Author: Brian Lund
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Hundreds of truck drivers will share $2.22 million after fuel and toll deductions sometimes erased entire paychecks
Picture finishing a full week of container runs out of Newark and opening the pay statement to a negative number — not a small check, but a bill, because deductions for fuel, tolls, parking, insurance, and truck repairs had swallowed the entire week’s gross pay. New Jersey investigators say that is exactly what happened in…
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Some customers with unused 1-800-Flowers shipping subscriptions now qualify for refunds
A shipping subscription that went unused can now produce restitution under a New York enforcement settlement with 1-800-Flowers. Eligible New York subscribers who complained and eligible consumers nationwide who bought Celebrations Passport without using its benefits are covered by the refund requirement. The state has not announced a public claim deadline or one standard amount,…
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Cash App must add live support and reimburse qualifying unauthorized transactions
A multistate settlement is forcing Block to change how Cash App responds when money disappears or an account is locked. The company must provide live support, investigate fraud claims and reimburse transactions that federal law classifies as unauthorized. That does not turn every scam loss into an automatic refund, but it gives users a clearer…
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The average U.S. summer power bill is projected at $192 a month
Air conditioning is pushing the typical summer electric bill toward a national average of $192 a month. The Energy Information Administration’s July forecast puts the 2026 figure 3.7% above last summer’s $185 even though average household electricity use is projected to decline. Higher prices per kilowatt-hour are doing more of the work, and regional averages…
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Removing a polyp turns Medicare’s free screening colonoscopy into 15% coinsurance
A preventive colonoscopy can begin with a zero-dollar Medicare cost and end with coinsurance if the doctor removes tissue. Medicare’s current rule says an assigned screening costs nothing, but finding and removing a polyp or other tissue creates 15% coinsurance for the provider’s services and, in an outpatient facility, another 15% facility coinsurance. The Part…
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Timely IRS payment plans can keep tax debt above $66,000 from passport certification
A large federal tax balance does not automatically trigger passport trouble. For 2026, the IRS threshold for seriously delinquent tax debt is more than $66,000, and debt being paid on time through an approved installment agreement is excluded from certification to the State Department. The protection depends on a real approved arrangement that remains current,…
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New graduate borrowers must cover costs above the $20,500 annual federal cap elsewhere
A graduate-school acceptance letter can now leave a much larger financing gap than the aid award once covered. Beginning July 1, new graduate borrowers generally face a $20,500 annual federal loan limit and a $100,000 aggregate graduate limit, while new Graduate PLUS borrowing is no longer available outside a narrow continuing-student exception. Tuition and living…
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Enroll in federal student-loan autopay by September 30 for a one-point interest cut
Automatic payments have become unusually valuable for eligible federal student-loan borrowers. Enrollment by September 30 can reduce the interest rate by one percentage point through June 30, 2028, instead of the familiar quarter-point discount. The savings can be meaningful on a large balance, but the arrangement works only when the bank account can reliably cover…
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Replacing an Xbox now costs $100 to $150 more under August prices
A broken or aging Xbox became noticeably more expensive to replace on August 1. Microsoft added $100 to the price of consoles with 512 GB of storage and $150 to 1 TB systems, while retiring the 2 TB model. That is a replacement-cost shock rather than a change to the machine already in the living…
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A surviving spouse can receive up to 100% at Social Security’s survivor retirement age
The age at which a widow or widower claims Social Security can permanently shape the income left after a spouse dies. Payments for a surviving spouse begin at a reduced percentage and can rise to the deceased worker’s full benefit amount at the survivor’s own full retirement age. That ceiling is real, but it is…
