MoneyWatch

More than half of people with student loans say their future financial stability hinges on erasing that debt, even as a Biden administration program that promised to forgive up to $20,000 remains in legal limbo. About 1 in 5 Americans has an outstanding federal student loan, according to a recent study …

Several thousand workers at CSX will soon get one of the things that pushed the U.S. railroad industry to the brink of a strike last fall: paid sick time. CSX announced a deal Tuesday with two of its 12 unions, becoming the first major railroad to offer that benefit that …

State Farm said it has temporarily stopped providing new auto insurance policies for some model years and trim levels of Hyundai and Kia vehicles in some states because of an increase in thefts for those cars.  “This is a serious problem impacting our customers and the entire auto insurance industry,” …

A closely watched gauge of economic activity shows the U.S. is likely to tip into recession sometime this year. The Conference Board’s Leading Economic Index, which consolidates several measures of the economy’s trajectory, declined in December — its tenth consecutive monthly drop. Several indicators pulled the index down, including a …

The cost of butter and margarine has skyrocketed over the last year, one of several humble kitchen staples that have surged in price amid the fiercest inflation in 40 years. As of December margarine prices were up a whopping 44% from a year ago, according to the Consumer Price Index, while butter …

Amid last year’s U.S. economic upheaval, the ultra-tight job market was a rare high point, with low unemployment, strong hiring and rapidly rising wages.  The government’s employment report for December, set to be released on Friday, will indicate just how good that year was. Wall Street, the Federal Reserve and …

Southwest Airlines scrubbed thousands of flights again Wednesday as the company faced frustration from passengers and scrutiny from federal officials over its handling of its schedule in the aftermath of the massive storm that wrecked holiday travel plans across the U.S. By Wednesday evening, about 86% of all canceled flights …

Rising interest rates have considerably increased the rate advantage of online savings accounts over brick-and-mortar savings accounts. It’s now, more than ever before, well worth your time to open an online savings account. But before you do, there are a few important factors to consider. The rapid pace at which …

The Federal Reserve will slow down the pace of interest-rate hikes, Chair Jerome Powell said on Wednesday, giving markets hope that the aggressive cycle of rate increases will ease up. “The time for moderating the pace of rate increases may come as soon as the December meeting,” Powell said in …

Cryptocurrency lender BlockFi has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy as fallout from the collapse of crypto exchange FTX infects other companies in the industry. BlockFi claimed more than 100,000 creditors with liabilities ranging from $1 billion to $10 billion in a bankruptcy filing submitted Monday in New Jersey, where the company is …