Personal finance

In wake of AT&T outage, consumer advocates say you should always ask for money back if there’s a blackout

AT&T is reimbursing customers affected by a massive nationwide cellular outage with an $5 credit, which the company expects to…

Major airlines raised fees for checked bags. Here are 7 ways to cut costs

A handful of airlines — Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, JetBlue Airways and United Airlines — have raised their fees for…

Credit card interest rates are at record highs. Cards have ‘never been this expensive,’ CFPB says

Credit card interest rates have ballooned to record highs in recent years — and the growing portion of the formula…

How to avoid the top scam of 2023: The internet has ‘really supercharged’ it, expert says

Consumers lost a record $10 billion to fraud in 2023, and imposter scams were the most prevalent swindle, according to…

Deflation: Here’s where prices fell in January 2024, in one chart

Inflation has pulled back significantly from its pandemic-era peak. In fact, some categories have fallen into outright deflation, meaning consumers…

Here’s the inflation breakdown for January 2024 — in one chart

Inflation declined in January and consumers’ buying power rose as price pressures for U.S. goods and services continued to ease.…

Policy changes look to reduce 401(k) plan ‘leakage’

Leaks aren’t just a problem for pipes. Billions of dollars a year drip from the U.S. retirement system when investors…

How to reduce — or avoid — airline fees for checked bags

Checking a bag at the airport has gotten pricier for travelers — and harder to avoid. A checked bag is…

‘Sorry I am dead’: Why a ‘death note’ is as important as having a will, advisor says

“Sorry I am dead.” This is how Doug Boneparth, a certified financial planner, starts what he calls a “death note”…

FBI: ‘Financial sextortion’ of teens is a ‘rapidly escalating threat.’ How parents can protect their kids

“Financial sextortion,” a type of cybercrime that targets teens and tweens, is on the rise. Reports of financially motivated sextortion…