By Emily Wu, Attorney, Division of Consumer and Business Education, FTC Many people have gotten their advance Child Tax Credit payments this year, but scammers are taking advantage of this new program to try to trick you out of money or information. They’re pretending to be the IRS, contacting people
Renting after bankruptcy isn’t actually as hard as you might imagine it to be. Bankruptcy has become a lot more common in today’s economy. Landlords are well aware that people still need places to live even after going bankrupt. Indeed, in some cases bankruptcy might even improve your credit score,
By Cristina Miranda, Consumer FTC There’s a fake IRS email that keeps popping into people’s inboxes. It says that you can get a third Economic Impact Payment (EIP) if you click a link that lets you “access the form for your additional information” and “get help” with the application. But
By Christopher Rugaber, AP News WASHINGTON (AP) — With inflation at its highest point in three decades, the Federal Reserve is set this week to begin winding down the extraordinary stimulus it has given the economy since the pandemic recession struck early last year, a process that could prove to
By Alix Langone, CNET Amid the economic turbulence of the pandemic, the US government pushed pause on student debt repayment for more than 40 million Americans in March 2020. For most people, that temporary relief is scheduled to end on Jan. 31, 2022. But the US Department of Education is
By Jeff Cox, CNBC Initial jobless claims fell below 300,000 for the first time since the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Labor Department said Thursday. In another sign the jobs market is getting closer to its old self, first-time claims for unemployment insurance totaled 293,000, the best level
By Jeff Cox, CNBC September’s wage gains provided more fuel to the argument that the current pace of inflation could run longer than many economists anticipate. Average hourly earnings rose 0.6% for the month, making the year-over-year increase 4.6%. Over the past six months, wages are running at an average
By Chris Tobias The current economic recession has impacted virtually every family across America. Many businesses have slowed their production, while others have completely shut down and laid off scores of dedicated workers. When a household’s breadwinner is suddenly laid off, it can be very hard to break the news
By Diana Olick, CNBC After a Labor Day week lull, demand for mortgages rose sharply last week from homeowners and homebuyers. Total mortgage application volume was up nearly 5% for the week, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association’s seasonally adjusted index. Mortgage interest rates, however, didn’t move, and haven’t for
By Jeff Cox, CNBC Retail sales posted a surprise gain in August despite fears that escalating Covid cases and supply chain issues would hold back consumers, the Census Bureau reported Thursday. Sales increased 0.7% for the month against the Dow Jones estimate of a decline of 0.8%. A separate economic
