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
Replacement-cost home insurance rebuilds at today’s prices, not a depreciated value
Homeowners who suffer a total loss from fire or storm face a sharp financial divide based on a single policy detail: whether their coverage pays...
Stop most pre-screened credit-card and insurance offers for free through OptOutPrescreen
Consumers who receive stacks of unsolicited credit-card and insurance pitches in the mail can shut most of them off for free through OptOutPrescreen.com or a...
Many life-insurance policies let a terminally ill policyholder draw cash from the death benefit while still alive
A terminally ill policyholder facing mounting medical bills and lost income can often tap cash from the same life-insurance policy that was supposed to pay...
4.26% is what Series I savings bonds pay through October, adjusting with inflation
The U.S. Bureau of the Fiscal Service announced that Series I savings bonds purchased from May 1 through October 31, 2026, will earn a 4.26%...
Many veterans can get VA health care with no monthly premium and low or no copays, depending on income and service
Veterans across the United States can enroll in VA health care without paying a monthly premium, but what they owe in copays, if anything, depends...
$2,874 a month, tax-free, can go to wartime veterans who need daily help
Wartime veterans who cannot dress themselves, stay clean, or avoid daily hazards without help can receive up to $2,874 a month in tax-free pension payments...
Top high-yield savings accounts and CDs still pay around 4%
Savers who park cash in a standard bank account are leaving hundreds of dollars on the table each year, even as the Federal Reserve holds...
$1,000 extra a year can go into a health savings account once you turn 55
Americans turning 55 gain access to an extra $1,000 a year in health savings account contributions, a fixed statutory amount that does not change with...
A Series EE savings bond is guaranteed to double in value in 20 years
The U.S. Treasury has committed to a simple promise for anyone buying a Series EE savings bond: the bond will reach at least twice its...
Disputing an error on your credit report is free, and the bureau must investigate and fix or remove it within about 30 days
One in five consumers had an error on at least one of their credit reports, according to a Federal Trade Commission study, and five percent...
Paying your credit-card bill before the statement closes, not just by the due date, can lower the balance that shapes your score
Millions of cardholders who pay their full balance by the due date each month still see their credit scores fluctuate, sometimes dropping right before they...
Scanning your bank statement for forgotten free trials and auto-renewals can quietly save hundreds of dollars a year
Millions of Americans are paying for subscriptions they forgot to cancel, and a new federal rule now on the books aims to make walking away...
Electrolux is recalling Frigidaire gas ranges over a defect that can let burners keep leaking gas, a fire hazard
Thirty people have suffered burn injuries tied to a defect in Frigidaire gas ranges that allows gas to build up inside the oven before the...
A free pharmacy discount card sometimes beats your insurance copay on generics
Millions of Americans filling generic prescriptions at the pharmacy counter may be paying more through their insurance copay than they would with a free discount...
Walmart’s Great Value Hawaiian rolls are recalled across 26 states
Shoppers in more than two dozen states face a decision at the bread aisle after the FDA flagged Walmart’s Great Value Hawaiian Roll 4-packs in...
UnitedHealth denied 71% of seniors’ long-term-care requests, versus 42% at smaller plans
Seniors enrolled in UnitedHealth Group’s Medicare Advantage plan saw roughly 70.9% of their prior authorization requests for long-term acute care hospital stays denied in June...
Joann is closing all remaining stores; use gift cards before they’re worthless
Shoppers holding JOANN gift cards now face a deadline to spend them. The craft and fabric retailer has launched store closing sales at all 790...
Uninsured or paying cash? Hospitals must give you a good-faith cost estimate before they treat you
Millions of Americans who lack health insurance or choose to pay out of pocket for medical care now have a federal right that many still...
Did you buy a mattress online? An Ashley settlement is handing out vouchers until July 17
Consumers who purchased Nectar, DreamCloud, or Siena mattresses online have a shrinking window to claim vouchers through a settlement tied to Ashley, the furniture giant...
California ticket buyers who used Posh can claim up to $15 from a settlement before July 7
California residents who bought event tickets through the Posh platform have until July 7 to file a claim for up to $15 each as part...