Personal finance
1.4 million filers face tax refund delays amid IRS paper check phaseout
Tunyada Kongkapan | E+ | Getty Images A growing number of filers are facing tax refund delays amid a government-wide phaseout of paper checks. House Ways and Means Committee Democrats this week sent another letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, with “additional concerns” about roughly 1.4 million IRS notices sent to filers about refund delays […]
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Higher gas prices from Iran war could offset bigger tax refunds from Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’
A man pumps gas at an Exxon station as the price of oil and gas has surged amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 5, 2026. Ken Cedeno | Reuters As the Iran war continues, and traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil shipping route, remains stalled, many […]
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Work from home, drive slower and don’t use gas cookers: IEA advice on weathering the global energy crisis
FILE PHOTO: Crude oil storage tanks are seen from above at the Cushing oil hub, appearing to run out of space to contain a historic supply glut that has hammered prices, in Cushing, Oklahoma, March 24, 2016. Picture taken March 24, 2016. Nick Oxford | Reuters Supply measures alone won’t be enough to mitigate “the […]
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Iran war is the latest ‘worst-case scenario’ for travel, expert says. How to minimize the pain of future disruptions
People wait in long TSA lines as the partial government shutdown continues for several weeks at airports like Chicago O’Hare in Chicago, IL, United States on March 9, 2026 Peter Zay/ | Anadolu | Getty Images The first three months of the year have brought significant disruptions for travelers. The ongoing war in Iran, cartel […]
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Democrats blast FCC Chair Carr’s broadcast license threats as anti-First Amendment, ‘totalitarian’
Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr has drawn fierce backlash from Democratic lawmakers and free speech advocates for threatening to revoke broadcasters’ licenses over their coverage of the war in Iran. Carr on Saturday blasted broadcasters shortly after President Donald Trump called reports that Iran struck five U.S. tanker planes “fake news.” In a post on X, Carr […]
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As Iran war disrupts oil prices, consumers could be ‘hammered,’ economist says
In February, Americans were feeling pretty good about their financial standing. But that was before the Iran war, which is threatening to upend household budgets. A New York Federal Reserve survey released Monday found that consumers expected inflation to be lower in the year ahead, and households, overall, said they were better off than a year ago. The New York […]
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ATMs are fighting for relevance — here’s how they’re keeping up in a digital economy
As payments go digital and consumers migrate online, demand for branches and ATMs is shrinking — raising new questions about their place in a fully digital economy. As payments go digital and consumers migrate online, demand for branches and ATMs is shrinking — raising new questions about their place in a fully digital economy. For […]
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Iran war and your portfolio: The historical stock market patterns investors should know
Andriy Onufriyenko | Moment | Getty Images The escalating war in the Middle East jolted the stock market on Tuesday — a reaction that history suggests is common after a global shock, but often not lasting. While the market rebounded Wednesday morning, the Standard & Poor’s 500 index, a broad measurement of how U.S. companies’ […]
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As Iran strikes disrupt flights, why travel insurance may fall short
A traveler uses his mobile phone next to a departures board showing a cancelled Kuwait Airways flight, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, at Terminal 7 at John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York City, U.S., March 2, 2026. Bing Guan | Reuters The upshot: Vacationers who miss some or all of their […]
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State Farm announces $5 billion dividend; $100 average refund coming to car insurance customers
State Farm on Thursday announced a historic $5 billion dividend for its car insurance members, the largest in the mutual insurance company’s 103-year history. “This dividend is possible due to State Farm Mutual’s financial strength and a stronger than expected underwriting performance, which has been reported industry wide,” the company said in a statement. Customers […]
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