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Andrew Bret Wallis | DigitalVision | Getty ImagesMore consumers are buying travel insurance during the federal government shutdown — but these insurance policies may not offer the catch-all protection that buyers expect.Much depends on the fine print, experts said.Squaremouth, an online platform for comparing travel insurance policies, has seen the volume of insurance quotes increase 8.5% year-over-year between Oct. 1 and 27. Sales have risen by 7.9% over the same period.Buyers seem to be hedging against the financial risk of the government shutdown upending their travel plans, experts said. Air traffic controllers and TSA agents are essential government employees working…

Jetcityimage | Istock | Getty ImagesThe U.S. Department of the Treasury has announced new rates for Series I bonds. Newly purchased I bonds will pay 4.03% annual interest from Nov. 1 through April 30, which is up from the 3.98% yield offered through Oct. 31.The new rate includes a variable portion of 3.12%, based on inflation data, and a fixed portion of 0.90%. The combined rate is 4.03% after rounding, according to the Treasury. The fixed rate is down from 1.10% announced in May.Read more CNBC personal finance coverageIn May 2022, the I bond rate hit a record high of 9.62%,…

Wayne Johnson at the Gables of Wolf Creek, the retirement community he owns in Macon, GeorgiaAnnie Nova | CNBCA Republican who oversaw the country’s $1.6 trillion federal student loan portfolio during President Donald Trump’s first term has funded a class action effort against the administration over its current borrower policies.The proposed class action lawsuit, filed this week in federal court in Atlanta, said Education Secretary Linda McMahon and the largest credit rating companies are violating the Fair Credit Reporting Act — a federal law that, among other provisions, requires information in consumer credit reports to be accurate.According to the lawsuit,…

“When bubbles happen, smart people get overexcited about a kernel of truth,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said.Getty Images Markets are soaring. Valuations are swelling. And enthusiasm for all things artificial intelligence is pumping hundreds of billions of dollars into the most transformational technology of the modern era. “AI isn’t just another theme; it’s the culmination of decades of evolution in computing,” Jon Markman, a Forbes contributor who analyzes tech stocks, writes. “Every layer of the stack, from power generation to semiconductors to enterprise software, is being rebuilt for an AI-first world. That’s a structural transformation.” Is this growth sustainable or…

Halfpoint Images | Moment | Getty ImagesThe new 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment doesn’t just increase Social Security checks, starting with January payments — it also boosts thresholds related to the maximum retirement benefit.The maximum Social Security benefit for workers who claim at full retirement age will increase to $4,152 per month in 2026, up from $4,018 per month in 2025, following the 2.8% COLA.The Social Security Administration detailed the change on Oct. 24 as part of its announcement about the 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment in 2026 for Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefit payments. The news, originally slated for Oct. 15,…

Agshotime | E+ | Getty ImagesCertain filers could see bigger tax refunds next year, thanks to retroactive changes enacted via President Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill,” according to analyst projections.The July legislation added several tax breaks that apply to 2025 — including a larger standard deduction, “bonus” deduction for older adults and tax break on tips, among others. Those could affect returns filed in 2026. However, many workers are still having the same tax withheld from their paychecks as before Trump’s law because the IRS hasn’t updated the 2025 tax tables that tell companies how much to take out.”As a result,…

The U.S. Capitol building, weeks into the continuing U.S. government shutdown, in Washington on Oct. 27, 2025. Kylie Cooper | ReutersOpen enrollment for health insurance bought on the Affordable Care Act marketplace starts Nov. 1 in most states — but millions of people may get a financial surprise when they try to sign up.That’s because a congressional deadlock tied to the extension of enhanced subsidies for insurance premiums has continued with no end in sight.Consumers are “going to get huge sticker shock, because prices are going up,” said Carolyn McClanahan, a physician and certified financial planner based in Jacksonville, Florida.That…

U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to deliver remarks during a luncheon in the Rose Garden of the White House on Oct. 21, 2025 in Washington, DC.Anna Moneymaker | Getty ImagesThe U.S. Department of Education released its final rule on Thursday aimed at limiting eligibility for a popular student loan forgiveness program for public servants.The rule, which takes effect July 1, 2026, will change the definition of a “qualifying employer” under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. PSLF, signed into law in 2007 by George W. Bush, offers debt cancellation after a decade to borrowers who work for non-profits and the…

Wednesday’s Federal Reserve decision, along with expectations that the Fed could cut interest rates again before the end of the year, may put more downward pressure on mortgage rates — finally providing a little relief for would-be homebuyers.A 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage fell to 6.3% for the week ended Oct. 24, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.Although mortgage rates are now at their lowest level since September 2024, the average rate for a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage is still significantly higher compared to the under-3% levels near the start of the pandemic.Those relatively high mortgage rates, along with high home prices and uncertainty about…

A Social Security Administration office in Washington, D.C., March 26, 2025.Saul Loeb | Afp | Getty ImagesTo help Social Security and Veterans Affairs beneficiaries cope with higher prices, a group of Democratic senators are proposing to increase benefits by $200 per month for six months.The bill — called the Social Security Emergency Inflation Relief Act — is backed by Democratic Senators including Mark Kelly of Arizona, Alex Padilla of California, Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, Angela Alsobrooks and Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Tina Smith of Minnesota, Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer of New York, Ron Wyden…