‘I feel lousy’: Tampa woman, 83, paid a heavy $4,500 toll after being hooked by trendy phishing text. Here’s what the scam looks like — and how to avoid falling for the bait
When Ed Mondello’s 83-year-old wife received a text message about an unpaid toll, it seemed legitimate. “They said she didn’t pay the toll and had to pay $6.99 by a certain time,” the Tampa Bay resident told WFLA News. “If not, it would go to her credit report, and she would lose her registration. I […]
I’m thinking about paying off a 2.5% loan of $5,000 so I can be debt-free — and wonder if that’s a horrible idea. How to weigh the financial pros and cons of paying off small debt fast
You want to get to debt-free status as soon as possible, and all that’s standing in your way is a $5,000 loan with a 2.5% interest rate. Paying it off and freeing up those monthly interest payments for other purposes is naturally appealing. What should you do? Don’t miss I’m 49 years old and have […]
‘I was dumbfounded’: Minneapolis mother hit with $24K bill for daughter’s allergy test — why patients across the US are suddenly facing massive bills for routine medical care
Imagine taking your daughter to a clinic for allergy testing, then learning your insurer was billed $24,000 for it, $5,400 of which you must pay. You’d probably assume a mistake was made. That’s exactly what Kaitlin Johnson of Minneapolis thought when this happened to her. Johnson called around and found most clinics charged around $1,827 […]
How much is the average Social Security check of a middle-class retiree?
We adhere to strict standards of editorial integrity to help you make decisions with confidence. Some or all links contained within this article are paid links. Social Security is an important piece of the retirement puzzle, particularly for middle-class retirees who count on the safety net to supplement their post-career income. But if you see […]
Elon Musk, father of 14, warns America needs more babies — and that ‘civilization will disappear’ unless birth rates improve. But DOGE just cut billions for maternal healthcare. What gives?
It’s the last thing maternal advocates want to hear, but Senior Advisor to the President Elon Musk — the father of 14 — has repeatedly warned that declining birth rates around the world threaten civilization. Yet under Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), billions in funding for maternal health care, research and community support programs […]
Scooping up the cost: Chapman’s Ice Cream freezes prices despite US tariffs
Chapman’s Ice Cream has been a staple in grocers’ freezers for almost a half a century and the Ontario-based creamery has stayed proud of and true to their origins as one of the favourite ice creams of Canadian families. The recent trade war with the US is no exception. In response to US tariffs on […]
Sophisticated con artists aren’t just using AI and deepfake technology to steal your identity and money — global fraudsters posing as U.S. job seekers are out to steal jobs and salaries too
As if the job market wasn’t tough enough, now job seekers must compete with con artists using stolen identities, AI and deepfake techniques to get hired. Even technology companies can fall for the scams. Pindrop Security, a company that helps detect fraud in voice interactions, has encountered such situations firsthand. The company shortlisted a candidate […]
Prolific investor and author Robert Kiyosaki says America’s poor listen to Suze Orman and the middle class follow Dave Ramsey — here are 3 tips from his playbook for creating real wealth
We adhere to strict standards of editorial integrity to help you make decisions with confidence. Some or all links contained within this article are paid links. Robert Kiyosaki has a controversial take on debt: you shouldn’t avoid it. Instead, just embrace it. Garrett Gunderson interviewed Kiyosaki in 2019, and that’s how he said the rich […]
‘Addicted to price hikes’: Disney is having internal concerns over the soaring cost of its theme parks, report says — is the ‘House of Mouse’ pricing out middle-class families for good?
For generations, a trip to Disney has been a rite of passage for American families. It is a place where kids can hug their favorite characters, parents can relive childhood nostalgia, and memories are made on Main Street, U.S.A. But is Walt Disney World still “The Happiest Place on Earth”? Don’t miss I’m 49 years […]
Dazed and delinquent: 1 in 5 borrowers are late on their student loans during a confusing repayment rollout — and the cost of a mistake can be severe
Federal student loan borrowers have endured five years of chaotic changes as various relief programs started, stopped and shifted. But the return to “normal” may be the messiest change of all. Payments formally resumed in October 2023, though former President Joe Biden and his administration paused repayment for certain types of loans for most of […]
