Stay updated on financial news, market trends, and economic changes that affect your money. From interest rate hikes to government policy shifts, we break down what’s happening now—and what it means for your finances.
Time is running out for over one million people who haven’t claimed their refunds for the tax year 2007. According to the Internal Revenue Service, refunds totaling $1.1 billion owed to people who did not file a federal income tax return in that year. The law provides a three-year window of opportunity for most taxpayers … Read more
The housing market continues to stabilize even though the pace of pending home sales slipped by more than analysts had expected in January, according to an industry report released on Monday. The pending home sales index declined 2.8% last month, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported. Market analysts had predicted a decline of 2.2%. … Read more
A debt and mortgage relief operation that allegedly sent 5.5 million illegal spam text messages has been halted by a federal judge at the request of the Federal Trade Commission. The unsolicited text messages were allegedly sent over a 40-day period by the defendant, Phillip A. Flora, at an average rate of 85 texts per … Read more
New unemployment claims rose sharply last preceding week, reversing the drop from the previous week and surprising economic experts. For the week ending January 22, new jobless claims increased by 51,000 to 454,000 according to a report released by the Labor Department. The four-week moving average, which smooths out weekly volatility, increased by 15,750 to … Read more
As Americans start the new year feeling better about the job situation, consumer confidence increased in January to its highest level in eight months. The Consumer Confidence Index reading of 60.6 is up from 53.3 in December, the Conference Board reported today. The Present Situation Index – which gauges how consumers feel about the current … Read more
Sales of existing homes jumped in December for the fifth month of sales increases within the past six months, a positive sign that the housing market continues to improve. Sales of existing homes, including single-family, townhomes, condos, and co-ops, increased by a healthy 12.3% in December according to a report released today by the National … Read more
The job market began to show signs of recovery in December 2010 as the unemployment rate fell to its lowest point in nineteen months. The national unemployment rate fell significantly in December to 9.4%, down from 9.8% in November, the Labor Department’s Bureau of of Labor Statistics (BLS) stated in its latest employment report. Last … Read more
It’s the new year, and for many, it’s the time to start thinking about preparing our income tax returns. And while it’s business as usual for the majority of taxpayers, the Internal Revenue Service announced that certain taxpayers will need to delay filing their returns until mid to late-February if they are affected by any … Read more
A bogus sweepstakes that duped consumers into paying a “processing fee” to collect “prize money” has been halted by a federal judge at the request of the Federal Trade Commission, the agency reported on Wednesday. According to FTC allegations, the company sometimes posed as a government agency, and used tricky language and official-looking documents and … Read more
Retail sales in November were better than analysts had expected, as American consumers loosen up the purse strings in preparation for the holiday season. November sales increased by .8% from the previous month, and increased by 7.7% since last year in November 2009, the Commerce Department reported today in Washington. November’s increase follows a revised … Read more
