Many Americans are borrowing and incurring debt to keep up with rising costs for basic necessities, such as groceries, rent and utilities, as well as to make larger purchases. Credit card balances reached a record $1.28 trillion at the end of 2025, according to the New York Fed. As consumers look to manage that debt, personal…
The US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, US, on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026. Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty Images The Supreme Court may decide the fate of President Donald Trump’s tariff agenda as soon as Friday — and the ruling has implications for consumers’ wallets, according to economists. If the high court were to…
U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 20, 2025. Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters The Trump administration is ramping up pressure on colleges to ensure their graduates and other former students repay their federal student loans. The U.S. Department of Education issued guidance on…
Valerie Plesch | The Washington Post | Getty Images Even as the U.S. economy adds jobs and the unemployment rate ticks lower, there are fewer hiring opportunities for college graduates. And yet, high school students remain remarkably optimistic about their future employment prospects. According to a new report by Junior Achievement, 73% of teenagers said the artificial Intelligence boom will have…
Andreypopov | Istock | Getty Images The Trump administration has identified more than 40,000 borrowers eligible for federal student loan forgiveness in January, a recent court filing revealed. More than 10,800 of the borrowers who qualified for the debt cancellation were enrolled in the U.S. Department of Education’s Income-Based Repayment Plan; another over 10,700 were…
Hispanolistic | E+ | Getty Images Even as experts anticipate more supply in the used car market this year, consumers probably won’t see much relief on pricing. While dealer inventories continue to slowly improve, the higher-cost mix of vehicles hitting the used car market — and wholesale prices that ticked higher in January — could…
Jetta Productions Inc | Digitalvision | Getty Images If you earned overtime pay in 2025, you could see a bigger refund during the 2026 filing season based on a new tax break enacted via President Donald Trump‘s “big beautiful bill.” But missing details on tax forms, such as on your W-2 from an employer, could…
Parents who took out student loans for their child’s education could be excluded from affordable repayment plans and loan forgiveness programs in the coming months if they don’t take certain steps soon, consumer advocates warn. “I’m hearing a lot of anxiety from parents about losing access to income-driven repayment plans,” said Kathleen Boyd, a certified…
Lechatnoir | E+ | Getty Images Employers don’t appear eager to mix their 401(k) plans with emergency savings options for workers, new research suggests. Although companies have been permitted since 2024 to allow $1,000 emergency withdrawals from retirement savings and to offer 401(k)-linked emergency savings accounts, there’s been little adoption, according to a Vanguard report…
Momo Productions | Digitalvision | Getty Images For homeowners who sell their house later in life, that timing may come with a cost, new research suggests. Once sellers reach about age 70, they start getting lower sale prices for their houses compared with younger homeowners, according to a January research brief published by the Center…