by Charlotte West Derek Sykes should be finishing his last year at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (UMN). Instead, he is starting his third year of college after having to take last year off to work to pay off thousands of dollars in unpaid tuition and fees. The summer before what would have been his junior year, Sykes withdrew from half of the classes he had enrolled in for the summer semester due to schedule conflicts with his job.

by Kenadi Silcox While there are plenty of high-flying stocks in 2020, so far the S&P 500’s top-performer isn’t some gadget maker or drug company rushing to save the world. It’s a marketplace for dainty crafts and elegant artwork. Etsy, the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based e-commerce platform for small-time sellers of vintage and hand-made goods, is having its best year since going public in 2015 thanks in large part to the coronavirus pandemic.

by Chris Taylor The stock market seems to be shrugging off COVID-related economic pain. Well, some parts of the stock market. And it’s not just industries like airlines and hotels that are struggling, banks are also having one their worst years since recovering from the 2008-2009 financial crisis. The year 2020 is ugly indeed for the nation’s banks, and not for one particular reason.

by Chris Taylor Mark Mandel may live in Green Valley, Arizona, about halfway between Tucson and the Mexican border. But in his mind, he’s already strolling the streets of Paris. Like many of us, the semi-retired software engineer has been pretty much stuck at home the last seven months or so, with most nations around the world not even admitting American travelers due to the COVID-19 crisis. But that doesn’t mean Mandel can’t dream — and plan.

by Ingrid Case No cat or dog is quite like the one we own and love, and the policies to protect their health are almost as varied. Pet-insurance coverage ranges widely, and understanding those differences will help you make the right choice for your animal. The decisions begin with the type of policy to buy, which determines the general coverage you can expect from your coverage.

by Cheryl Winokur Munk For small investors, a slice of a stock might be better than none at all. That, at least, is the theory behind the purchase of fractional shares, investments that represent less than a full share in well-known companies trade on major exchanges like the NYSE or Nasdaq.

by Julia Glum The explosive New York Times report that President Donald Trump didn’t pay income taxes in 10 of the 15 years before winning the election has left Americans scratching their heads. How could a self-proclaimed billionaire with such a wide-ranging empire pay only $750 in taxes his first year in the White House? How did he write off $70,000 for his hair? The confusion is understandable.

by Daniel Bortz Mortgage rates keep falling, yet many homeowners are still sitting on the sidelines waiting to refinance. Rates have been dropping steadily since the coronavirus crisis began, spurring a refinancing boom. According to mortgage data firm Black Knight, servicers originated more than 2.3 million refinance loans in the second quarter of 2020, the highest volume in nearly 17 years. With rates below 3%, a recent Black Knight study found that 19.

by Martha C. White You’re probably eager to put 2020 behind you, but unfortunately, at least one aspect of this tumultuous year is going to linger into the next one. Tax season 2021 is primed to be a confusing one, with a laundry list of new considerations to take into account.

by Mallika Mitra Stock market investors may be shrugging off the Coronavirus, happy to buy shares at prices well-above recent March lows. But data suggest executives who lead the companies that make up the S&P 500 are a lot more cautious. They’re saving for a rainy day.