Wealth Management

The Good Brigade | Digitalvision | Getty Images Mortgage rates have risen in recent months, even as the Federal Reserve has cut interest rates. While those opposing movements may seem counterintuitive, they’re due to market forces that seem unlikely to ease much in the near term, according to economists and other finance experts. That may

Cofotoisme | E+ | Getty Images How long it takes you to save for a 20% down payment on a home depends in part on where you live.  In a pricey area such as New York City, it could take the typical buyer roughly 10.85 years to save $173,000, which is 20% of the median

After a prolonged period of job gains and wage increases, employers capped off the year by giving their employees bigger year-end bonuses, a new report found. The average bonus awarded in December was $2,503, on average, up from $2,447 in 2023 — an increase of just over 2%, according to an exclusive look at data

Osaka, Japan. Jiale Tan | Moment | Getty Images The new year has many travelers thinking ahead to 2025 vacation plans — and how much those trips may cost. About half — 51% — of Americans say flight cost will determine their destination choices this year, according to Skyscanner. And 50% said hotel costs are

Sweeping changes may be in store once President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Among them could be the closure of numerous federal agencies and regulators. Trump will be sworn in for a second nonconsecutive term in the White House on Jan. 20. Already, he has suggested major cuts to federal spending. To that end, Trump named Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy co-chairs of

sturti | E+ | Getty Images As tax filing season starts, 1 million taxpayers are already set to receive automatic payments from the IRS. That has many people asking, “Will I receive an IRS stimulus check in 2025?” “IRS automatic stimulus payments” is a breakout search, with rising queries related to eligibility, Google Trends data

Hirurg | E+ | Getty Images With the start of tax season approaching, Democratic and Republican lawmakers are split on the future of Direct File, the IRS’ free tax filing program. Direct File, which recently expanded to limited taxpayers in 25 states, processed roughly 140,000 returns in 2024 during the pilot that launched mid-season. The

In this article EFX Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNT Elijah Nouvelage/Bloomberg via Getty Images The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau fined Equifax $15 million over errors tied to consumer credit reports, alleging the company failed to conduct proper investigations of disputed information, the federal watchdog announced Friday. Equifax is one of three major credit reporting

Burned cars and homes destroyed by the Eaton Fire are pictured in Altadena, California, on Jan. 9, 2025. Zoe Meyers | AFP | Getty Images California residents affected by recent wildfires may be eligible for a one-time $770 payment from the federal government, President Joe Biden said this week. The money — called serious needs

US President Joe Biden speaks during an event in Madison, Wisconsin, US, on Monday, April 8, 2024.  Daniel Steinle | Bloomberg | Getty Images The Biden administration announced on Thursday what it described as its final round of student loan forgiveness, clearing over $600 million in debt for thousands of borrowers. The relief will go