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The Money Overview

Personal Finance

Day-to-day money decisions for individuals and households. Practical guidance on budgeting, saving, spending, credit, debt management, and financial planning.

Latest in Personal Finance

Smart Spending

A federal rule now bans hidden junk fees, forcing hotels and ticket sellers to show the full price upfront

A federal rule that took effect in 2025 now bans hidden junk fees on live-event tickets and short-term lodging, forcing sellers to show the full...

Insurance & Protection

The federal marketplace still ends 2027 enrollment on January 15, so the December 15 cutoff going around is wrong

A December 15 deadline has been circulating as the final day to sign up for 2027 marketplace health coverage, but HealthCare.gov’s own schedule still lists...

Smart Spending

More than 328,000 Jeep Grand Cherokees are recalled for springs that can detach, with a free fix that redoes earlier repairs

More than 328,000 Jeep Grand Cherokees are back in the shop under a new federal recall after two earlier attempts to fix the same problem...

Insurance & Protection

Cigna is leaving the Obamacare market in 11 states, and 369,000 people must find new coverage by January 1

Cigna is exiting the individual Affordable Care Act marketplaces in 11 states, leaving 369,000 members needing new coverage when their current plans end January 1,...

Smart Spending

A record 1.27 million Ram 1500 trucks are recalled for unbolted seat belts, with free repairs

About 1.27 million Ram 1500 owners are entitled to a free repair after Chrysler’s parent company, FCA US, told federal safety regulators that a second-row...

Smart Spending

Some Hyundai and Kia owners hit by the theft flaw can claim up to $4,500 by March 2027

A separate $9 million multistate settlement between Hyundai, Kia and 35 state attorneys general is now paying claims to owners whose vehicles were stolen, or...

Smart Spending

Pork buyers can claim a share of a $117 million price-fixing settlement with no receipts by October 29

A $117.065 million antitrust settlement is now taking claims from anyone who bought raw pork or bacon at a grocery store between June 28, 2014,...

Insurance & Protection

Health Net is dropping every commercial group health plan in California and Oregon for 2027

Centene subsidiary Health Net confirmed this month that it is exiting the traditional commercial group health insurance market in California and Oregon entirely, ending every...

Insurance & Protection

Homeowners insurance now rivals the mortgage payment for 44% of owners, and nearly a quarter have been dropped since 2024

Homeowners insurance has closed the gap with the mortgage payment for a large share of American households, according to a new survey: 44% of homeowners...

Budgeting & Saving

Series I savings bonds carry a fixed rate on top of inflation, locking in real interest for years

A Series I savings bond splits its interest into two separate pieces, and only one of them ever changes. The fixed-rate half is locked in...

Budgeting & Saving

A Series EE savings bond is guaranteed to double if held 20 years

A Series EE savings bond bought today comes with a promise written into federal law: hold it 20 years, and it will be worth at...

Insurance & Protection

Full-coverage car insurance climbed about 11% this year to roughly $216 a month

Full-coverage car insurance now runs in the neighborhood of $216 a month for many drivers nationwide, roughly an 11% climb from a year ago and...

Smart Spending

Google is paying $8.25 million over apps that collected children’s data, and eligible users must file by September 14

Google and its advertising subsidiary AdMob have agreed to pay $8.25 million to resolve a federal lawsuit alleging the companies collected personal information from children...

Insurance & Protection

A brokerage account is protected up to $500,000 if the firm fails, separate from any FDIC bank coverage

When a brokerage firm collapses and cash or securities go missing from a customer’s account, the Securities Investor Protection Corporation (SIPC) replaces up to $500,000...

Smart Spending

A federal weatherization program pays to seal and insulate a low-income home to cut the energy bill for good

The U.S. Department of Energy is currently funneling $325 million toward sealing drafts, adding insulation and tuning up heating systems inside homes owned by people...

Smart Spending

Free IRS-certified volunteers file taxes for seniors and lower-income households

Two federal programs quietly prepare millions of tax returns for free every filing season, yet Volunteer Income Tax Assistance and Tax Counseling for the Elderly...

Credit & Debt

A Trans Union settlement pays some consumers about $100 automatically by October 30

A $8.31 million settlement is resolving claims that TransUnion sold credit reports carrying inaccurate bankruptcy remarks, and part of it has already started paying out:...

Smart Spending

Kroger pharmacy customers who paid with insurance can file a claim by December 21

Kroger customers who used prescription insurance at a Kroger-owned pharmacy any time between December 9, 2018, and August 23, 2026, now have a court-cleared path...

Insurance & Protection

The No Surprises Act bars most surprise out-of-network medical bills

A hospital stay handled entirely by an in-network surgeon can still generate a bill running into the thousands of dollars, because the anesthesiologist who administered...

Smart Spending

A prescription discount card can beat an insurance copay at the pharmacy counter

At many pharmacy counters, the price on an insurance copay isn’t automatically the cheapest option available. Federal regulators moved years ago to stop pharmacies from...

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