Artiemedvedev | Istock | Getty Images The average tax refund is 11.1% higher so far this season, compared with about the same period in 2025, according to the latest IRS filing data. As of April 3, the average refund amount for individual filers was $3,462, up from $3,116 about one year ago, the IRS reported on Friday. The IRS…
A customer pumps gas into their vehicle on Oct. 24, 2025 in Miami, Florida. Joe Raedle | Getty Images The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2027 could climb higher as new government data shows a jump in inflation and gasoline prices, according to one new estimate. The cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, could be 3.2% in…
Gasoline prices are displayed at a Sunoco station in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, U.S., March 31, 2026. Shannon Stapleton | Reuters Inflation spiked in March as the Iran war pushed up gasoline and other prices for consumers. The consumer price index, a key inflation measure, rose 3.3% in March from a year…
Simpleimages | Moment | Getty Images Every year, married couples decide whether to file taxes jointly or separately. That choice could affect their 2025 taxes in new ways amid changes enacted in President Donald Trump‘s “big beautiful bill.” Generally, the tax code favors the “married filing jointly” status, which combines a couple’s income, credits and…
Maskot | Digitalvision | Getty Images It may be more expensive for some student loan borrowers to access a popular debt forgiveness program, after a new policy rolled out by the Trump administration. Borrowers who were using the so-called buyback option to get their debt cleared under Public Service Loan Forgiveness will likely be subject…
Whitetea | E+ | Getty Images As the April 15 tax deadline approaches, some investors will soon make a last-minute individual retirement account contribution. Tax day is the deadline for 2025 IRA contributions, which typically brings a surge in deposits — and this season is no different, according to Fidelity Investments. During the two weeks…
A selection of Louis Vuitton handbags is neatly arranged on a shelf inside a luxury boutique in Bari, Italy, on July 2, 2025. (Photo by Matteo Della Torre/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images A New York woman who worked as a personal assistant pleaded guilty to wire fraud on Wednesday for…
Laura Olivas | Moment | Getty Images Some relief at the gas pump may be on its way, at least for now. With oil prices plunging Wednesday after the U.S. and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire that could allow oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, gas prices may start slowly coming…
Travelers in Terminal 1 at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York, US, on Sunday, March 1, 2026. Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images For budget conscious travelers, it’s gotten harder to escape the rising cost of airfare in recent weeks. Airlines are raising bag fees, adding fuel surcharges and cutting flight…
Students at Stanford University in California. Erin Lubin | Bloomberg | Getty Images In the weeks leading up to National College Decision Day on May 1, students will weigh the pros and cons of each school. But the deciding factor often comes down to cost. For a majority of college hopefuls and their families, the financial…