Posts

Whether you’re heading out of town or need a local place to crash for at least a few nights, you’re saving a ton of money by staying with friends or family members. This is great, but just because you won’t receive an itemized bill at the end of your stay, doesn’t mean you can spend your visit freeloading. By Jennifer Taylor Read: 10 Things To Stop Buying in 2023Find Out: How To Get Free Gift Cards From Your Everyday PurchasesTake Our Poll: How Do You Think the Economy Will Perform in 2023?...

Of 14 major cities reporting October data, consumer prices have climbed 6.1% in the Houston area. By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy Give Your Take: Rising Inflation and Personal Spending Woes Continue — Have You Been Affected?Learn: As ‘Inflation Wipes Out Real Gains,’ How Much of a Raise Will You Need in 2022 To Keep Up? The consumer price index surged 6.2% from a year ago in October, the most since December 1990, according to Labor Department data released November 10....

Economists, analysts, policymakers and investors take the economy’s temperature by examining regularly released data sets called economic indicators. There are all kinds of economic indicators — some tell you how many people are unemployed, what things cost, how much merchandise is being manufactured, how much money people are spending, how much they’re saving or even how they feel about their own financial prospects. By Andrew Lisa Leading Indicators Make Predictions About What Might Happen Lagging Indicators Verify Trends That Are Already Happening Keep in Mind The Economy and Your Money: All You Need To KnowMore Economy Explained: How Do We Track Unemployment and Joblessness?...

Tonya Rapley created My Fab Finance with the goal of helping millennials learn how to create financial freedom. Her financial advice has appeared in U.S. News & World Report, the New York Daily News, BuzzFeed, Essence, Reuters and more. By Gabrielle Olya What’s the one piece of money advice you wish everyone would follow? Spend less than you earn. When it comes to money, you can’t outsmart the math. No amount of spreadsheets or financial advice can counter overspending....

By almost any measure, New Jersey has one of the highest tax rates of any state in the country — for both income and property taxes. The Garden State might never find itself on the lower end of the state tax spectrum, but residents can expect “significant tax cuts” in the future, according to recent comments from New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. By Vance Cariaga See: States Whose Economies Are Failing vs....

‘Tis the season for eating cheeseburgers, as McDonald’s is celebrating the holidays with a slew of deals — notably 50-cent cheeseburgers on Dec. 8 and Dec. 9. By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy Holiday Spending: Get Top Holiday Shopping and Savings TipsFind: 3 Easy Tips to Turn Your Credit Woes into Wows The app deals are part of McDonald’s SZN of Sharing promotion, which runs through Dec. 25. Additional deals include the “Pick ur 4 for $4” — which will run Dec....

IRS and Social Security scams have been on the rise recently, exacerbated by using stimulus checks and new IRS rules as excuses to convince people to give up their money. By Georgina Tzanetos Senior Stimulus: Which Social Security Recipients Will Still Receive a Golden State Payment? Retirement 2022: IRS Announces New COLA Guidance, 401(k) and IRA Income Limit Increases Recently, a woman in Naples, Florida reported she was almost scammed on the phone by someone claiming her information was being used to open bank accounts, and that she needed to download a specific app to allow them access to her phone in order to help, ABC reported....

Now that many states and countries are open and dropping mandates, most people are back to thinking about where they’ll travel, who they’ll visit and which restaurants they’ll eat at. Those with the entrepreneurial fire, however, are doing what they always do in good times and bad — sniffing out the hidden opportunity. By Andrew Lisa More From Your Money: Choose a high-interest saving, checking, CD, or investing account from our list of top banks to start saving today....

The fourth installment of the advance monthly Child Tax Credit payments is scheduled to hit bank accounts this Fri., Oct. 15. By Georgina Tzanetos See: New Study Shows the Advance Child Tax Credit Does Not Affect Employment NumbersFind: Stimulus Qualification: Here’s How to Get the Child Tax Credit if You Had a Child in 2021 Payments in the amounts of $250 or $300 per child will be deposited into the accounts of eligible families....

Discussions about issuing a possible fourth stimulus check to Americans have gathered momentum as a new bill has been introduced by Democrats to tax large oil companies. The money taxed will go to a new stimulus check for those still struggling with financial health amidst fallouts from the COVID-19 pandemic and the current war in Ukraine. By David Nadelle See: 56% of Americans Are Expecting a Tax Refund of Over $1,000 — But Is That Realistic?...

Pool ownership comes with a list of expenses — pool liner, pumps, hoses, chemicals, test kits, skimmers, brushes and more — but now some pool owners are making a six-figure income from their backyard swimming hole. Swimply, an app that allows owners to lease their pool at an hourly rate, has received over 122,000 bookings since the beginning of 2020, reported The Motley Fool. By Josephine Nesbit See: Is a Pool a Good Investment?...

Whether you’re looking for ways to save on vacation or trim your budget, you’ll find a wealth of information on Reddit. But how can you tell what’s legit and what’s a little less realistic? By Sam DiSalvo Cash Out: 45 Jobs That Can Make You a Millionaire Before Retirement Advice: “Use the public library for books, ebooks, movies, audiobooks, online courses. Everyone knows about it but it seems like more could use it....

It’s hard to imagine that a bunch of candy and costumes adds up to much in retail sales, but Halloween is a big profit maker for retailers, typically in the arena of multi-billions of dollars. That’s right, billions! There’s just something about costumes and candy that is appealing to kids and adults alike. While pandemic restrictions put a temporary damper on sales in 2020, keeping many kids from trick-or-treating, and adults from throwing big Halloween parties, which retailers felt when consumers spent spent $200,000 less on Halloween in 2020 than they spent in 2019, the spending trend has had an upward swing....

In 2021, there was hardly a sliver of the entire economy that was immune to inflation, but prices rose sharpest and fastest in the categories where most households spend most of their money. The degree to which your life was interrupted, however, probably has a lot to do with how well you were doing before things started to get more expensive. By Andrew Lisa Read: What Did Biden and Congress Mean for Our Wallets in 2021?...

It’s common knowledge, at least in the U.S., that you should have a bank account to keep your money in a safe, secure place. Having multiple bank accounts can help you keep things separate, making it easier to keep track of your financials. Today, with more people working online and being paid through direct deposit or a service like PayPal, bank accounts are more essential than ever. By Bob Haegele Even after you open your first bank account, though, you can probably still improve your overall banking strategy....

Under the American Rescue Plan and other recovery programs, the U.S Department of the Treasury administered over $1 trillion in programs and tax credits. According to the Treasury, the ARP expanded access to COVID-19 vaccines and testing, provided economic relief that has kept millions of children out of poverty, prevented evictions and foreclosures and helped small businesses stay open. By Josephine Nesbit See: 9 Best Small Business Ideas To Make Money From HomeFind Out: 38% of Recipients Say the Child Tax Credit Is Reducing Their Refund — Will This Be the Case for You?...

Anyone looking for a reminder of what companies are willing to do to deal with the current labor shortage got one this week, when Tyson Foods said it will pay $50 million in year-end bonuses to frontline and hourly workers as a way of saying thank you — and convincing them to stick around. By Vance Cariaga See: Why Employers Need To Adapt to Employees Post-PandemicFind: How Workers Should Prepare for the Job Market in 2022...

Where you choose to bank has a bigger impact on your small business than you might think. Access to expert advice, products designed for small businesses and lending opportunities can support your business growth. If you’re stuck with a financial institution that doesn’t have your needs in mind, you may be missing out. By Jaime Catmull See: States Whose Economies Are Failing vs. States Whose Economies Are ThrivingHave Any $200 Quarters Lying Around?...

It’s no shopping secret that the best time to score holiday deals is after the holiday. Easter candy is always reduced — usually by 50% — the day after Easter. Same for Halloween candy on Nov. 1, when costumes are marked down, too. And after Christmas, depending on how long the merchandise lingers past Dec. 25, you can find home décor, wrapping paper, holiday cards and more for up to 90% off....

Faced with surging oil and gasoline prices that threaten to stall the country’s economic recovery, the White House and leading Democratic lawmakers are considering a federal gas tax holiday that would keep prices at the pump from rising much higher. By Vance Cariaga See: Unemployment: One Year Into the Biden Administration, How Have the Numbers Changed?Find: Oil Moves Closer to $100 a Barrel — What Does It Mean for Gas Prices?...