We've scoured the internet so that you don't have to. Consider this our monthly roundup of relevant news articles to support your pursuit of prosperity.
Will You Have To Pay Back Your Child Tax Credit Payments?
The IRS sent the final round of 2021 child tax credit payments on December 15. Overall, eligible families received up to $1,800 in total monthly payments for each child five years old or younger and up to $1,500 for each child 6 to 17 years old. (Parents with higher incomes didn't receive that much or were denied the credit altogether.) But what if the IRS sent you too much money – do you have to pay it back? Well … maybe.
4 Things Student Loan Borrowers Should Know About the Extended Payment Pause
The payment pause, which has been in effect since March 2020, was scheduled to expire January 31, but the Biden administration announced it was extending the relief until May 1. Outstanding student loan debt in the U.S. has surpassed $1.7 trillion and burdens Americans more than credit card and auto debt.
7 Ways To Lower Your Heating Bill
Amid dropping temperatures and rising heating bills, strategies to lower your heating bill may be sorely needed this winter. The U.S. Energy Information Administration recently projected that if winter is even a little colder than usual, energy bills could rise 15% for households that get their heat from electricity. Those who heat their home with natural gas might see a 50% jump, and households using heating oil and propane could see rates climb 59% and 94%, respectively.
A Job Coach Who Raised Her Salary by $194,000 Revealed the 7 Rules She Followed To Do It
Your salary is a marker of your value to your company, and it's perfectly reasonable to believe that you deserve more if you're performing well. There are two ways to get a bigger paycheck — either ask for a raise at your current job or negotiate when going for a new job. Mandi Woodruff-Santos has become an expert at negotiating good salaries during job interviews. "I started my first full-time job in 2010, at age 22. Since then, I've quit jobs six times — increasing my salary by nearly $194,000, and by an average of 39% each time I left for a new opportunity," she writes.