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  The Jobs Report Just Flashed a Warning — Do These 5 Things Now
  Unemployment fell to 4.1%, but payrolls dropped 23,000 in July and 103,000 prior jobs were revised away. Here’s why the headline number is misleading, and 5 practical money moves to make while the picture is uncertain.
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  Social Security Benefit Cuts: What Congress Is Actually Debating
  Congress isn’t voting on a Social Security benefit cut, but lawmakers are debating the process that could shape one. What the PROMISE Act does and doesn’t do, why 2032 and 2034 both get mentioned, and what’s actually being proposed.
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  Corporate America Got $100 Billion in Tariff Refunds — What About You?
  Companies have collected about $100 billion in tariff refunds after a Supreme Court ruling struck down key tariffs. Here’s why the “importer of record” rule means most shoppers won’t see a check, and how to avoid refund scams.

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  Social Security Benefit Cuts: What Congress Is Actually Debating
  Congress isn’t voting on a Social Security benefit cut, but lawmakers are debating the process that could shape one. What the PROMISE Act does and doesn’t do, why 2032 and 2034 both get mentioned, and what’s actually being proposed.
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  Social Security Checks for August 2026: Payment Schedule and Important Updates
  August 2026 Social Security payment dates include an early SSI deposit on July 31, a Direct Express card transition, new online disability tools, and early 2027 COLA estimates. Here is the full schedule and what else to watch this month.
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  New Social Security Disability Tools Claimants Need to Know
  Social Security has expanded its online tools for disability claims and appeals, adding a detailed Claim Status Tracker, online forms, secure hearing notices, and proffer letters. Here’s what’s new, and why your deadlines have not changed.

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  Your Medicare Plan May End – What to Check First
  Humana says targeted 2027 Medicare Advantage plan exits could affect about 600,000 members. Here’s what’s changing, the 60-to-63-day Medigap guaranteed issue window some affected members may qualify for, and how to compare your options before you switch.
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  Trump Ends Medicare Part D Subsidy: Will Your Costs Rise in 2027?
  CMS is ending the Part D Premium Stabilization Demonstration after 2026. Here’s what’s actually ending, what’s not, and how to compare your 2027 drug plan before premiums arrive.
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  Medicare Won’t Pay for These Retirement Costs
  Medicare helps a lot in retirement, but it does not cover everything. Here are the Medicare cost-sharing rules, prescription drug gaps, long-term care limits, and other surprises retirees should check before the bill arrives.

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  Medicaid Cuts Begin: Who Could Lose Coverage Under the New Work Rules?
  Nebraska is the first state to actually cut Medicaid coverage under new federal work requirements. See who’s affected, the 80-hour test, exemptions, and what to do if a renewal notice arrives.
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  Stimulus Check Update July 2026: Are Any Checks Actually Approved?
  No new federal stimulus check has been approved as of July 2026. See what’s actually happening — the finished pandemic-era Economic Impact Payments, a tariff-rebate bill still stuck in Congress, real state payments in Minnesota, Colorado, and New York, and how to spot a stimulus check scam.
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  Disaster Assistance and FEMA Help
  After a disaster, help exists — but many don’t apply because they assume they won’t qualify. What FEMA assistance covers, how it works with insurance, the other disaster programs, and the steps to take after a disaster.

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• How to Read a 1099-NEC: A Line-by-Line Guide
  If you did freelance, contract, or gig work and a single client or business paid you $600 or more during … Read more
• What is an IRS Tax Transcript and How Do You Get One?
  An IRS tax transcript is a free summary of your tax return information, taken from IRS records and printed in … Read more
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  Tax Filing Deadlines: What You Need to Know
  Tax deadlines follow a predictable pattern every year. Here’s how the April filing deadline, extensions, and estimated-tax due dates work, and what happens if you miss one.

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• How to Find a Literary Agent
  Many agents will not consider a writer without a publishing history, and most major publishers will not read a manuscript without an agent. What agents do, whether you need one, how to query, and the scams that target this exact frustration.
• How to Find a Business Partner
  A good partnership makes a business possible that neither person could run alone. A bad one is a bad marriage with shared debts, and far easier to enter than to leave. What to agree before you start.
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  Babysitting, Nannying, and Childcare for Extra Income
  One of the oldest, steadiest forms of extra income — built on trust and reliability, not an app rating. The range of childcare work, how to find your first families, and how pay typically works.

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• Know Your Workplace Rights
  Wage and hour basics, federal anti-discrimination protections, how much workplace privacy you actually have, and the real rule on employer background and credit checks.
• How to Run a Business Meeting Worth Attending
  Eight people for an hour is a full working day, and almost nobody accounts for meetings that way. How to decide whether to have one at all, and how to run it so it produces decisions instead of another meeting.
• Public Speaking and Presentations for Work
  Whatever your job, at some point you have to stand up and talk. It is a learnable skill rather than a personality trait, and being unable to explain your work to a room is a common reason capable people get passed over.

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• What is Saving? A Beginner’s Guide to Setting Money Aside
  Saving is the act of setting money aside now instead of spending it, so it is available for something in … Read more
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  Senior Grocery Discounts That May Still Save You 5% to 10%
  Some grocery chains still offer 5% to 10% off for shoppers 55 or 60 and older, but the rules vary by store and location. What Fred Meyer, Weis Markets, Harris Teeter, and Albertsons actually offer, and how to use a discount without overspending.
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  Trump Says Walmart Prices Are Dropping, But Are Shoppers Really Saving?
  Walmart is rolling back prices on ground beef, cherries, soda, and summer goods, and President Trump says his administration pushed for it. Here’s how to tell whether a rollback is an actual deal or just a lower tag.

Explore Saving Money → Explore Lower Your Bills →

• 
  The Jobs Report Just Flashed a Warning — Do These 5 Things Now
  Unemployment fell to 4.1%, but payrolls dropped 23,000 in July and 103,000 prior jobs were revised away. Here’s why the headline number is misleading, and 5 practical money moves to make while the picture is uncertain.
• 
  Corporate America Got $100 Billion in Tariff Refunds — What About You?
  Companies have collected about $100 billion in tariff refunds after a Supreme Court ruling struck down key tariffs. Here’s why the “importer of record” rule means most shoppers won’t see a check, and how to avoid refund scams.
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  Amazon Got $600 Million Back — Will You Get a Refund?
  Amazon told investors it received about $600 million in tariff refunds. Here’s why the phrase “importer of record” decides who actually gets money back, who might see an automatic refund, and how to check your account safely.

Explore Politics & Economy →

• 
  This Voicemail Setting Could Put Your Family at Risk
  Scammers are pulling audio from voicemail greetings to clone voices for fake emergency and law-enforcement calls. What a new warning reveals, and how a 60-second voicemail check and a family verification word can protect you.
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  If They Demand This Payment Method, Stop
  Scammers change the story constantly, but the payment method they demand often gives them away. Learn why gift cards, wire transfers, crypto, payment apps, and QR codes are scam red flags, and the pause that can protect your money.
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  Scammed? Do This First to Protect Your Money
  What to do first if you’ve been scammed, in the right order: cut off the scammer, follow the money based on how you paid, secure your accounts, and report it to the agencies that can help.

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• Sharing an Apartment: Roommate Agreements That Prevent Fights
  Why signing a lease together makes you liable for all of the rent, what belongs in a roommate agreement, and why you cannot evict a roommate.
• Moving Checklist: How to Organize a Local or Long-Distance Move
  A timed checklist for a move, how to choose a mover without being scammed, and the utility and address changes that need weeks of notice.
• Seller Financing: When the Seller Becomes the Lender
  How owner financing works, why a seller or buyer would want it, the due-on-sale trap, and why these deals now need a lawyer.

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  8 Retirement Expenses That Catch Most People Off Guard
  Retirement doesn’t eliminate expenses, it changes them. From healthcare gaps and home repairs to helping family and living longer than expected, here are eight costs that often catch retirees by surprise.
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  What Is a Required Minimum Distribution (RMD)? Retirement Withdrawal Rules
  A required minimum distribution (RMD) is the amount you must withdraw each year from most retirement accounts once you reach a certain age. Learn how RMDs work and why.
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  What Is an Annuity?
  An annuity is a contract with an insurance company that pays you guaranteed income — either for a set period or for life. Learn how annuities work, the main types, and when one might make sense for retirement.

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  Using Life Insurance in Your Estate Plan
  Life insurance is more than income replacement — it can provide estate liquidity without a forced asset sale, and for larger estates, an ILIT can keep the payout outside your taxable estate entirely.
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  Estate Planning for Unmarried and Domestic Partners
  Marriage comes with automatic inheritance rights and medical decision-making authority — unmarried and domestic partners get none of it by default. The documents that recreate that protection deliberately.
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  Choosing an Executor or Trustee: Family Member vs. Professional
  The role carries real duties and can last for years. What an executor and trustee actually do, the trade-offs between a family member and a professional fiduciary, and a few rules of thumb for choosing well.

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• Options Trading Basics: Calls, Puts, and the Risks
  A stock option is a contract that gives you the right, but not the obligation, to buy or sell a … Read more
• Foreign Currency (Forex) Trading Explained
  Forex — short for “foreign exchange” — is the trading of one country’s currency for another, done purely to profit … Read more
• What Is the Law of Diminishing Returns?
  The first hour you spend researching a stock teaches you a lot. The tenth hour, researching the same stock, teaches … Read more

Explore Investing →

• Common Banking Terms and Abbreviations You Should Know
  Banking comes with its own vocabulary, and a lot of it shows up as abbreviations: three or four letters stamped … Read more
• How to Set Up Online Banking: A Beginner’s Step-by-Step Guide
  Setting up online banking looks simple from the outside — type in some information, pick a password, and you’re in. … Read more
• What is a Bank? How Banks Work and What Makes Them Different
  Most people know a bank as “the place my paycheck goes” or “the app I check before I buy something.” … Read more

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  What Is an Explanation of Benefits (EOB)? How to Read It
  An explanation of benefits (EOB) is the statement your health insurer sends after a claim. Learn what it means, how to read it, and why it isn’t a bill.
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  What Is Umbrella Insurance? Extra Liability Coverage Explained
  Umbrella insurance adds an extra layer of liability coverage above your home and auto policies. Learn how it works, what it covers, and who typically needs it.
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  What Is a High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP)? How It Works
  A high-deductible health plan (HDHP) has lower monthly premiums but a higher deductible you pay before coverage kicks in. Learn how it works and how it pairs with an HSA.

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• Rent-to-Own Explained: How It Works and What It Really Costs
  Rent-to-own gets the item home today with no credit check — and can cost more than twice the shop price by the time you own it. How the contracts work, what to ask before signing, and the cheaper alternatives.
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  Buy Now, Pay Later Refunds: Why You May Still Be Charged
  Returning an item bought with Buy Now, Pay Later doesn’t automatically stop your next payment. Here’s why refunds get stuck between the merchant and the lender, what protections actually apply, and what to do if you’re still being charged.
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  Student Loan SAVE Changes Start: Don’t Miss Your 90-Day Notice
  Student loan SAVE plan changes officially start July 1. Once your servicer notice arrives, you have 90 days to choose a new plan like RAP or Tiered Standard — or risk being auto-enrolled into a costlier one.

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• How to Save Money on College Textbooks
  New textbooks for a full course load can top $600 a semester. What used, digital, and rental copies actually cost by comparison, why bookstore buyback saves less than it seems to, and what to check before buying anything.
• Business Ideas for Teens
  Working for yourself is more realistic at fifteen than most people assume. The businesses that actually work, how to test one before spending anything, how to price it, and the grown-up parts nobody mentions.
• Study Skills That Actually Work
  Rereading notes until they feel familiar is the most common study method and one of the least effective. What works instead, why spacing beats cramming, and how to fit it around a job.

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• Importing and Exporting: How Small Businesses Do Business Internationally
  What Importing and Exporting Actually Mean Exporting means selling goods or services to customers outside your home country. Importing means … Read more
• What Is Owner’s Equity? A Complete Guide for Small Business Owners
  What Owner’s Equity Means Owner’s equity is the owner’s claim on everything the business owns, once everything the business owes … Read more
• What Is Accounts Payable? How Businesses Pay Their Bills
  What “Accounts Payable” Actually Means If you’ve read about invoicing and getting paid, you already know the receivable side of … Read more

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• 
  How to Buy a Reliable Used Car Under $10,000
  A reliable car under $10,000 is realistic if you shop carefully. What this budget actually buys, why reliability data matters more than looks, and the inspection steps that are non-negotiable at this price point.
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  Financing a Car with Bad Credit: What to Expect
  Bad credit means higher rates, not no options. How credit tiers affect your APR, where bad-credit buyers actually get approved, the buy-here-pay-here trap, and how to improve your terms before you shop.
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  The End of Your Car Lease: Buy It, Return It, or Lease Again?
  Every lease ends with a decision: buy at the residual value, return it, or lease something new. How to compare your buyout price against real market value and avoid mileage and wear-and-tear surprises.

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  Debt Relief for Gig Workers and the Self-Employed
  Standard debt relief assumes a steady paycheck. How to build a debt management plan around irregular income, the bankruptcy means-test wrinkle for the self-employed, and why quarterly taxes need a seat at the table.
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  Debt Relief Options for Seniors and Fixed-Income Retirees
  Debt relief looks different on a fixed income. Social Security’s broad protection from creditors, the options worth considering, and the reverse-mortgage and retirement-raiding traps to avoid.
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  Debt Relief and Your Credit Score: Comparing the Impact of Each Option
  Hardship programs, debt management plans, settlement, and bankruptcy all affect your credit score differently. A side-by-side comparison of the impact and recovery timeline for each.

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• 
  The Endowment Effect: Why You Overvalue What You Already Own
  A famous experiment found people demand nearly twice as much to sell a mug as others would pay for the identical one. The endowment effect explained, with a used-couch pricing example.
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  Optimism Bias: Why “It Won’t Happen to Me” Is a Risk in Itself
  Most people believe they’re less likely than average to face a costly setback, which is statistically impossible for most of them. Optimism bias explained, with a renters-insurance example.
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  Base Rate Neglect: Why the Specific Story Overrides the General Statistics
  A vivid, specific story is more persuasive than a boring statistic — even when the statistic is the more reliable guide. Base rate neglect explained, with money examples.

All risk & decision-making articles →