Author: Brian Lund
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Never got paid for overtime? You can file a free wage claim with your state
Being shorted on pay is more common than most people think, and getting it back does not require hiring a lawyer or filing a lawsuit. If an employer denied you overtime you earned, paid you under the minimum wage, or shaved hours off your check, you can file a free complaint with a government wage…
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Tipped workers are owed the full minimum wage, and the boss covers any shortfall
If you work for tips, there is a paycheck rule that a lot of workers, and some employers, get wrong. Under federal law your employer can count your tips toward the minimum wage, but it cannot use tips as an excuse to pay you less than the full minimum overall. If your tips plus your…
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The FTC is mailing $23.8 million to Grubhub drivers and diners
Some real money is going out in the mail this month, and it is not a scam. The Federal Trade Commission is sending payments totaling more than $23.8 million to people harmed by the food delivery company Grubhub, splitting the money among drivers the company misled about their pay and diners it treated unfairly. More…
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Scammers are calling grandparents with fake family emergencies, and a simple code word can stop them cold
The phone rings, and a panicked voice says it is your grandchild: there has been an accident, or an arrest, and they need money right now, and please do not tell anyone. It is one of the cruelest scams around, because it weaponizes love and fear. But it has a simple, powerful defense that any…
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Gas prices should keep easing into 2027 as oil prices fall, the government says
Here is a rare piece of good news about a household bill: the government expects gas prices to keep drifting lower. In its latest monthly energy outlook, the U.S. Energy Information Administration projects that gasoline will get cheaper this year and stay relatively low into 2027 as crude oil prices fall. For a fixed-income household…
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A little-known Medicare program can pay your Part B premium for low-income seniors
Every month, Medicare quietly deducts the Part B premium from millions of Social Security checks. For seniors with limited income, that deduction stings, and many do not realize the government has a program that can cover it entirely. Medicare Savings Programs help people with modest income and savings pay their Part B premium, and the…
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A lower-earning spouse can collect up to half of a partner’s Social Security benefit
If one spouse earned far more than the other over a working lifetime, Social Security has a rule that can lift the lower earner’s check considerably. A spouse can collect a benefit worth up to half of the higher earner’s full retirement amount, even with little or no earnings record of their own. For a…
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The third estimated-tax payment is due September 15, or the IRS adds a penalty
Not everyone has taxes taken out of their income automatically, and for those who do not, the IRS expects payment in installments through the year. The third of those quarterly estimated payments for 2026 is due September 15. Miss it or come up short, and the government can charge a penalty even if you end…
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Your bank deposits are insured up to $250,000, and a few simple moves can cover even more
With four U.S. banks having failed so far in 2026, the most in a year since 2023, it is a fair moment to ask a simple question: if your bank went under tomorrow, is your money safe? For most people the answer is yes, up to $250,000, and with a few deliberate moves you can…
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You can earn up to $24,480 in 2026 before Social Security trims your check
Plenty of people claim Social Security early and keep working, and that is perfectly allowed. But there is a threshold worth knowing before you pick up extra shifts: in 2026, if you are under full retirement age all year, you can earn up to $24,480 before Social Security starts holding back part of your benefit.…
