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
Searching for health insurance online can lead you to a scammer, the FTC warns
The Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit in April 2026 to shut down a health care scheme that allegedly impersonated government agencies and major insurance...
After 65, a health savings account covers anything with no penalty
Americans who hold health savings accounts and turn 65 face a quiet but significant shift in how they can spend those funds. Federal tax law...
Debt collectors must prove you owe the money within 30 days
Consumers who receive a debt collection notice now have a 30-day window to challenge the claim in writing, and once they do, the collector must...
You can ask a hospital for an itemized bill and apply for charity care — many patients qualify and never ask
Tens of thousands of patients have been sent to collections for hospital bills they may never have owed. A case brought by the Washington State...
Freezing your credit at all three bureaus is free
Every consumer in the United States can lock down their credit files at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion without paying a cent, a protection written into...
A 2% hurricane deductible can leave a Florida homeowner paying the first $6,000 of storm damage before insurance pays a cent
Florida homeowners who choose a 2% hurricane deductible on a property insured for $300,000 face a $6,000 bill out of their own pocket before their...
HSN recalled 86,040 insulated bowls that caught fire in the microwave
Tens of thousands of consumers who bought Kitchen HQ Thermal Insulated Bowls through HSN now face a fire risk every time they use a microwave....
States are holding about $70 billion in unclaimed cash, and a free search at MissingMoney.com finds yours
Millions of Americans have money sitting in state treasuries that they have never claimed, often because they moved, changed names, or simply forgot about an...
Lifetime Brands recalled roughly 75,700 light-up tumblers because children can pry out the button battery inside
Roughly 75,700 BUILT LUUM light-up tumblers sold by Lifetime Brands are now subject to a federal recall after one child pried a button cell battery...
PQL is recalling about 186,520 LED light fixtures because the panels can loosen inside and start a fire
About 186,520 High Bay Linear LED light fixtures sold by PQL are being pulled from commercial use after federal regulators determined that retaining pins inside...
People with disabilities can save in an ABLE account without losing Medicaid or SSI
For the roughly 7.4 million Americans who receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the federal government has long imposed a $2,000 cap on countable resources, a...
Leaving a job doesn’t end your health coverage right away — COBRA gives you 60 days to continue it
Anyone who loses employer-sponsored health insurance after leaving a job, getting laid off, or having hours cut faces an immediate question: how long before coverage...
Series EE savings bonds are guaranteed to double in value if you hold them 20 years
Buyers of Series EE savings bonds who hold them for two full decades are guaranteed by the U.S. Treasury to receive at least double their...
Vevor is recalling about 11,650 ice crushers sold on Amazon and Walmart after reports of overheating and a fire
Owners of about 11,650 Vevor ice crushers sold through Amazon and Walmart now face a fire risk serious enough to prompt a federal recall and...
Old U.S. savings bonds stop earning interest after 30 years, and a free Treasury tool finds yours
Americans holding paper savings bonds from the 1990s or earlier could be sitting on certificates that stopped growing years ago. Series EE and I savings...
A new flood insurance policy usually won’t pay for the first 30 days, so buying mid-hurricane-season can leave you exposed
Homeowners who buy a National Flood Insurance Program policy after the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season begins on June 1 face a hard regulatory reality: that...
Money in a health flexible spending account is often use-it-or-lose-it by year’s end
Workers who set aside pretax dollars in a health flexible spending account face a hard deadline: spend the money on eligible medical expenses before the...
The beneficiary form on your 401(k) or life insurance outranks your will, so an outdated one can pay an ex
A divorced worker who updates a will but forgets to change the beneficiary form on a 401(k) or employer life insurance policy can inadvertently leave...
Closing your oldest credit card can backfire and quietly lower your credit score
Cardholders who close a longstanding credit card to dodge an annual fee or simplify their wallets can trigger a quiet drop in their credit scores,...
Disputing a credit-report error is free, and the bureau has 30 days to act
A wrong account balance, a misattributed late payment, or a debt that belongs to someone else can quietly sit on a credit report for months,...