cost of living

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It's a New Approval-Rating Low for Trump

For this term, anyway

(Newser) - When Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office in January, 47% of Americans approved of him. That figure has taken another dip, dropping two points since the start of November to 38%, finds a new Reuters/Ipsos poll that was conducted over four days ending Monday and released Tuesday. That marks...

Analysis Finds Bad News on Americans' Utility Bills

More are falling behind, in what is likely not good news for Trump

(Newser) - More people are falling behind on paying their bills to keep on the lights and heat their homes, according to a new analysis of consumer data—a warning sign for the US economy and another political headache for President Trump, the AP reports. Past due balances to utility companies jumped...

Poll: Even Six-Figure-Earners Are Feeling Strapped

Most see the threshold as 'survival mode,' not comfort

(Newser) - A new Harris Poll finds that plenty of Americans who earn six figures are feeling stressed financially. Highlights from the poll and USA Today :
  • A third of Americans earning at least $100,000 a year consider themselves financially distressed.
  • Two-thirds of these earners say a six-figure salary is no longer
...

Americans Say Kids Cost Too Much
Americans Say Kids
Cost Too Much
Nov 14, 2025 11:52 AM CST

Americans Say Kids Cost Too Much

Majority cite finances as top reason for limiting family size, per new survey

(Newser) - A growing majority of Americans say the high cost of living is the main reason they're having fewer children, according to a nationwide survey. The latest American Family Survey , conducted by Brigham Young University's Wheatley Institute and Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy, found that 70%...

The Most Expensive ZIP Codes in America

Fisher Island's 33109 off Miami Beach, Florida, tops PropertyShark ranking

(Newser) - Nine of the most expensive ZIP codes in the nation land in either California or on New York's Long Island—but, per a PropertyShark ranking , it's a Florida location that takes the No. 1 spot. That would be Fisher Island, right off the coast of Miami Beach, a...

Next Year's COLA Number Is Finally Out

Social Security recipients will get a 2.8% increase in 2026

(Newser) - The Social Security cost-of-living increase will go up by 2.8% in 2026, which translates to an average increase of more than $56 for retirees every month, agency officials said Friday. The benefits increase will go into effect for Social Security recipients beginning in January, the AP reports. Friday's...

Social Security Recipients Must Wait Longer for COLA News

COLA announcement is delayed a week

(Newser) - The ongoing government shutdown is delaying the announcement of the annual Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for tens of millions of beneficiaries. Originally scheduled for Wednesday, the 2024 Social Security COLA announcement will now be Oct. 24. It is timed to the September Consumer Price Index, which also has not yet...

Analysis Shows Most Can't Afford Broader Necessities

Researchers say the income-costs gap in US is widening

(Newser) - An analysis billed as digging deeper than whether Americans can afford food and shelter has found that for most, their income falls short of what is needed to achieve a "minimal quality of life." The Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity tracked costs for expenditures such as child...

New Yorkers Are Getting Inflation Refunds

Tax cuts, free school meals also aim to tackle rising costs of living

(Newser) - More than 8 million New Yorkers are set to receive inflation refund checks after Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a $2 billion plan as part of the state's 2026 budget. The move, billed as the state's first-ever such payout, is meant to offset the rising cost of living...

Here's What You Can Put Toward Retirement in 2025

IRS releases annual cost-of-living adjustments, including updates on contributions to 401(k)s, IRAs

(Newser) - The IRS is out with its annual cost-of-living tweaks, including increases in how much Americans can inject into their pension plans and retirement accounts. The details, per the AP :
  • 401(k), 403(b), federal Thrift Savings Plan, most 427 plans: In 2025, individuals will be able to contribute up to $23,500
...

Seniors Will Likely See Lowest COLA Since 2021

Cost of Living Allowance is expected to rise by 2.5%, while Medicare Part B is rising 5.9%

(Newser) - Inflation may be cooling , but so is the annual Social Security Cost of Living Allowance doled out to some 68 million American seniors. As NBC News reports, it looks like the 2025 COLA may be the most meager since 2021, even as older Americans still face rising costs. The...

10 Mostly Costly States for Singles
10 Most Costly
States for Singles
Jul 7, 2024 9:30 AM CDT

10 Most Costly States for Singles

CNBC puts Massachusetts on top

(Newser) - Which is the priciest state to live in if you're single? Massachusetts, according to CNBC . The network broke down new analysis from SmartAsset that looks at costs for different types of households by state. Minimum wage in the Bay State is $15 per hour , more than double the federal...

States Where It Costs the Most to 'Live Comfortably'

Massachusetts is No. 1, while West Virginia is the least expensive

(Newser) - In the 10 most expensive states in the nation, you'd need to make six figures to "live comfortably," according to Visual Capitalist . The site defines the term as the amount a single individual would have to earn to cover what it calls a "50/30/20 budget"—...

These Cities Are 'Impossibly Unaffordable'

Hong Kong tops the list of Demographia's latest rankings, with 5 cities in top 10 located in the US

(Newser) - Think your rent or mortgage is high? Try living in one of the world's most "impossibly unaffordable" cities. Demographia's International Housing Affordability report for 2024 is out, which assesses the cost of living in 94 major markets in eight countries: the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand,...

Most Americans Can't Afford the American Dream
Cost of the American Dream:
$3.4M
NEW ANALYSIS
Dec 12, 2023 2:24 PM CST

Cost of the American Dream: $3.4M

Investopedia analysis suggests it's out of reach for many Americans

(Newser) - From getting married, to having kids, to saving for retirement, the American dream is increasingly out of reach—costing about $3.4 million over the course of a lifetime, or double the median lifetime earnings of the typical US worker, according to a new analysis. Financial site Investopedia calculated the...

10 Most Expensive Cities in the World

Three US cities—NYC, San Francisco, LA—make EIU ranking

(Newser) - With inflation now seeing a steady downward trend , economists are cautiously optimistic, but even that bit of positive news might not help much if you're in one of three US cities that have just earned a dubious distinction. Per the Hill , the Economist Intelligence Unit's annual "Worldwide...

Inflation Has Cooled. So Has This Social Security Estimate

Recipients may see 2024 cost-of-living adjustment of just 2.7%, down from this year's 8.7%

(Newser) - This year's Social Security cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, was the highest in four decades, coming in at 8.7% to account for record inflation. Beneficiaries shouldn't expect quite such a boost for 2024. According to new government data, the annual inflation rate fell in May to its lowest...

The Changing Value of Money Requires Mental Adjustments

Expert says understanding of costs and spending is locked in early in adulthood

(Newser) - In the 1987 film Wall Street, Charlie Sheen's character admonishes his father—played by his father—for not keeping up with the changing value of a salary that once sounded high. "50K does not get you to first base in the Big Apple, Dad, not anymore," Sheen...

Social Security's COLA Increase Is the Biggest in 40 Years

It's 8.7% for 2023, but some say that's not enough to keep up with seniors' reality

(Newser) - The Social Security Administration just announced the biggest cost of living adjustment in four decades in response to record high inflation. The annual inflation adjustment for 2023 is 8.7%, compared to 5.9% for 2022, meaning the country's 70 million Social Security beneficiaries will see a monthly increase...

Social Security Checks Will Likely Get a Very Big Bump

Senior Citizens League now forecasts 8.7% cost-of-living adjustment

(Newser) - Update: When we last read the tea leaves in May, it was looking like seniors could be looking at an 8.6% adjustment to their monthly Social Security checks in 2023. The cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) happens in October, and with just one month to go, the predicted increase has ticked...

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