How Fed interest rate hikes could impact mortgages, car loans, card rates

Will mortgage rates go up? How about car loans? Credit cards? How about those nearly invisible rates on bank CDs — any chance of getting a few dollars more?

Federal Reserve plans to raise interest rates as soon as March

The Federal Reserve signaled Wednesday that it plans to begin raising its benchmark interest rate as soon as March, a key step in reversing its pandemic-era low-rate policies that have fueled hiring and growth but also escalated inflation.

Expecting a 2022 tax refund? Tips for getting your money back faster

The 2022 tax season is officially underway, and the IRS has a few tips for Americans looking to get their tax refund as quickly as possible.

Unemployment claims climb to 286,000, the most since October

Jobless claims rose for the third straight week — by 55,000 to 286,000, highest since mid-October, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

Child tax credit: How families can get the rest of their money in 2022

Although the IRS paid out the last monthly installment of the expanded child tax credit in December, millions of parents should be on the lookout for a letter from the agency that will help them collect the remaining half of the money when they file their 2021 tax returns. 

Monthly child tax credit to stop this weekend: What families should know

Millions of families who received a monthly payment from the IRS through the expanded child tax credit are facing their first month since July without cash from the federal program, even as inflation soars to the highest level in a generation. 

Retail sales drop 1.9% in December following early holiday rush

Americans sharply cut their spending in December after a burst of early spending in the fall that helped bolster the holiday season.

Navient cancels $1.7 billion in student loans following settlement

Navient, a major student loan servicing company, has settled allegations of abusive lending practices for $1.85 billion.

Inflation surges in December to highest rate since 1982

Prices paid by U.S. consumers jumped 7% in December from a year earlier, the highest inflation rate since 1982 and the latest evidence that rising costs for food, rent and other necessities are heightening the financial pressures on America's households.

Private insurers to cover home COVID-19 tests starting Saturday

Under the new policy, Americans will be able to either purchase home testing kits for free under their insurance or submit receipts for the tests for reimbursement, up to the monthly per-person limit.

Child tax credit 2021 payments: How to know if you owe, IRS letter to watch for

Families who received monthly payments as part of the expanded Child Tax Credit program in 2021 should look out for this letter from the IRS ahead of tax season.

These 25 states will see a minimum wage boost in 2022

Several U.S. states will receive minimum wage increases in 2022. Here's a list and when each boost will occur.

US home prices surged nearly 19% in October as market continues to boom

U.S. home prices surged again in October as the housing market continues to boom in the wake of last year’s coronavirus recession.

Biden signs bill blocking Chinese goods made by forced labor

The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act is the latest in a series of intensifying U.S. penalties against China for alleged abuses.

Student loan payment pause extended through May 1

President Joe Biden said financial recovery from the pandemic will take longer than job recovery, especially for those with student loans.

Sen. Joe Manchin on Biden's $2T bill: 'I can't vote for it'

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin says he can’t back a $2 trillion social safety net bill, dealing a potentially fatal blow to President Joe Biden’s signature legislation.

Biden, Manchin at odds over $2T social spending bill, AP source says

According to a person familiar with the talks, President Joe Biden and Sen. Joe Manchin are said to be sharply divided over Democrats’ huge social and environmental bill.