Internet Service Tax Ban About to Be Permanent
Washington — Should state and local governments be able to collect taxes on your Internet service? For years, Congress has repeatedly banned the practice, but only for short spurts at a time. Now, a bill that’s soon set to become law will make that ban permanent — meaning Internet providers, and by extension, consumers, won’t have to fear that their subscription to fixed broadband will be subject to state and local taxes. Buried in a...
Uninsured Americans Below 10%
Washington — Nearly a million people signed up for health insurance under President Obama’s law even after the official enrollment season ended, helping push the share of uninsured Americans below 10 percent and underscoring how hard it could be for Republicans to dismantle the program. The Health and Human Services Department said Thursday that 943,934 new customers have signed up since open enrollment ended on Feb. 22, benefiting...
Many Americans One Crisis Away From Ruin
With people less worried these days about losing their jobs, Americans are feeling much better about their finances. Yet after the bills are paid, many people struggle to keep extra cash in the bank. Roughly one in four, or 29 percent, of Americans don’t have money set aside to cover emergencies, up from 26 percent last year, according to an annual survey from Bankrate.com. The findings pointed to the lowest saving rates seen in five...
Tips: Become Richer In Just One Year
Does it feel like it’s getting harder and harder to make it from one paycheck to the next? If so, you’re not alone. Nearly half of Americans are living without a savings safety net and wouldn’t be able to find the cash to cover a $400 emergency expense without selling something or borrowing money, according to a Federal Reserve report released in May. A separate report released in June by Capital One found that only 54 percent of...
Housing Debt Hits Retirees
Washington — Al and Saundra Karp have found an unconventional way to raise money and help save their Miami-area home from foreclosure: They’re lining up gigs for their family jazz band. They enjoy performing. But it isn’t exactly how Al, an 86-year-old Korean War vet, or Saundra, 76, had expected to spend their retirement. Of all the financial threats facing Americans of retirement age — outliving savings, falling for scams, paying...
