News

2021

March

05

• Signs you're not ready to collect benefits. The decision to sign up for Social Security is a big one. You're allowed to start collecting benefits once you turn 62, and while you technically don't have to file by age 70, that's

• Mothers are regaining jobs. The perception that we’re in the midst of a “she-cession” — in which women have lost jobs at a higher rate than men — has not been borne out. And this

04

• What happens when 10 million tenants can’t make rent?. Dire conditions for vulnerable tenants also mean financial distress for landlords. Things have been particularly difficult for “mom and pop” landlords, particularly those who operate in the affordable market. We propose the creation

• How to buy a home with no down payment. As home prices continue to rise, affording a down payment has become a bigger hurdle for prospective home buyers. But there are a few options that can help: government-backed loans that allow borrowers to buy

• Biden limits eligibility for stimulus payments. Under the changes agreed to by Biden and Senate Democratic leadership, individuals earning $75,000 per year and couples earning $150,000 would still receive the full $1,400-per-person benefit. However, the benefit would disappear for individuals earning more than $80,000

03

• Senate confirms Gina Raimondo as Biden commerce secretary. The Senate voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to confirm Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo to serve as President Joe Biden’s commerce secretary and help guide the economy's recovery during and after the coronavirus pandemic.

• 11 million families are at risk of eviction; the American Rescue Plan helps. An estimated 11 million families are at risk of eviction, according to a new report from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). The American Rescue Plan, which includes tens of billions in emergency rental assistance, could

• Biden consumer watchdog pick signals more aggressive stance. President Joe Biden’s nominee to run the federal consumer watchdog agency indicated Tuesday that if confirmed he would restore more aggressive enforcement actions against companies and banks that largely faded during the Trump

02

• High turnover at nursing homes poses risks for residents. A new study highlights the persistent problems caused by an unstable work force, an underlying threat that may have led to staggering death tolls in the pandemic.

February

27

• Government agencies increasingly are accessing private information. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have tapped a private database containing hundreds of millions of phone, water, electricity and other utility records while pursuing immigration violations, according to public documents uncovered by

25

• More consumers complain about errors on their credit reports. The number of credit-reporting complaints more than doubled from 2019, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's online complaint database. Common mistakes include loans that have been repaid but appear as unpaid; debts incorrectly reported

24

• Here’s how to get a consumer complaint before the right pair of eyes. That beautiful birthday bouquet started to wilt within hours. Those pricey running shoes split apart in two months after only a few miles of use. You drove an hour along icy roads to have your

• Are you putting too much money toward your debt?. Whether you have outstanding credit card balances, student loans or a mortgage, paying off your debt is a sound money move that just about any financial expert would recommend. CNBC Select spoke with three financial

23

• Your car insurer may be using pre-pandemic mileage to set 2021 rates. A former LAPD detective discovered that his car insurer had quadrupled his pandemic mileage estimate to justify a rate increase.

22

• On the post-pandemic horizon, could there be an economic boom?. Signs of economic life are picking up, and mounds of cash are waiting to be spent as the virus loosens its grip.

• After mass outages, some TX residents face huge electricity bills. Millions of Texas residents suffered last week when a winter storm caused a statewide electrical grid failure. But those who had power, even intermittently, are also paying a price—literally. Many residents face enormous

• Airbnb is driving hosts elsewhere with costly pandemic policies. While there had always been tensions between Airbnb and its four million hosts around the world, a rift has widened in the pandemic after the company changed its cancellation policy and hosts saw what little

17

• Financial reform can make the U.S. stronger. The pandemic has shown that the financial system is still too fragile. Here’s how President Biden should fix it.

• The Texas weather is a chilling reminder of our battered power grid. This is a job for the federal government. By law and by regulation, Congress and the Biden administration should set standards for efficiency and reliability that local utility companies must meet, and provide grants and

• Mobile home dwellers hit even harder when facing eviction. Affordable housing advocates have celebrated the Biden administration's extension of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's moratorium on evictions as a critical move that could help people fight to stay in their