The financial news that actually matters
A general consumer finance category covering everyday money decisions, budgeting, saving, debt management, credit behavior, and personal financial improvement strategies.
Few requests are harder for a grandparent to refuse than a grandchild who needs a cosigner to get a car, an apartment, or a student loan across the line. The favor feels small, almost ceremonial, a signature that says the family believes in the young person. But the law does not treat a cosigner as…
When a parent or spouse dies, families rarely go looking for a life-insurance policy they were never told about. Yet policies bought decades earlier, then forgotten or hidden in a drawer no one thought to open, are exactly the kind of money that slips away. Large sums in life-insurance and annuity benefits sit unclaimed every…
Adding an adult child to a bank account usually starts as an act of trust and convenience — a way to let a son or daughter pay the bills, manage the money during an illness, or step in if something goes wrong. What often goes unspoken is that a joint owner gains full legal claim…
An old bill that a collector has no legal power to enforce can turn back into a live lawsuit, and it often takes nothing more than a single small payment to do it. Debt buyers purchase years-old accounts for pennies on the dollar, then press for a token “good faith” amount because they know what…
A data breach at a Chicago nonprofit that serves people with disabilities has produced a class-action settlement, and the people whose information was exposed have a narrow window to recover their losses. Anixter Center breach victims can claim up to $5,000 for documented out-of-pocket costs traceable to the incident, but the money is only available…
Shoppers who received a notice that their information was caught up in a Lands’ End data breach have a cash payment waiting, but only for a limited time. The clothing retailer’s class-action settlement offers roughly $60 with no proof required, or reimbursement of up to $5,000 for those who can document losses, plus about two…
A convenience-store data breach that leaked names and Social Security numbers has turned into a class-action settlement that pays out cash, and the window to claim is closing fast. People whose information was exposed in a 2024 breach tied to a Circle K franchisee can collect a flat $50 with no paperwork at all, and…
Old paper savings bonds often outlive the address, filing cabinet and family member who bought them. A federal rule now gives states a structured way to receive owner information, but ownership and redemption remain federal questions rather than ordinary state unclaimed-property payouts. The rule opens records under security agreements Treasury’s SECURE 2.0 implementation report says…
Forgotten checks, dormant bank balances, insurance proceeds and inactive investments have accumulated into a vast state-run custody system. Current official congressional correspondence cites an estimate of approximately $70 billion in unclaimed property held nationwide. The money remains owed to its rightful owners, but finding it safely requires official searches and documentation rather than fee-charging recovery…
Amazon Prime’s familiar subscription price is now at the center of the Federal Trade Commission’s largest settlement. Eligible members can receive refunds of subscription fees up to $51 under a two-stage process. Some were paid automatically in late 2025, while others entered a claims process after receiving notices in 2026. The $2.5 billion splits between…