A petition for an $18 minimum wage is gaining signatures in California. What that means for the hourly worker

Getty Images Just months after a federal $15 minimum wage failed to take shape, Californians may get the chance to vote on even higher minimum hourly pay. A measure to raise the state’s minimum wage to $18 began to collect signatures in February. If the campaign, called the Living Wage Act of 2022, gets 700,000…

With limited inventory due to a computer chip shortage, 82% of consumers are paying above sticker price for a new car

When purchasing a new car these days, it may feel a lot like you’re giving your dealership a fat tip. To that point, 82% are paying above sticker price for new vehicles, according to new research from Edmunds.com. That compares to 2.8% a year ago and 0.3% in early 2020. Amid the auto industry’s persisting…

Families are struggling again after just 2 months without child tax credit payments

It’s been two months since families with eligible children stopped getting advance child tax credit payments in December. Many of those families are already struggling again to make ends meet. Nearly 60% of parents surveyed by ParentsTogether Action, an advocacy group, said that since the checks stopped, they haven’t been able to afford enough food….

Biden administration is keeping a close eye on private equity and other ‘alternative’ investments

SEC chairman Gary Gensler testifies before a Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on Sept. 14, 2021 in Washington. Evelyn Hockstein-Pool/Getty Images The Biden administration is lending a more cautious eye to private equity and other “alternative” investments like hedge funds. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and U.S. Department of Labor have…

Education Department suspends seizure of tax refunds, Social Security for overdue student loans until November

Miguel Cardona, U.S. Education Secretary, at the Queen Theatre on Dec. 23, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware. Joshua Roberts | Getty Images News | Getty Images The U.S. Department of Education has suspended the seizure of tax refunds, Social Security and other government payments to satisfy defaulted student loans until November, the agency said. About 9…

Inflation is at its highest in 40 years. Here’s how raising interest rates could help

Hass avocados are displayed in the produce section at a United Market on Feb. 7, 2022 in San Anselmo, California. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images The Federal Reserve is set to hike interest rates this year for the first time since 2018 to address the worst inflation in 40 years spurred by the coronavirus pandemic….

Retiring and enrolling in Medicare: You may need to appeal premium surcharges if your income is dropping

Andrii Zastrozhnov | iStock | Getty Images If you’re retiring and signing up for Medicare, there’s a chance you’ll be assessed extra monthly charges — at least at first. While most enrollees pay the standard premium amounts for Part B (outpatient care) and Part D (prescription drugs), about 7% of Medicare’s 63.3 million beneficiaries end…

Is college really worth it? Here’s why it’s so hard to figure out the return on investment

Between sky-high costs and hefty student loan debt, more students and their families are questioning the value of a college degree. While about 81% of college-bound juniors and seniors still see college as a worthwhile investment, only 42% of families feel confident about covering the cost, according to a report by Sallie Mae. As a…

Your tax return may get rejected if last year’s is still pending. Here’s how to fix the problem

Steven Heap/EyeEm/Getty Images If you’re one of the millions of Americans still waiting on your 2020 tax return, you’ll need to take a special step to avoid a rejection for this year’s electronic filing, according to the IRS. When filing digitally, you validate your return with the previous year’s adjusted gross income. Typically, your tax filing…

Did you sign up for free credit monitoring after massive 2017 Equifax data breach? Keep an eye out for an email or letter

In this article EFX Scyther5 | Getty Images Your ticket to free credit monitoring for four years may be sitting in your inbox. If you signed up for this service a couple of years ago as part of the settlement from the 2017 massive data breach at credit-monitoring firm Equifax, you should have received information…

Expect to pay more for dinner and a dozen roses this Valentine’s Day

Florist Betty Sejas arranges red roses at Company Flowers in Arlington, Virginia, on Feb. 8, 2022. Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images Not even Cupid is immune from inflation’s sting this Valentine’s Day. As consumer prices climb to historic highs, nearly all of the trappings of Feb. 14 cost more in 2022. The average price…

Startup Icelandic air carrier makes a play in the tough, low-cost transatlantic market

Passengers board an Airbus passenger jet operated by Icelandic low-fare carrier Play. Play Startup low-fare Icelandic airline Play announced new transatlantic service out of a third U.S. airport, Stewart International in New Windsor, New York, to begin June 9. (Stewart lies about 65 miles north of New York City.) Play, which launched last July with…