Category: Personal Finances

As Holiday Shopping Season Begins, Retailers Worry

Consumer spending has been strong in 2023 despite higher prices and waning savings. But some retailers have jitters heading into Black Friday.
Sex Workers Have Been Shunned by Banks, Even When Their Work Is Legal

Financial service companies often avoid what they deem high-risk industries like adult entertainment. When workers lose their accounts, they are left with few options.
How to Keep Your Bank from Canceling All Your Accounts

Banks have suddenly shut down the accounts of scores of customers. Here’s how you can avoid becoming one of them.
Tip a Self-Service Kiosk? How to Deal With the Many Requests for Tips.

Since the pandemic, they seem to be everywhere. And with inflation, the gratuity on a pricier meal feels like a big outlay.
How Millions of Borrowers Got $127 Billion in Student Loan Debt Canceled

The Biden administration may have been blocked from canceling debt for tens of millions of borrowers by the Supreme Court, but it has still managed to eliminate billions in education debt.
Mint, the Budgeting App, Is Going Away. Here Are Some Alternatives.

Finding a money app that works best for you requires personal testing. We asked popular competitors to Mint why you should try their offerings.
The Betting on the Presidential Election Has Begun

While two leading prediction markets are fighting regulatory restrictions in court, wagers on politics and economics are still being made.
A New Law Supercharged Electric Car Manufacturing, but Not Sales

President Biden’s 2022 climate act spurred big investments in U.S. battery factories, but it has not similarly boosted E.V. sales.
Cyberattack Disrupts Mortgage Payments for Millions of Mr. Cooper Customers

The company, one of the largest U.S. mortgage servicers, said it was trying to determine if the attackers obtained personal information about its four million customers.
How Do You Use Checks? And Do They Work Well for You?

Banks are worried about check fraud and are trying to discourage the use of paper checks. But nevertheless, they persist.
Why Banks Are Suddenly Closing Down Customer Accounts

Surprised individuals and small-business owners can’t pay rent or make payroll, and no one ever explains what they did wrong.
Mint, One of the First Budgeting Apps, Is Shutting Down

Intuit, which acquired Mint in 2009, is encouraging users to switch to Credit Karma, its money management and credit score service.