Personal Finance
7 Ways to Score a Bigger Hotel Room for Free
You’ve seen them — those lucky travelers who breeze past the standard king room and head straight for a corner suite with a view. You might think they’ve got a secret handshake or a massive corporate expense account, but usually, they’re just playing the game better than you are. The truth is…
How to Avoid Capital Gains Taxes on Quit Claim Deed
Transferring property with a quitclaim deed may seem like a quick and tax-free move, especially among family members. However, the reality can be far more complicated. These transfers often avoid immediate taxes. However, they can quietly set the stage for a much larger capital gains bill down the…
Who Pays Property Taxes on a Land Contract? Rules and Examples
Land contracts can offer a path to homeownership without a traditional mortgage, but the financial responsibilities involved are not always straightforward. Property tax obligations in particular depend on how the contract is structured, and misunderstanding them can lead to serious financial…
I Inherited an IRA That Was Already Inherited. These Are the Rules Nobody Warned Me About.
You inherited an IRA from a beneficiary, not the original owner. That distinction matters because you generally assume the existing distribution schedule and don’t start a new timeline. As a result, your options may be more limited than what is available for direct beneficiaries. Overlooking these…
How Can Employees Keep a Connection With a Hybrid Schedule? Ask Johnny
Johnny C. Taylor Jr. tackles workplace questions each week for USA TODAY. Taylor is president and CEO of SHRM, the world’s largest trade association of human resources professionals, and author of Reset: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval. Question: Some of the most important…
7 Things Your Insurer Won’t Tell You Before Selling You ‘Accident Forgiveness’
Your insurance company has a product for you. It protects you against a rate increase — from your own insurance company. That’s accident forgiveness in a sentence. You pay your insurer extra money now so it promises not to punish you later. It’s insurance on your insurance, sold by the same outfit…
Spoiled Food, Missing Items Hit Meal Kit Users
Some meal kit customers are opening their deliveries to an unwelcome surprise: missing ingredients, incomplete orders and even spoiled food. Subscribers of Blue Apron and Marley Spoon have taken to social media in recent weeks to share photos and stories of botched deliveries, raising concerns…
Diamonds May Be a Girl’s Best Friend, but Gold Is a Serious Investor’s.
Diamonds may certainly be statements of wealth, but what they do not have is a market price you can check before breakfast. Resale depends on the individual stone, its grade, and a buyer who wants that particular diamond. Gold is more standardized. Bullion trades against a widely quoted spot price…
These States Have the Highest and Lowest Income Tax Rates for 2026
Taxes never feel so burdensome as during tax season, when you contemplate how much of your income you hand over to the IRS. And if you happen to live in Oregon or Massachusetts, you may be feeling that burden more than most. Oregon has the highest effective tax rate of any state, followed by…
5 Groceries I’ll Never Buy at Dollar Tree Again
Dollar Tree is famous for its baseline price of $1.25 (formerly $1) for most items. Even the store’s grocery aisles are filled with food items at that affordable price. I try to live frugally, so I headed to my local Dollar Tree store, curious to find which grocery items might become cheap cupboard…