Personal Finance
I’m a Stay-at-Home Mom With 3 Kids. Claiming This Tax Credit Could Add Up to $6,600 to My Family’s Refund.
Some families may be expecting a new tax break for stay-at-home parents, but despite a 2026 White House draft proposal, no legislation has been approved.1 You may, however, qualify for a higher child tax credit. If you are a stay-at-home parent with three eligible children, that credit could add up…
‘Calendar Stalkers’ Game Return to Office
As return-to-office mandates tighten, hybrid workers are turning to a new survival tactic: calendar stalking. Employees are obsessively tracking their bosses’ Outlook schedules to maximize face time, coordinating their own office days to match so they can perform strategic walk-bys. Stanford…
Can We Still Use Pennies? Congress Plots a Penniless Future
America may finally have a plan to survive without pennies. The Treasury Department stopped minting pennies in 2025, under orders from President Donald Trump. Pennies cost more to mint than they were worth. Most Americans found them a nuisance. But retailers need pennies to make change, and penny…
Your Pension Can Be Sold to an Insurer. Here’s What You Lose
Imagine opening your mailbox and finding a letter that says the company you worked for all those years no longer pays your pension. An insurance company you’ve never heard of does. You didn’t agree to it. You didn’t get a vote. And it’s perfectly legal. It’s called a pension risk transfer, and it’s…
Costco’s Biggest Money-Saver Isn’t Inside the Warehouse
Ask most people to name the best deal at Costco, and you’ll hear about the rotisserie chicken or the food-court hot dog. Costco would point you somewhere else: the gas station out in the parking lot. On the company’s Sept. 24 earnings call, CEO Ron Vachris said Costco estimates it “saved our…
13 Reliable Side Jobs That Will Help You Boost Your Income
Africa Studio / Shutterstock.com Are you thinking about taking on a second job? Second jobs can be a great way to make extra money, pay off bills, grow savings and have some extra cash in your wallet. Also, these second jobs might lead to opportunities to develop new skills, find more job options…
Trick or Treat? Trader Joe’s Halloween Mini Tote Bags Are Back
Trader Joe’s is getting into the Halloween spirit with a new mini tote bag. The company’s Halloween totes, called the “Trick-or-Treat Mini Canvas Totes,” are available in stores beginning Wednesday, Sept. 30, the company told USA TODAY. The bags were a social media sensation last year, with…
Insurance and What Else? 3 Ways to Protect Your Home From Expensive Surprises
For most Americans, their house is the most valuable asset they will ever own. Yet, of nearly 5,000 homeowners who filed claims after Colorado’s Marshall Fire, 74% lacked enough insurance to rebuild. More than a third fell short by at least a quarter of what their home would cost to replace…
10 Super-Simple Food Staples You Can Easily Make for Cheap
Krakenimages.com / Shutterstock.com Most people would agree that cooking from scratch yields tastier results than cooking with premixed ingredients — or ordering fast food. And magazines, books, TV channels and Pinterest are dying to make Martha Stewarts of us all. Few people have the time or…
New Car Ownership Now Tops $1,000 a Month. The Payment Isn’t the Worst Part.
New cars are expensive, but you already know that. You might not be thinking about the total cost of ownership, however. An analysis released in September by AAA puts the average annual cost to own and operate a new vehicle at $12,863, or $1,071.92 per month. That’s higher than last year’s analysis…