The federal government has upgraded its Child Tax Credit. Thanks to the American Rescue Plan Act, there are four notable differences in effect for the 2021 tax year only.1 First, the Internal Revenue Service is paying many families who qualify for the CTC 50% of their...
As a parent or grandparent, you know firsthand the challenges of funding a child’s education. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Act was passed at the end of 2020 and has changed some of the qualifications for students to receive financial aid. These...
Are you considering refinancing your mortgage? Perhaps you want to shorten the term of your home loan. Maybe you have an adjustable-rate mortgage now and want to refi into a fixed rate. Or maybe you want to tap into home equity or consolidate debt. Whatever your...
Here’s a scenario for you: You pick up what appears to be a lottery ticket. You check the numbers for a laugh and discover a winning combination, offering you millions of dollars in prize money. What are the chances of that? The next day, you get a call from a lawyer....
The hardest part is getting started. Even though more than half of U.S. households have some form of investment in the stock market, many new parents may still find that creating a financial strategy is the last thing on their minds. And who can blame them? After all,...
Many Americans have taken steps in recent years to protect their personal information, but savvy cybercrooks have overcome some of those defenses. A 2018 Javelin Research report found identity theft hit an all-time high in 2017, affecting an estimated 16.7 million...
