Business
2,656 articles
Working families enlist grandparents to help with the kids
NEW YORK Gone, for now, are the days when retirees Bill and Mary Hill could do whatever they please. Since school started for their only grandchild, they re not leisurely reading the morning newspap
Liz Weston: Why taking Social Security early costs too much
Starting Social Security early typically means getting a smaller benefit for the rest of your life. The penalty is steep: Someone who applies this year at age 62 would see their monthly benefit check
To keep pets in homes, animal welfare groups help owners
Early in May, Nydia Bonefont was concerned when her dog wouldn t eat and seemed lethargic. She realized that Papi, a 9-year-old Beagle/Cavalier mix, must have hurt himself he cried when he was touch
Eleventh Element owner happy to be home
EDWARDSVILLE You could take a person out of the Wyoming Valley, but you can t take the Wyoming Valley out of the person.
Pandemic wrecks global Class of 2020’s hopes for first job
LONDON British fashion school graduate Phoebe St. Leger s dream of landing a job at a design label is on hold. Like many others in the global Class of 2020, the pandemic is clouding her career ambit
Liz Weston: Feel out of control? These money moves can help
Behavioral economist Dan Ariely and his colleagues at Duke University s Center for Advanced Hindsight have a pact. Every week, the group of 50 people picks one small business in Durham, North Carolina
Growing Patch Early Learning Center ribbon-cutting aids C&Y
EXETER The Growing Patch Early Learning Center may still need the state s official stamp of approval before it can officially open its doors to local children, but owner Sarah Benczkowski couldn t w
Liz Weston: Can you have too much credit?
People who care about their credit scores tend to obsess about some things they probably shouldn t, such as the possibility they might have too much credit.
Wave of evictions expected as moratoriums end in many states
BALTIMORE Kelyn Yanez used to clean homes during the day and wait tables at night in the Houston area before the coronavirus. But the mother of three lost both jobs in March because of the pandemic
Virtual school: Teachers want to improve but training varies
After a rocky transition to distance learning last spring, Georgia teacher Aimee Rodriguez Webb is determined to do better this fall. She bought a dry-erase board and a special camera to display works
BACK TO SCHOOLCOVID-19 reshapes and reduces spending
NEW YORK For Michelle Lynn England, back-to-school shopping always meant heading to Target and the local mall with her two girls and dropping about $500 on each of them for trendy outfits.
Forty Fort’s newest business has a twist
FORTY FORT A little sign sitting in the grass outside of Forty Fort s newest small business bears a simple message: A pretzel is happiness with sprinkles on top.
Cosmetology students, hairstylists describe a race divide
NEW YORK After repeatedly being denied service by high-end salons because her hair was perceived as too difficult to style, Kanessa Alexander took an unusual step. She opened a shop of her own in
Liz Weston: Can you trust your mobile payment app?
Money transfer apps including Venmo, Cash App and PayPal have surged in popularity during the pandemic as people seek safe, contactless ways to send and receive money. Unfortunately, many people don t
New milkshake shop – What’s Shaken – set to open in Kingston
KINGSTON While many small businesses in the area have closed their doors due to declining customers amid pandemic restrictions, Candice Shovlin, a Kingston resident, plans to open a new establishmen
Liz Weston: What to do with your stuff the kids don’t want
Parents who are downsizing or simply decluttering may have to get creative at finding homes for all their unwanted possessions particularly these days.
Demand for robot cooks rises as kitchens combat COVID-19
HAYWARD, California Robots that can cook - from flipping burgers to baking bread - are in growing demand as virus-wary kitchens try to put some distance between workers and customers.
Wait ‘til next year: Giving up on 2020, looking toward 2021
NEW YORK This was supposed to be the year of the comeback for Boysie Dikobe, a South African dancer recovering from his second hip replacement and gearing up to get back on stage when the coronaviru
Liz Weston: Probate workarounds can save heirs time, money
A reader recently reached out after his elderly mother died, asking how soon he could distribute the $10,000 she had earmarked in her will for each of her two grandchildren.
Liz Weston: Some taxpayers face a desperate wait for refunds
As a 58-year-old woman on disability, Robin Short of Wallingford, Connecticut, relies on her tax refund to catch up on bills. She filed her return electronically in February, opting for direct deposit