Personal Finance

Angela Weiss | AFP | Getty Images Yet again, the Mega Millions jackpot has catapulted higher. The top prize is now a staggering $850 million — the third-largest in lottery history — following no ticket matching all numbers drawn Friday night. Then there’s Powerball: Its jackpot is an estimated $640 million for Saturday night’s drawing. 

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) building in Washington, D.C. Getty Images The IRS is delaying the start of the 2020 tax filing season to Feb. 12, according to an announcement from the agency. On that date, the IRS will start accepting and processing last year’s tax returns. Normally, the agency opens tax season in late

Getty Images Tax season is swiftly approaching, and after the roller coaster of 2020, this might be the year to get extra help filing your return. The coronavirus pandemic saw many changes to the tax code that could impact filers who generally would have had a straightforward return, potentially complicating your return. “For the average

President-elect Joe Biden puts on a mask after receiving his second dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccination at ChristianaCare Christiana Hospital on January 11, 2021 in Newark, Delaware. Alex Wong | Getty Images Senior officials of the incoming Biden administration say the president-elect still supports forgiving $10,000 in student debt per borrower although there’s no

vgajic | E+ | Getty Images People of color are paying more than twice the amount in banking fees than White Americans, a Bankrate survey found. When asked about fees such as ATM, overdraft and routine service charges, Black adults report shelling out an average of $12 a month for checking accounts at banks or

Andy Beshear, governor of Kentucky Scotty Perry/Bloomberg via Getty Images Kentucky is sending $400 checks to thousands of unemployed workers in the state who didn’t qualify for an earlier round of relief authorized by President Donald Trump. Other workers whose jobless benefits have been significantly delayed will get $1,000 one-time payments. Gov. Andy Beshear signed

Allen J. Schaben | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images The Mega Millions jackpot just won’t quit. With no ticket matching all six numbers drawn Tuesday night, the top prize has shot up to $750 million. The amount — which exceeds the entire economic activity of some small nations — marks the fifth-largest jackpot in

Hundreds of jobless people wait outside the Kentucky Career Center for help with their unemployment claims on June 19 in Frankfort, Kentucky. John Sommers II/Getty Images As President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office on Jan. 20, one of his first priorities is getting $2,000 stimulus checks approved. A third round of higher payments looked

With just days to spare, some colleges are scrapping plans to reopen for the spring semester as Covid cases rise. Others are simply stalling. Stanford University had planned to bring more students back for the spring semester with a delayed in-person start date. Yet, the university recently announced it will not be able to have

The U.S. Department of Labor headquarters in Washington. Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images Automatic benefits Many workers will get the aid automatically, according to communications from federal and state labor departments. For example, workers don’t need to apply or take additional action to get the $300-a-week enhancement. States will include the stipend in individuals’ typical

LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers at a game against the LA Clippers at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on July 30, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Mike Ehrmann | Getty Images In a search for revenue, state tax departments have set their sights on a tempting target: professional athletes. “If you’re

Taking a trip? Not likely right now. With tourism at a near standstill, making a long-term commitment to an annual vacation spot may have seemed like a better idea before a global pandemic restricted travel and caused a sudden spike in unemployment, leaving many Americans with less disposable income. Now some owners of timeshares, who

Jersey City, New Jersey. Dong Wenjie | Moment | Getty Images Whether they were tired of the chilly winters or the high income taxes, a lot of residents fled New Jersey, New York and Illinois in 2020. New Jersey was the top “outbound” state last year, according to an analysis of 2020 moving data by

Drew Angerer | Getty Images News | Getty Images No, you didn’t hit the $520 million Mega Millions jackpot. The lottery game’s top prize has climbed to a whopping $600 million for Tuesday night’s drawing, following no ticket matching all six numbers drawn Friday night. The amount marks the 8th-largest jackpot in lottery history. And

Fertnig | E+ | Getty Images If you don’t receive your second stimulus check in your bank account or the mail, the good news is you can claim the money when you file your tax return this spring. But beware: That doesn’t necessarily mean you will automatically get the full $600 or other funds you

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images With Democrats in control of the White House and Congress, student debt forgiveness stands a better shot of becoming a reality for millions of Americans.  Still, there are obstacles. Will cancelling the debt be a priority for the young Biden administration, which comes in amid dueling and unprecedented health

Supporters of Donald Trump gather outside the Capitol building in Washington D.C., on January 06, 2021. Tayfun Coskun | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images The coronavirus pandemic and chaos in the U.S. Capitol can’t keep the stock market down. While Americans may be in disbelief over the riots that saw lawmakers running for cover and

SDI Productions | E+ | Getty Images If your stimulus payment came in below what you expected, you may get a second shot at claiming the money when you file your 2020 tax return. In the waning days of 2020, the federal government began sending out its second round of stimulus checks to millions of

Jon Ossoff and David Perdue, candidates for Senate from Georgia. Reuters; Getty Images If Democrats achieve a majority in the Senate, a number of relief measures targeted at renters struggling amid the pandemic – including a right to counsel for those facing eviction and a larger pot of money for back rent – will have

Democratic U.S. Senate candidates Jon Ossoff (R) and Raphael Warnock (L) of Georgia wave to supporters during a rally on November 15, 2020 in Marietta, Georgia. Jessica McGowan | Getty Images Democrats may be poised to control the Senate, which would give President-elect Joe Biden’s tax plan a better chance at passing. Georgia hosted two

Cavan Images | Cavan | Getty Images Maybe you’re familiar with a common quirk of health insurance coverage: Not knowing the cost of services until after the fact. A new price transparency rule that took effect Jan. 1 is an effort to change that. Basically, hospitals are now required to post online, in a consumer-friendly

Tom Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc. | Getty Images PUA fraud Most of the theft has focused on Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, a temporary program created by the federal CARES Act in March. It offers unemployment benefits to workers who don’t ordinarily qualify, like the self-employed, gig workers, freelancers, contractors and part-timers. Con artists are attracted

Oliver Contreras/Bloomberg via Getty Images Taxpayers will have another shot at a package of tax breaks that would have otherwise expired at the end of 2020. That’s because when lawmakers hammered out the 5,593-page Covid relief act, they resurrected a basket of deductions and credits — known as tax extenders — that were about a

Brian van der Brug | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images A handful of states have begun issuing a $300 weekly boost to unemployment benefits or signaled workers will get the payments starting this week. Others expect the aid to kick in later this month. Workers in Arizona, California, New York and Rhode Island will

Hill Street Studios | DigitalVision | Getty Images Estate planning isn’t only for the wealthy — yet the majority of Americans don’t have a plan in place. Plans may include a will, powers of attorney and a living will — also known as an advance directive. Less than one-third of Americans have one or more

Mary Alexander Source: Mary Alexander Mary Alexander doesn’t make New Year’s resolutions. Instead, the 40-year-old looks back at the past year to help guide her forward. “I hope to have revelations about what’s happened in the year,” said Alexander, who is mom to three kids ages 7 to 17 and lives in Red Hook, New

The government’s stimulus response to the pandemic may accelerate the trend of companies offering student loan assistance as a benefit. Mark Chilton | iStock | Getty Images Student loan assistance, which started as a niche offering by a handful of companies, was already finding its way into the mainstream menu of workplace benefits before Covid

Around 60% of the workforce has become remote amid the coronavirus pandemic. champja The coronavirus upended the way many workers do their job — whether in person or from home — and increased the time they spend doing it.  In 2020, the average workday lengthened by nearly an hour, according to a working paper published by the National

Hispanolistic The latest round of $600 stimulus checks is on the way, but for people who either changed their bank account information or moved recently, the next payment may be delayed. The IRS has already started the process of issuing the checks through direct deposit, and some people have already noticed the payment pending in

Millions of Americans report not having enough money to pay for food during the pandemic. Michael Loccisano | Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images The latest Covid relief package expands food benefits, giving further aid to millions of Americans who are facing financial difficulty because of the coronavirus pandemic.  The $900 billion stimulus bill signed