Category: personal finance

Social Security Benefits Rounded Down

Q: I’ve heard that Social Security is cheating me and millions of other Americans out of Social Security benefits they are due because they round down to the nearest dollar when they are supposed to be rounding up. Is this true? A: Well, it’s true … and it’s false. It’s true when you say that…


Closing Prices for Crude Oil, Gold and Other Commodities (May 2)

Benchmark U.S. crude oil for June delivery fell $4 to $71.66 a barrel Tuesday. Brent crude for July delivery fell $3.99 to $75.32 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline for June delivery fell 11 cents $2.44 a gallon. June heating oil fell 9 cents $2.29 a gallon. June natural gas fell 11 cents to $2.21 per 1,000…


ANALYSIS: Comparing Today’s Banking Crisis to the 2008 Meltdown

News Analysis As the current banking crisis spreads, with First Republic Bank becoming the third major U.S. bank failure of 2023, many are now seeing echoes of what has come to be known as the “Great Financial Crisis” of 2008–09. First Republic’s slow-motion collapse and ultimate acquisition by JPMorgan Chase on May 1 follows the…


ANALYSIS: How the Current Banking Crisis Is Different From the Financial Crisis of 2008

News Analysis As the current banking crisis spreads, with First Republic Bank becoming the third major U.S. bank failure of 2023, many are now seeing echoes of what has come to be known as the “Great Financial Crisis” of 2008–09. First Republic’s slow-motion collapse and ultimate acquisition by JPMorgan Chase on May 1 follows the…


ANALYSIS: How the Current Banking Crisis Differs From the Financial Crisis of 2008

News Analysis As the current banking crisis spreads, with First Republic Bank becoming the third major U.S. bank failure of 2023, many are now seeing echoes of what has come to be known as the “Great Financial Crisis” of 2008–09. First Republic’s slow-motion collapse and ultimate acquisition by JPMorgan Chase on May 1 follows the…


Nearly Three-Quarters of Millennials Live Paycheck to Paycheck: Report

A new survey found the majority of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, and the problem is worse for millennials, with nearly three-quarters, or 73 percent, living paycheck to paycheck. Personal finance site PYMNTS and LendingClub, an online lender, released an April report, titled “New Reality Check: The Paycheck-to-Paycheck Report,” to learn how the rising cost…


Audit Your Credit Cards for Greater Savings

Credit card rewards help our family save money on groceries, gas and other necessities. We also use rewards for airline tickets, hotel rooms and airport lounge access. We’re in good company. Most Americans have at least one rewards card, and nearly half of rewards cardholders are using their perks to help offset rising inflation, according…


Small-Business Tax Planning for the Coming Increased Taxes

Small businesses can save a lot of money if they take time to plan how they can reduce their taxes. Waiting until the end of the year to discover which tax credits or tax deductions you can get is too late. Most likely, you will wish you knew about some new deductions before the year…


Another Fed Rate Hike Could Cost Credit Card Users $1.7 Billion Over Next 12 Months: Report

Another interest-rate hike by the Federal Reserve could cost credit card users at least $1.7 billion in added interest charges over the next 12 months, according to a new report from WalletHub. The report, published on May 1, found that consumers will pay around $31.7 billion in extra interest charges over the next year due to…


Closing Prices for Crude Oil, Gold and Other Commodities (May 1)

Benchmark U.S. crude oil for June delivery fell $1.12 to $75.66 a barrel Monday. Brent crude for July delivery fell $1.02 to $79.31 a barrel. Wholesale gasoline for June delivery rose 2 cents $2.55 a gallon. June heating oil was unchanged at $2.38 a gallon. June natural gas fell 9 cents to $2.32 per 1,000…