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
Lost track of a life insurance policy? A free national locator searches insurers for your family
Families who lose track of a loved one’s life insurance policy after a death can face months of frustration searching for benefits they are owed....
$29 billion in U.S. savings bonds has stopped earning interest, and a free Treasury site finds yours
Millions of Americans own savings bonds that stopped growing years ago, and the federal tool built to help them find that money no longer exists....
INIU power banks sold on Amazon are being recalled over fire and burn risks
Federal safety regulators are pulling roughly 210,000 INIU portable chargers off the market after finding the lithium-ion batteries inside can overheat and catch fire. The...
An ABLE account lets people who became disabled before 26 save and invest tax-free
Millions of Americans with disabilities face a brutal tradeoff: save money for future needs and risk losing federal benefits, or stay below strict asset limits...
$1,000 in extra HSA contributions is allowed each year once you turn 55
Americans who hold a high-deductible health plan and turn 55 gain the right to contribute an extra $1,000 per year to a health savings account,...
Chicago drivers whose cars were towed since 2017 can claim up to $1,250 by August 12
Chicago vehicle owners whose cars were towed under the city’s abandoned-vehicle program between 2017 and recent years can file claims for payments of up to...
$1,904 a year is the new average premium for subsidized Obamacare buyers, nearly double the $888 they paid before enhanced credits expired
Millions of Americans who buy health coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces are now paying roughly twice what they paid a year ago. Average...
The VA pays a burial and plot allowance toward a veteran’s funeral, money many grieving families never claim
Families who bury a veteran outside a national cemetery can claim a cash reimbursement from the Department of Veterans Affairs for burial costs, plot expenses,...
Nonprofit credit counselors can fold your cards into one lower-interest payment, often for little or no fee
Consumers juggling multiple credit card balances can combine them into a single monthly payment with reduced interest rates and fees through a debt management plan...
Family caregivers of a disabled veteran can get a monthly VA stipend
Family caregivers who provide daily support to severely disabled veterans can receive a tax-free monthly payment from the Department of Veterans Affairs, yet many eligible...
Losing job-based health coverage opens a 60-day window to buy a subsidized marketplace plan instead of pricey COBRA
Workers who lose employer-sponsored health insurance face a stark choice between two very different price tags, and the clock starts ticking immediately. Federal rules give...
One in seven Americans has unclaimed cash sitting in a state account, and a free official search finds it by name
Roughly one in seven people in the United States have unclaimed property sitting in a state account, according to the president of the National Association...
A few hundred dollars a year buys a $1 million umbrella policy covering lawsuits your home and auto insurance won’t
A single car accident or a guest’s fall on a homeowner’s property can produce a lawsuit that exceeds the liability limits on a standard auto...
Gap insurance pays off your car loan if a new vehicle is totaled and you owe more than it’s worth
Car buyers who finance a new vehicle and total it within the first few years of ownership can find themselves owing thousands of dollars more...
Raising your home-insurance deductible to $2,500 can cut the yearly premium sharply
Homeowners watching their annual insurance bills climb have a straightforward option that state regulators across the country keep pointing to: raise the deductible. Choosing a...
A no-penalty CD pays around 4% yet still lets you pull your cash early without a fee
Savers hunting for yield without sacrificing access to their cash are turning to no-penalty certificates of deposit that advertise annual percentage yields near 4 percent....
An ABLE account lets people disabled before age 26 save up to $19,000 a year without losing benefits
Americans whose blindness or disability began before age 26 can shelter savings in a tax-advantaged ABLE account, keeping money that would otherwise push them past...
A power of attorney and health directive keep your money and care under your control if illness strikes
A stroke, a car accident, or a sudden diagnosis can leave someone unable to sign a check, authorize a medical procedure, or communicate treatment preferences....
Americans trimmed credit-card balances by $25 billion in the first quarter, though the total still sits near $1.25 trillion
American households paid down roughly $25 billion in credit-card balances during the first quarter, a seasonal pullback that still leaves the national total near $1.25...
A long-term-care partnership policy shields a matching amount of your savings from Medicaid spend-down
Families with moderate savings face a sharp financial cliff when a loved one needs nursing home care or extended home health services. Medicaid, the primary...