MoneyWatch

The Biden administration on Wednesday said it is automatically forgiving $1.2 billion in student debt for 153,000 borrowers. Loan holders whose debt will be discharged will receive an email from President Joe Biden today informing them of the forgiveness, the Department of Education said. The debt relief is the latest push from the White House to address the nation’s $1.77 …

A widespread transition to zero-emission vehicles and electricity would dramatically improve the health and well-being of children nationwide and save hundreds of infant lives by 2050, estimates a new report by the American Lung Association. The shift to greener transportation and energy would also prevent 2.79 million pediatric asthma attacks and millions of other respiratory symptoms over the next quarter …

Homebuyers hoping for an imminent reduction in mortgage interest rates saw their hopes dashed this month when the newest report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed inflation higher than expected. That January report followed a disappointing December one, underlining that more work needs to be done before the Federal Reserve hits its target 2% goal (inflation currently sits at …

Credit card debt can be difficult to cope with. And, if thefinancial hardship caused by credit card debt becomes too difficult to deal with, you may even consider forgoing your minimum payments altogether. But what happens if you do? Missing payments can have consequences, but what exactly are those consequences? Moreover, is there anything you can do to avoid missing …

In today’s economy, with cooling but still stubborn inflation and higher interest rates meant to combat it, many Americans may find themselves looking for new ways to help make ends meet. Relying on traditional products like credit cards and personal loans can be costly currently thanks to double-digit interest rates on both. Homeowners, however, have a safe and reliable option …

Most people will face at least a couple of large expenses at various points in their lives — and it’s usually smart to prepare for those expenses by saving over time to cover them. For example, when you want to buy a car, put a down payment on a home or take a vacation, you may need to save to …

When it comes to investing, there is no shortage of assets to choose from. For starters, it’s easy to add any number of traditional investment assets to your portfolio — from more volatile assets, like stocks, to less-risky assets, like bonds and interest-bearing accounts, including certificates of deposit (CDs) and money market accounts. And, there are also alternative assets, likeBitcoin, …

The U.S. Department of Labor is alleging a Tennessee firm illegally employed children as young as 13, some of whom were found to be cleaning dangerous equipment like head splitters and jaw pullers in meat processing plants during overnight shifts. The development comes as part of an ongoing probe into whether migrant kids are cleaning U.S. slaughterhouses and less than …

Apple is dispelling a piece of conventional wisdom followed by iPhone users who accidentally get their devices wet. The company is warning against putting wet phones in uncooked rice to dry them out. In new guidance for salvaging phones that come into contact with liquid, Apple is advising users to let them dry out on their own, rather than by …

The Boeing executive in charge of the company’s 737 Max production program is out of a job, Boeing said in an email to employees Wednesday. Ed Clark, who oversaw 737 production “is leaving the company” after nearly 18 years, Stan Deal, CEO of Boeing’s commercial plane unit, wrote in a company memo, obtained by CBS News. Katie Ringgold, former vice …