spend | Common News Update

Nov262020 by adminNo Comments

You only have a few weeks to spend down this health-care fund. Meanwhile, savers forfeit around $400 million annually in unspent FSAs

Finance

AJ Watt | Getty ImagesAre you stocking up on cold and flu meds for the winter? Buying an at-home Covid-19 test kit? If so, you are running out of time to use this tax-advantaged account for those purchases.Health-care flexible spending accounts, which may be available at your job, allow you to stash pre-tax dollars and tap them free of tax for qualified medical expenses.In 2020 and 2021, you can save up to $ 2,750.Though you can use the money as early as Jan. 1, you generally have until the end of the year to use up your funds — or else you forfeit them.The IRS gives employers the choice of allowing workers to roll over some money into the following year — up to $ 550 for 2020 — or offering them up to 2½ months after the plan year ends to spend remaining cash.Bear in mind: Your employer ...

May302020 by adminNo Comments

House bill gives small businesses more time to use PPP loans and lets them spend less on payroll

Finance

Wine store employees catalog a new shipment of alcohol on May 28, 2020 in New York City. Government guidelines encourage wearing a mask in public with strong social distancing in effect as all 50 states in the USA have begun a gradual process to slowly reopen after weeks of stay-at-home measures to slow the spread of COVID-19. (Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)Alexi RosenfeldA bill that passed yesterday in the House of Representatives has some sought-after changes to a forgivable loan program for small-business owners.The new legislation, the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act, addresses entrepreneurs' concerns around loan forgiveness, one of the main attractions of the Paycheck Protection Program. It passed the House on Thursday in a 417-1 vote.Some loan recipients, lik...

Apr192020 by adminNo Comments

Yes to brunch, no to Coachella. Here’s how younger Americans plan to spend after the coronavirus crisis

Finance

miodrag ignjatovicYounger Americans are eager to eat and drink out in public again.They will, however, likely shy away in large numbers from festivals, sports venues and international trips for a while once conoravirus lockdowns are lifted across the U.S., perhaps preferring to shop online from home while waiting to see how vaccine trials pan out.That's according to a recent poll of so-called Gen Z and millennial consumers from TruePublic. The Chicago-based research and opinion firm queried Americans ages 16 to 35 about how soon they'd been willing to re-engage in favorite lifestyle activities after the pandemic begins to subside. The findings could be good news for some industries but spell trouble for others — although TruePublic co-founder and CEO Kaben Clausen offe...

Nov252019 by adminNo Comments

Most toddlers spend excessive time watching screens, study shows

Health

Nov. 25 (UPI) -- When it comes to time spent on handheld devices, kids learn from their parents -- and they're spending way too much time on them. That's the what the authors of a new study, published Monday in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, describe as the take-home message of their analysis of trends in "screen time" among children two and three years of age. The researchers found the vast majority of young people in these age groups -- nearly 80 percent of two-year-olds and nearly 95 percent of three-year-olds -- were spending more time watching television or videos on handheld devices than recommended by groups such as the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics. "The large majority of pre-schoolers are not meeting the screen use recommendations and screen time...

Mar222019 by adminNo Comments

Leonardo DiCaprio is investing in this greener way to save and spend

Finance

Award-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio is signing on for a new role: investor and advisor to an environmentally friendly financial company. The company, named Aspiration, is working to provide consumers with a socially conscious alternative to traditional banks. "Each year, $ 100 billion worth of pipelines, drilling and other fossil fuel-extraction projects are funded with money deposited at traditional banks," DiCaprio said in a statement. "To bring about long-term solutions for our planet, we need alternatives that empower everyday consumers to take action against climate change." ...