Then Social Security Commissioner Martin O’Malley testifies before the Senate Committee on the Budget on Sept. 11, 2024. Anna Rose Layden | Getty Images News | Getty Images Social Security has never missed a benefit payment since the program first began sending individuals monthly benefits more than eight decades ago. But the recent actions at […]

Jaque Silva/ | Nurphoto | Getty Images With the price of bitcoin down from a record high in January, there’s a chance for some investors to score a tax break, experts say.   Following a post-election rally, the flagship digital currency touched $109,000 on inauguration day before falling in February. As of midday Friday, the price […]

A student studies in the Perry-Castaneda Library at the University of Texas at Austin, Feb. 22, 2024. Brandon Bell | Getty Images The Trump administration has taken down the applications for popular student loan repayment plans from the U.S. Department of Education‘s website, leaving millions of borrowers with fewer options for now. Borrowers are unable […]

Pra-chid | Istock | Getty Images With tax season well underway, you may be eager for strategies to reduce your 2024 taxes or boost your refund. However, there are limited options, especially for so-called “W-2 employees” who earn wages, experts say. After Dec. 31, there are “very few” tax moves left for the previous year, […]

Students walk through the University of Texas at Austin on February 22, 2024 in Austin, Texas.  Brandon Bell | Getty Images Amid President Donald Trump‘s threats to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education and recent reports that Elon Musk‘s secretive government-slashing effort, the Department of Government Efficiency, had gained access to confidential student loan data, […]

Skynesher | E+ | Getty Images The Social Security Administration has released a new expedited timeline for when more than 3.2 million individuals will see one-time payments and higher benefit checks following the enactment of a new law. The Social Security Fairness Act was signed into law by President Joe Biden on Jan. 5 and […]

An attendant holds 1-kilogram gold bars on Feb. 17, 2025. Akos Stiller/Bloomberg via Getty Images Gold prices are popping. But investors should avoid the temptation to chase a shiny object, investment experts said. The SPDR Gold Shares fund (GLD), which tracks the price of gold bullion, is up about 11% in 2025 as of 2 p.m. […]

The average tax refund is 10.4% lower than last year according to the latest Internal Revenue Service data, and inflation is taking more of those dollars. Bill Oxford | E+ | Getty Images The average tax refund this year is down 32.4% compared to last year, according to early filing data from the IRS.  Tax […]

Richard Stephen | Istock | Getty Images As lawmakers in Washington, D.C., work to rein in government spending, some advocates and consumers are concerned that Social Security could see cuts. Congress faces a March 14 deadline to extend funding for the federal government in order to avoid a government shutdown. Meanwhile, the Trump administration had […]

Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images There’s a lesser-known tax break for low- to moderate-income Americans who save for retirement. However, most eligible taxpayers don’t claim it, experts say. The retirement savings contributions credit, or saver’s credit, helps offset funds added to an individual retirement account, 401(k) plan or another workplace plan. The tax break […]

Although inflation has eased considerably, in many ways, it is still alive and well. The consumer price index, which measures the cost of a wide-ranging basket of goods and services, has fallen gradually from a 9.1% pandemic-era peak in June 2022 to 3% in January. But it is still above the Federal Reserve’s 2% goal. “The progress toward 2% […]

Protestors in New York City demonstrate against the push by President Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who leads the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, to gut federal services and impose mass layoffs, Feb. 19, 2025. Michael Nigro/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images The Trump administration’s purge of federal workers may ultimately amount to the biggest job […]

Vithun Khamsong | Moment | Getty Images Thousands of IRS employees are expected to lose their jobs as Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, continues widespread cuts to federal spending.  The move comes roughly three weeks since the opening of tax season and could impact millions of taxpayers who will file before the […]

Damircudic | E+ | Getty Images Student loan borrowers who expected smaller monthly payments under the new Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan received some bad news on Feb. 18, when a U.S. appeals court blocked the program. As a result, millions of people will need to switch to a new repayment plan […]

Protesters demonstrate in support of federal workers outside of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Feb. 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Anna Moneymaker | Getty Images On Feb. 11, Elizabeth Aniskevich, an attorney at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, received a notice that she was being terminated immediately. “I was completely shocked,” […]

Images By Tang Ming Tung | Digitalvision | Getty Images Whether you’re expecting a refund or balance due this tax season, there’s a key reason to file your return promptly, experts say: thwarting tax-related identity theft.     Nearly 33% of Americans procrastinate filing their taxes, according to a survey from real estate company IPX1031, which polled […]