How pay transparency laws affect small businesses

How pay transparency laws affect small businesses

This is reprinted by permission from .  Eight states have adopted pay transparency laws, including California and New York, with several more considering legislation. Much of the buzz around these laws has been regarding large corporations and their employees, but how do small businesses fit into the picture? Here’s what you need to know. Who must…

How many working Americans need food stamps? The answer may surprise you.

How many working Americans need food stamps? The answer may surprise you.

The debt-ceiling deal struck by President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy over the weekend contains many compromises for both Republicans and Democrats. Some may be harder to stomach than others. Chief among them: changes to the federal government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food-stamp program. “The agreement prevents the worst possible crisis, a…

My husband won’t work and doesn’t have a driver’s license. What can I do?

My husband won’t work and doesn’t have a driver’s license. What can I do?

I am married, but we are both different people, and I get the feeling my husband doesn’t even like me. He’s too tired to leave, and we don’t have anything but bills. He doesn’t have a driver’s license, and he won’t even go to court to pay his fines and get it back. He’s content…

Generation Z’s favorite investment may be a cause for concern. Here’s why.

Generation Z’s favorite investment may be a cause for concern. Here’s why.

Generation Z is getting smarter about their money, with some starting to invest even before they turn 18, according to a new report. The survey by FINRA Investor Education Foundation and the CFA Institute, which defines Generation Z as those aged between 18 to 25, concluded that 6 in 10 owned at least some investments….

‘Most jobs are vehicles and not destinations:’ Entry-level hiring slows, but these jobs are on the rise for new graduates

‘Most jobs are vehicles and not destinations:’ Entry-level hiring slows, but these jobs are on the rise for new graduates

Entry-level hiring is slowing.  Hiring for entry-level positions in the U.S is down 32% on the year in April for jobs that require a college degree and down 22% in April for jobs that do not require a college degree, according to a LinkedIn report released Monday. Hiring slowed across all industries in April. It…

Here are 7 financial commandments you can actually break

Here are 7 financial commandments you can actually break

Financial Literacy Month puts a spotlight on the financial knowledge Americans are supposed to know and often don’t. But what about financial knowledge that we think we know, but should reconsider? When it comes to money, we pick up lessons from a mish-mash of sources ranging from parents to TikTok videos to high school classes….

I’m 46 and a single mother. Should I empty my 401(k) to pay off my house? There’s $128,000 on the mortgage.

I’m 46 and a single mother. Should I empty my 401(k) to pay off my house? There’s $128,000 on the mortgage.

I’m a 46-year-old woman, and single mother to a 14-year-old boy. I bought a centrally located house in Miami after the housing market crash in 2010 for $167,000. The house is small but has a big lot in front of it, and I currently owe $128,000. The house is now worth about $400,000. I have…

Obama says being president was often a ‘hoot’ — but here’s what he didn’t like

Obama says being president was often a ‘hoot’ — but here’s what he didn’t like

“‘I would say 70% of the time being president is a hoot.’ ” Former President Barack Obama, speaking with trailblazing public-radio host Ira Glass during a LinkedIn event focused on finding purpose at work, says he loved being president about 70% of the time. The other 30% he didn’t enjoy quite so much. “This, I…

Where did laid-off tech and media workers go? They’ve found jobs in these industries.

Where did laid-off tech and media workers go? They’ve found jobs in these industries.

Americans are job hopping, although not always by choice. More than 199,000 global technology-sector employees have been laid off since the start of 2023, according to data compiled by the website Layoffs.fyi. The number of global tech layoffs has risen almost eightfold since mid-January.  Facebook owner Meta META, +2.61% is one of a number of…

My brother-in-law is being given a big award, but tickets cost $375. Do I bail?

My brother-in-law is being given a big award, but tickets cost $375. Do I bail?

Dear Quentin, My brother-in-law is being honored by an organization that provides medical assistance to children of families who can’t afford their treatments. I was included on the email invitation, and the ticket price is $375 per person. I feel that it is unfair to ask an individual to incur such an expense.  I feel…

How do I book a cheap flight this summer? Here are 5 tricks to save money.

How do I book a cheap flight this summer? Here are 5 tricks to save money.

Americans want to travel this summer, but they’re stressed out about money. Luckily, experts say there are ways to find cheap flights — but it may require a bit of detective work. “All estimates show that it’s going to really be a busy summer,” Ben Ayers, a senior economist at Nationwide Economics, told MarketWatch.  The…

One of the most expensive real-estate markets in America just got pricier

One of the most expensive real-estate markets in America just got pricier

The Big Apple is living up to its name as one of the most expensive places to live, with rents at record heights. As government officials and companies try to bring more workers back into the city, a new report by real-estate company Douglas Elliman and appraiser Miller Samuel found that rents were up in…

Canopy Growth’s stock pops after it reveals plan to enter U.S. cannabis market

Canopy Growth’s stock pops after it reveals plan to enter U.S. cannabis market

Canopy Growth Corp.’s U.S.-listed stock rose 7% Monday after the Canadian cannabis company outlined its latest steps to enter the U.S. market while complying with Nasdaq listing requirements. The company said it has filed a revised proxy statement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission updating its strategy to accelerate entry to the U.S. cannabis…

‘The momentum in the housing market has shifted to the Sun Belt’: 5 hottest metros are in the South

‘The momentum in the housing market has shifted to the Sun Belt’: 5 hottest metros are in the South

The housing market has cooled in recent years, but it’s still hot in some parts of the U.S.  “It’s an exciting time to be a realtor in Gainesville,” said Dani Burns, who joined the real-estate profession 21 years ago, and who now works with Keller Williams Lanier Partners. Out of the 15 homes she’s sold…

‘I risk being labeled a tightwad:’ Is it OK for restaurants to add a 20% tip?

‘I risk being labeled a tightwad:’ Is it OK for restaurants to add a 20% tip?

Paying servers the minimum wage has influenced tipping practices in the U.S. Many folks were taught that you should tip 18% or 20% — unless the service is outright horrendous. But wait staff are already making the minimum wage in many cities and, if you add the tips they earn, they are oftentimes making significantly…

My partner stays with me 5 nights a week. Should he pay for utilities and food?

My partner stays with me 5 nights a week. Should he pay for utilities and food?

I’m disabled, 52, and have one minor son. My boyfriend has his own house, and also has a minor child still living at home, as well as another son, 24, who is living at home and is employed as his younger son’s babysitter. He stays at my place, probably five out of seven nights, but…

Americans can now put a lot more in health savings accounts

Americans can now put a lot more in health savings accounts

People who have health savings accounts are getting a big opportunity next year — a shot to contribute much more to these tax-advantaged savings accounts. It’s a win for families trying to defray medical expenses as inflation rates slowly come off their pricey perch, observers say. It’s also a win for people who can afford…

Carl Icahn admits he was wrong to take a huge short position on the market that lost $9 billion

Carl Icahn admits he was wrong to take a huge short position on the market that lost $9 billion

“‘I’ve always told people there is nobody who can really pick the market on a short-term or an intermediate-term basis. Maybe I made the mistake of not adhering to my own advice in recent years.’” — Carl Icahn, activist investor That’s Carl Icahn, legendary activist investor and billionaire, admitting in a Financial Times interview that…

Most Americans say they pay the IRS too much — and that’s before Trump tax cuts expire in ’25

Most Americans say they pay the IRS too much — and that’s before Trump tax cuts expire in ’25

Americans’ discontent with the size of their federal income-tax bill is at a two-decade high, according to a new poll — even though Congress hasn’t passed any direct income-tax increases in recent years. One month after the 2023 tax season’s conclusion, 51% of respondents in a newly released Gallup poll said their income taxes were…