Money Management

 Ethical businesses can lead to better prices, stronger job markets, and higher-quality products. Here’s how their choices impact your wallet. 

Advertising Disclosure: When you buy something by clicking links within this article, we may earn a small commission, but it never affects the products or services we recommend. The push for ethical labor practices is gaining momentum, with more businesses recognizing that treating workers fairly isn’t just the right thing to do—it also leads to stronger economies and better consumer outcomes.

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 These changes could make saving money at Costco even easier. 

Anyone who’s driven past a Costco gas station has likely seen a winding line at the retailer’s pumps. But who can blame anyone willing to wait? The warehouse club boasts “consistently low, member-exclusive prices.” And comparing Costco’s gas prices to those of nearby stations typically confirms that Costco’s prices are less than local averages. Now, Costco has implemented some changes that…

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 In these metros, home insurance is a budget-busting expense. 

Homeowners insurance rates soared 14% to a record high in 2024. But a separate report underscores how rates rose higher in some states than in others. Recently, the Wall Street Journal reported on the metro areas with the costliest home insurance, based on data from Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). The ranking was based on insurance costs as a share of monthly mortgage bills…

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 Find out what causes a recession and what it could mean for your day-to-day life. 

“Recession” is a word on everyone’s lips these days. Are we heading for one, or are we in a recession? If we are, what can we do to mitigate the damage? Talk of a recession is nothing new. In fact, people tend to toss the word around every couple of years. But with the recent stock market dip and ongoing inflation, experts and consumers have both been wondering, are we in a recession?

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 Find out what the Social Security Administration is promising for beneficiaries. 

The Social Security Administration is making two changes to the process for direct deposit change requests. Those are requests that Social Security recipients make to the SSA when they want their benefits sent to a different bank account than the one the agency has on file. The SSA says it’s creating stronger identity verification procedures as a way to improve security for benefit recipients.

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 That bargain property may not be such a bargain if it turns into a money pit. 

In the 1986 film “The Money Pit,” a couple gets a great deal on a mansion — and they don’t find out why until after they’ve moved in. One thing after another falls apart, and all they can do is throw money into the expensive repairs. While the movie may have been fiction, there’s no shortage of homebuyers who’ve bought a money pit house. These people bought a home that needed unexpected and…

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