on retirement policy and public sector pay — calls the assumptions “anything but reasonable....

On June 9, several prominent senators introduced a bill in the House that would expand Social Security benefits by $2,400 a year and fully fund it for the next 75 years past the year 2096, “all without raising taxes by one penny on over 93% of American households.” By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy Explore: 15 Worst States To Live on Just a Social Security CheckLive Updates: Inflation, Social Security and More Economic Updates...

You’ve probably heard about the uncertainty surrounding Social Security benefits, which could be cut earlier than expected if Congress doesn’t address the program’s long-term funding shortfall. A company called PlanGap has — and it aims to ensure that Americans are protected financially in case their Social Security checks get slashed. By Vance Cariaga See: When Social Security Runs Out — What the Program Will Look Like in 2035 Find: Social Security 2022 — How the COLA Will Increase Benefits for the Average Senior Couple...

A third round of California’s Golden State Stimulus II payments is set to go out on Oct. 5, according to the state’s Franchise Tax Board. By Georgina Tzanetos Stimulus Update: Printing, Mailing Issues Delay 9 Million California Golden Stimulus Payments Explore: New Study Dubs California No. 1 Most ‘Crypto-Ready’ State The tax board estimates that this third installment will reach about 705,000 people. Payments are distributed through direct deposit and, for the first time since the state stimulus checks began, will now be sent via paper checks....