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Welcome to July, folks. Here’s the lowdown on today’s top financial stories. Have a great holiday weekend. By Gary Dudak The Big Lead: Americans Sticking With July 4 Travel Plans Despite Gas Costs The main concern this Fourth of July is the historically high gas prices seen at the pumps, but it won’t stop people from getting away to celebrate. Numbers of those traveling this weekend by car are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels....

Between candy, costumes, greeting cards, decorations and pumpkins, it’s actually pretty scary how much Americans spend on Halloween — around $100 per person, according to Investopedia. By Selena Fragassi Explore: Tap Into Halloween Savings at Dollar General — How To Find Weekly Deal Ads and CouponsFind: If Your Credit Score Is Under 740, Make These 4 Moves Now It’s one of the biggest retail holidays of the year, according to the National Retail Federation....

With Halloween happening on the 31st, October has kicked off the scariest month of the year — and Americans intend to spend generously to celebrate the ghoulish extravaganza. By Nicole Spector Budget: Throw a Halloween Party on a Budget Read: The Cost of Halloween in the US According to the National Retail Federation, consumers will spend a record-breaking high of $10.14 billion on Halloween related-purchases, up from $8.05 billion in 2020....

Marjorie Taylor Greene is an American businessperson and politician who currently serves as a member of the U.S. Congress from Georgia’s 14th District and is often referred to by her initials, MTG. By Michelle Tompkins See: How Rich Is Former President Donald Trump?Find: How Rich Is Meghan Markle? Her base yearly salary as a member of Congress is $174,000, but her fines for not wearing a mask on government property had totaled $60,500 by mid-November 2021, according to Newsweek....

Costco, the retail giant that enables consumers to buy in bulk at a discount, has become known as a place where families go to stock up on a crazy amount of groceries. One may shop at Costco alone, but it begs the question of whether a single, kid-free person will go through enough economy-size cereal and jumbo cases of toilet paper to justify a Costco membership. By Nicole Spector Save More: Back-to-School Tips To Help You Cut CostsWatch Out: This Credit Score Mistake Could Be Costing Millions of Americans...

Kellogg Company announced on June 21 that its Board of Directors has approved a plan to separate its North American cereal and plant-based foods businesses into three spin-offs, to be “better positioned to unlock their full standalone potential.” By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy The announcement sent the shares up 7.8% in pre-market trading on June 21. The three companies, whose names will be determined later, would be “Global Snacking Co.” with $11.4 billion in net sales, according to a press release....

Attention, attention, the deadline to file a free tax return at IRS.gov/freefile and collect more stimulus money has arrived. By Nicole Spector Stimulus Checks: See If Your State Is Mailing Out Payments in NovemberFood Stamps: What Is the Maximum SNAP EBT Benefit for 2023? Over the past few weeks. the IRS sent out letters to approximately nine million taxpayers who appear to qualify for additional stimulus money (in the form of tax credits), but didn’t yet claim them by filing a 2021 federal income tax return....

Seniors who are already struggling to pay for healthcare costs got more grim news last week when reports surfaced that the standard premium for Medicare’s outpatient care coverage will rise by 14.5% for 2022. By Vance Cariaga See: Medicare Penalty — Sign Up Before You Turn 65 to Avoid Late Enrollment ChargesFind: Should You Refinance Now With the Low Mortgage Rates? That increase is more than double the earlier estimate of 6....

The Biden administration announced on Nov. 18 that it’s taking steps to dole out billions in aid for winter heating and utility bills. This amount comes largely from the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. By Josephine Nesbit See: Jobless Claims Fall for Seventh Straight Week Despite Record Quits Levels Social Security COLA: Seniors Will Receive the Highest Increase in Decades, But It’s No Match For 6.2% Inflation Surge An additional $4....

A total of 26.26 million student loan borrowers have applied or were deemed automatically eligible for relief under President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program, and there are 16.48 million fully-approved applications sent to loan servicers for discharge, according to new White House data. By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy Student Loan Forgiveness: Timeline of Events Leading Up To the Supreme Court ReviewLearn: Protect Your Financial Future With Gold and SilverDiscover: Here’s How Much Americans Have in Their Savings Accounts in 2023...

Americans tend to get a late start on saving for retirement. A 2019 report from the Federal Reserve found that 42% of young people ages 18 to 29 have no retirement savings — and that 24% of Americans, overall, have no retirement savings. By Dawn Allcot See: Teens & Taxes: Does My Teen Have to Pay Kiddie Tax on Investment Income? Find: Teens & Taxes: What Qualifies a Teen for Social Security Payments & Do They Pay Tax on Their Benefits?...

According to the Social Security Administration, more than 60 million people depend on Social Security benefits for either part or all of their income during retirement. Regardless of how much one receives, Social Security is a crucial part of retirement, and seniors depend on the monthly income for their basic expenses. Below are the different types of Social Security benefits you can receive, and what each one provides. By Georgina Tzanetos Explore: 10 Reasons You Should Claim Social Security Early Learn: 11 Social Security Mistakes That Can Cost You a Fortune...

Buying a home — likely the biggest purchase you will ever make — is a huge commitment that can be thrilling and distressing in equal measure. By David Nadelle As we close out an economically difficult 2022, the housing market has shifted from a rough inflation situation to a deflation cycle. Corrected by the Federal Reserve’s persistent interest rate hikes, U.S. home prices have declined for four consecutive months, per Fortune....

When the country enters a recession, the stock market often takes a beating. But there are some stocks that do better than others when there’s an economic contraction. Keep reading to learn about some stocks that may fare better when times are tough. By Karen Doyle Consumer Staples Healthcare Utilities Grocery Stores Discount Retailers See: 5 Things You Must Do When Your Savings Reach $50,000 What Is a Recession? First, let’s define a recession....

You’re in the market for wine, but not just any bottle will do. Whether you’re a wine collector, need a seriously fancy gift for a wine aficionado or plan to have a superbly lavish toast, only the most expensive wines will do. By Jennifer Taylor 20 Most Expensive Wines Most Expensive Wine Sure, you’ve heard about the Impériale of Château Cheval Blanc 1947 that sold for $305,000 at Christie’s Hong Kong in 1999 and the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Assortment 1996 which sold for $81,250 at Christie’s Los Angeles in 2022....

Members of the military have access to special savings opportunities, but they don’t always make the most of these benefits. It can seem difficult to afford to set money aside for the future when you’re focusing on paying your regular bills and dealing with extra challenges like frequent moves and deployments. But even if you start small and save regularly, your savings can grow significantly over the long run and make a big difference in your financial future — especially when you get tax benefits and matching contributions....

It’s hard to imagine that anyone looks forward to planning how their stuff will be divvied up after they die. But taking the time to ensure a smooth transfer of wealth could be your final act of selflessness — and your posterity will certainly be grateful for your efforts. By Andrew Lisa Save More: Unplug These Appliances That Hike Up Your Electricity BillFind Out: How To Invest In Precious Metals To Protect Your RetirementSee: 6 Types of Retirement Income That Aren’t Taxable...

It may be the merriest time of year, but for many, it’s also the most stressful — and costly. We’re dishing out heaps of money on gifts, decor, travel and more. Amid all the spending sprees and holiday hubbub, it can be easy to push certain purchases off until the last minute — particularly if that purchase is a gift for someone you don’t know too well or someone you simply weren’t expecting to see this season....

Once Christmas rolls around, and you’ve made your list and checked it twice, it’s time to start making a new one — for all the items available in post-holiday sales. By Selena Fragassi See: 9 Costco Brand Items That Aren’t Worth the MoneyFind: 3 Easy Tips to Turn Your Credit Woes into Wows According to Tiara Rea-Palmer, head of retail relations for Couponfollow.com, who spoke to The Money Manual: “The single best day to shop after Christmas is December 26, hands down....

Tesla shares have been fluctuating in value in recent weeks because of several factors, the most notable of them being CEO Elon Musk’s chaotic $44 billion Twitter deal. Some analysts say, however, that the recent stock selloff has overshadowed several key positives in the Tesla story and the opportunities that could come with it, including a “compelling entry point.” By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy See: Tesla Loses More Than $500 Million From Bitcoin Crash — Is Your Investment Safe?...