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The government is voting again today on whether or not to raise the debt ceiling, and a vote of no could have some financial implications for the average American consumer from furloughs to longer wait times for essential benefits. By Georgina Tzanetos See: Government Shutdown 2021: Will SNAP Benefits Be Impacted?Find: Government Shutdown 2021: Is Federal Financial Aid In Danger? Essential services would still continue at full capacity. However, unlike the last shutdown, this time, the U....

There’s a common misconception that you don’t have to worry about healthcare costs when you retire because Medicare has you covered. Medicare certainly helps, but if you’re not budgeting for medical bills in retirement, you’re not budgeting enough — and a big chunk of America knows it. By Andrew Lisa Discover: 8 Purchases Retirees Almost Always Regret Learn: 7 Surprisingly Easy Ways To Reach Your Retirement Goals The Fear of Medical Bills Is an Equal-Opportunity Anxiety The study revealed virtually no difference between the genders....

Get ready — winter is coming, and so are those big gas bills to heat your home. According to the latest data in the Consumer Price Index for August 2022, the cost of natural piped gas is on the rise — 3.5% higher than the month prior and a drastic 33% higher than 12 months prior. By Selena Fragassi Take a Look Back: 2022 Year in ReviewFind: 5 Things You Must Do When Your Savings Reach $50,000...

Have you ever thought about buying a home for your parents? While those who wish to do so may come from a place of good intentions, this is an important decision to make as a buyer — or buyers, if you plan to have siblings go in on the purchase. By Heather Taylor Explore: Your Biggest Money Etiquette Questions AnsweredFind Out: Should You Still Buy a Home in Today’s Market?...

If you’ve ever answered the phone or received a voicemail threatening you with legal action for overpayments of Social Security or requesting you pay them in an unusual way, you’ve already had a brush with a scammer. Scams are big business to the criminals who engage in them for the sad reason that they work. Here are tips from experts on how to recognize a scam Social Security call and also what to do (or not do)....

Fed Vice Chair Richard Clarida said today that the necessary conditions for raising interest rates will have been met by year-end 2022. By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy Economy Explained: How Interest Rates Affect Your Wallet and the Bigger Economic PictureLearn: What Would the Benefit of Raising Interest Rates Right Now Be? Speaking at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, D.C., Clarida clarified that “while, as Chair Powell indicated last week, we are clearly a ways away from considering raising interest rates and this is certainly not something on the radar screen right now, if the outlook for inflation and outlook for unemployment I summarized earlier turn out to be the actual outcomes for inflation and unemployment realized over the forecast horizon, then I believe that these three necessary conditions for raising the target range for the federal funds rate will have been met by year-end 2022,” according to his opening remarks....

Note to employers: If you want to find and keep workers during the current labor shortage, put out some pet bowls and free up office space for your team’s furry family members. Otherwise, you might find some of your employees heading for the exit. By Vance Cariaga See: How Your Pandemic Pet Helped Raise General Mills’ Fiscal 2022 Outlook Find: 6 Ways To Save Money on Dog Food and Other Pet Supplies...

NFTs had a record year in 2021 and 2022 is off to a very strong start, with January sales reaching a record high of $6.13 billion as of Jan. 29, according to The Block Data Dashboard. While the crypto market at large is struggling, the NFT space — nascent in comparison — is faring very well following 2021’s global market value hitting $23 billion, according to blockchain analytics firm DappRadar. The term was even named Collins’ Word of the Year 2021, and NFTs’ total market value is surpassing the market cap of some publicly traded companies — such as Domino’s....

Reviewing Robinhood’s strengths and weaknesses is a good way to get a feel for the platform. By Cynthia Bowman About Robinhood At A Glance Features and Accounts Who Robinhood Is For Shortcomings Competitors Mobile App 4.5 Ease of Use 4.5 Fees 4.5 Interest Rates 4.8 What Is Robinhood? Robinhood is a trading app designed to make investing and trading accessible to all through an easy-to-use platform. Robinhood’s no-commission approach was part of the reason it became the fastest-growing brokerage soon after its launch in 2014....

There are all kinds of shoppers out there: people who meticulously plan for everything they’ll buy and make sure the money is in the budget, people who impulse shop whenever they feel like it and a lot of folks in between. On average, Americans spent $183 on impulse purchases each month in 2020 — a whopping $2,196 annually that you could bank, save or put toward other purchases — according to Andrea Woroch, a nationally-recognized consumer savings expert, who cites a survey by Slickdeals....

It has been a tough year so far for the U.S. stock market, with major indices like the S&P 500, Dow and Nasdaq all declining since the beginning of 2022 after delivering strong gains in 2021. At least one market expert thinks things could get a lot worse. By Vance Cariaga See: What To Do If Your Stocks Are All FallingFind: 20 Investments That Are Recession-Proof Ralph Acampora, a long-time market technician known as the “godfather” of technical analysis, told MarketWatch last week that the stock market could lose at least one-fifth of its value this year based on recent volatility....

The new year has arrived, and you’re ready to put your Costco membership to good use. You joined the warehouse club for its great deals, and you want to make sure you’re taking full advantage of them in 2023. By Jennifer Taylor Specifically, you’re hoping to stock up on some of the retailer’s notoriously low-priced items now to make sure your shelves are filled with the essentials. This will allow you to save money throughout the year because it ensures you won’t run out of these items and end up replacing them at another retailer that might be more convenient but also pricier....

May 17 is the extended deadline for filing your taxes. If your tax forms are incomplete, or you just haven’t gotten around to doing them yet, it’s time to file for an extension. Before you do, consider that there are pandemic benefits you can lose if you don’t file by midnight tonight. By Georgina Tzanetos See: These Are the Penalties for Filing Taxes LateFind: What Actually Happens If You Don’t Pay Your Taxes...

For the last 10 years, ride-share services like Uber and Lyft have made it easy for those on the move to quickly get a ride through their apps. The widespread use and availability of ride-shares have also meant many will opt for a ride-share over a taxi in places like airports, for example. By Heather Taylor Are you really saving more money taking a ride-share over a taxi? Let’s look at some of the cost variables for riding and other considerations to factor in when choosing a car service....

In an announcement issued in late December, and reported by CNBC last Friday, electric vehicle and solar roof manufacturer Tesla has asked employees to fight a new California proposal that could make residential rooftop solar energy more expensive for many homeowners. By Dawn Allcot See: Here Comes the Sun: 10 Solar Stocks on the Rise Find: Elon Musk Dishes Out His 5 Keys to Success — What Are They? Under the legislation, residents using solar power would have to pay grid-connection charges based on the size of their system....

Tesla will ask shareholders to vote at this year’s annual meeting to authorize additional shares in order to enable a stock split, the company just announced in a tweet. The news sent the stock jumping 5.7% in pre-market trading on March 28. The stock is down 15.7% year-to-date. By Yaёl Bizouati-Kennedy See: Tesla Opens Gigafactory Berlin – Will Stock Prices Improve?Find: Tesla Hikes Prices as Musk Says There is ‘Inflation Pressure on Raw Materials’...

Living in a van sounds like a nightmare to some, but it’s a fantasy to others. Depending on the vehicle, van life can eliminate mortgage payments and free you up to travel anywhere there are roads. By Diane Fogle Now, more than ever before, van life has become a viable option for some people. That doesn’t mean you’re free from budgeting, though. There are a few things to consider before starting your van life adventure....

The gig economy has been thriving as of late, largely as a result of the pandemic. But as more and more people are switching industries, working from home and taking on side hustles to make ends meet, are freelancers earning fair wages in comparison to full-time employees? And who’s taking home a bigger cut — men or women? By Selena Fragassi Social Security: Women Get $354 Per Month Less Than Men – Here’s WhyLooking To Diversify in a Bear Market?...

Wells Fargo is the fourth-largest bank in the U.S. It offers access to a network of about 4,900 branches and over 12,000 ATMs across the country, many of which are drive-thru options. By Joshua Rodriguez Wells Fargo Drive-Thru ATM Near Me Hours and Customer Service Wells Fargo Drive-Thru ATM Near Me Here’s a look at two ways to find the Wells Fargo drive-thru ATMs that are closest to you. Google Maps You can locate nearby Wells Fargo drive-thru ATMs by using the Google map below....

With the economy roaring back to full steam and millions of newly vaccinated Americans returning to their lives, business is booming — and that’s not just a figure of speech. On April 9, CNBC reported that the U.S. had officially entered a boom period of economic growth that was expected to exceed pre-pandemic levels and make 2021 the strongest year since 1984. By Andrew Lisa See: Are There Too Many Workers or Too Many Jobs?...