Da-kuk | E+ | Getty Images As many Americans struggle to keep up with the rising cost of living — housing, groceries, electricity and other necessities — their financial stress is getting more attention in the workplace. In 2025, employer discomfort at their workers’ financial well-being reached a new high: 48% rated their concern at…
U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon attends a press briefing with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt (not pictured) at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 20, 2025. Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters The Education Department announced on Friday that it will delay the implementation of wage garnishment and other involuntary collection efforts affecting defaulted…
An Obamacare sign at a Miami insurance agency on Nov. 12, 2025. Joe Raedle | Getty Images The White House on Thursday reiterated its support for sending payments directly to households to cover health-care costs, an idea President Donald Trump has championed for months. However, health policy experts reached by CNBC said they were skeptical…
For years, concerns over rising college costs and student loan debt have been driving some high schoolers away from a four-year degree in favor of shorter, less expensive alternatives. Now it’s clear that students are putting more emphasis on career training and post-college employment, as more opt for a two-year degree or even shorter-term credentials. The overall rate of…
Texas Children’s Hospital’s Kangaroo Crew members walk through the hallways during a simulation at the hospital in Houston on Sept. 23, 2025. Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images About 22.8 million Americans have so far signed up for 2026 health insurance via the Affordable Care Act marketplace, according to data issued Monday by the Centers…
Milorad Kravic | E+ | Getty Images For many consumers, buying a car increasingly comes with a hefty monthly bill. The share of new-car buyers who pay $1,000 or more per month for their auto loans rose to a record 20.3% of all new vehicle purchases financed in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to…
Retail investors may already be preparing for the start of the 2026 tax filing season, which the IRS announced this week will begin on Jan. 26. Using tax-efficient investing strategies throughout the year can help minimize an investor’s tax burden and optimize their portfolio’s value for years to come, says Bill Harris, the founder and…
Damircudic | E+ | Getty Images As more older Americans near retirement, many are eager to boost 401(k) savings to combat the rising cost of health care and other day-to-day expenses. And for 2026, there are key 401(k) changes that investors need to know, financial experts say. This year, “small 401(k) details matter more than…
Maskot | Digitalvision | Getty Images A cooling labor market, characterized by sluggish hiring and anemic job creation, made it hard for job seekers to find work in 2025, according to economists. “It’s fair to say that 2025 was a hiring recession in the United States,” Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union,…
Aj_watt | E+ | Getty Images Travelers who were briefly stranded abroad after the U.S. operation to extract Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro got a hard lesson in the limitations of travel insurance. Travel insurance policies offer a financial backstop to buyers for various unforeseen snafus, like having to pay for medical care abroad or for…
