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Tax preparation software doesn't always calculate the complexity of Affordable Care Act subsidies and credits properly.

Affordable Care Act Makes This Tax Season Painful For Many

5:08pm March 26, 2015

by Michelle Andrews

Figuring out the penalty for not signing up for health insurance is just one complication. Tax filers who made more money last year than they anticipated may have to pay back some of their subsidy.

High-Deductible Health Plans Cut Costs, At Least For Now

5:07pm March 26, 2015

by Jay Hancock

Health plans that require people to pay thousands of dollars up front cut costs in the first three years, a study finds. But no one knows if costs will rise later as people avoid preventive care.

Nearly a third of new auto loans now last 74 months or longer, which alarms some analysts.

More Americans Opt For Risky Long-Term Car Loans

10:08pm March 21, 2015

by Tracy Samilton

The length of the average car loan isn't just creeping up, it's leaping up. Nearly 40 percent of people secure car loans that take more than five years to pay off. The trend has some analysts alarmed.

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Credit ratings agencies have agreed to give consumers more time to settle health debts before adding them to reports.

Credit Agencies Agree To Wait Before Adding Medical Debt To Ratings

8:41am March 16, 2015

by Michelle Andrews

Insurers sometimes wrangle with patients and for months before paying a bill. A new six-month waiting period will give consumers time to resolve disputes and avoid having their credit ratings dinged.

North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper in 2010.

North Carolina Looking Into 'Black Tax' At Charlotte's Ritz-Carlton

6:30pm March 13, 2015

by Karen Grigsby Bates

The attorney general asks why an event with predominantly African-American attendees was tagged with a surcharge at a luxury hotel.

Obama, Unions On Opposite Sides Of The (Fast) Track For Trade Deals

6:06pm March 12, 2015

by Marilyn Geewax

Labor groups, which have been allies of President Obama, are now stepping up their efforts to thwart White House plans for passing foreign trade deals on a "fast track" through Congress.

An employee at the American Disposables Inc. factory works on the assembly line in October 2009 in Ware, Mass. The state has seen rapidly expanding income disparity in the past 50 years as highly educated tech and financial workers have seen big gains and

The Numbers Add Up To This: Less And Less Opportunity For Poor Kids

1:57pm March 10, 2015

by Marilyn Geewax

A new book and study both show that the ability to rise from poverty to the middle class truly is shrinking. A child without married, educated parents starts life at a huge and worsening disadvantage.

Construction workers in Washington, D.C., in December. The latest jobs report will further drive the "misery index" to its lowest level in more than half a century. But economists say meager wages and big debts are still problems.

More Jobs, Less Inflation Drive Down 'Misery' — So Where's The Joy?

9:22am March 07, 2015

by Marilyn Geewax

With unemployment dropping, the "misery index" is at its lowest level in more than 50 years. So why aren't Americans feeling cheerful? Economists say meager wages and big debts are still problems.

For the past two years, Chicago college and career coach Alana Mbanza has raffled off tickets to prom for students who've submitted their FAFSA.

The School Where Everyone Fills Out The FAFSA

7:38pm March 06, 2015

by Owen Phillips

At a Chicago high school, 100 percent completion isn't the goal. It's expected.

Shrink The FAFSA? Good Luck With That

9:58am March 06, 2015

by Cory Turner

Lots of politicians are calling for a shorter FAFSA — the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It now has more than 100 questions. But, it turns out, shortening the FAFSA is a tall order.

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