Banking, saving & everyday costs
Stephen Kleege writes about banking, saving, and the everyday costs of running a household for The Money Front. He digs through rate sheets, account fine print, and cost-of-living data to turn dense financial paperwork into steps readers can act on the same day.
Latest from this writer
Yes, You Can Talk About Pay With Coworkers
Federal law protects most private-sector workers who discuss wages with coworkers. What the NLRA covers, who is excluded and how to file…
Beyond T-Bills: Locking In Treasury Rates for Years
Treasury notes and bonds let savers lock a fixed rate for 2 to 30 years, starting at $100. How the auctions, interest…
Prime, Choice, Select: What Meat Labels Really Tell You
USDA beef grades are a quality language, not a safety stamp. What Prime, Choice and Select actually measure, and how to match…
Solar Panel Offers: Lease, Loan or Buy Outright
Buying, borrowing and leasing put rooftop solar in very different financial territory. How the three deals compare in 2026, now that the…
Disputing a Card Charge: Your Billing Rights, Step by Step
Federal law gives credit card users a 60-day window and a formal process to fight billing errors. Here is how the Fair…
The June Employment Numbers and What They Signal
June brought 57,000 new jobs, a 4.2 percent unemployment rate and softer revisions. What the report means for paychecks, job hunts and…
Minimum Wages Rise Today in Several States
Alaska, Oregon and the District of Columbia raise their minimum wages July 1, 2026, along with a long list of cities. Here…
PMI Adds Up: When You Can Cancel It for Good
Private mortgage insurance does not have to last the life of your loan. Federal law sets three exit points, at 80 percent,…
High-Yield Savings Accounts: What Makes the Rate High
The average savings account pays 0.38% while online banks pay several times more. Where the gap comes from, what APY really measures,…
The Simplified Home Office Deduction: $5 a Square Foot
The IRS simplified method pays $5 per square foot of home office space, up to 300 square feet. Who qualifies, the exclusive-use…
Medical Debt and Your Credit Score: The Current Rules
A federal ban on medical debt in credit reports was struck down in court. What the credit bureaus still exclude, what can…
Actual Cash Value vs Replacement Cost: Read the Policy
Two home policies can cover the same roof and pay wildly different claims. How actual cash value depreciation works, and where to…