By Katie Kelton, Bankrate.com

The winter holidays are a time for dusting off decorations and observing traditions — but they’re also rife with money decisions.

Americans are choosing how much to spend on travel, gifts and decorations in today’s economy, along with how they’ll make those purchases. Some holiday shoppers and travelers plan to use credit cards, but debit cards; buy now, pay later services (BNPL); and rewards points are other popular payment options.

Bankrate’s key findings on holiday spending

Fewer Americans will travel for holidays this year, compared with last year: 21% plan to fly or stay in a hotel or short-term rental for Thanksgiving or the December holidays, compared to 27% in 2024.Source: Bankrate’s 2025 Holiday Travel Survey

Around 2 in 5 holiday shoppers expect higher price tags this year: 41% say they’re concerned winter holiday gifts will be more expensive this year. But only 24% will budget for holiday spending.Source: Bankrate’s 2025 Early Holiday Shopping Survey

Roughly half of holiday shoppers will begin before the end of October: That includes 13% who started shopping or planned to in August, 11% in September and 25% in October.Source: Bankrate’s 2025 Early Holiday Shopping Survey

Home for the holidays? Fewer Americans plan to travel this holiday season

If you’re opting out of a flight to visit Grandma and Grandpa or a trip to Disney for the holidays in 2025, you’re not alone. Fewer Americans plan to travel for Thanksgiving or the winter holidays this year versus last year, according to Bankrate’s 2025 Holiday Travel Survey.

Around 1 in 5 U.S. adults (21 percent) say they plan to stay in a hotel or short-term rental or travel by airplane for the upcoming holidays. That’s compared to 27 percent in 2024.

Younger generations, men and parents of young kids are most likely to plan for less holiday travel this year

Interestingly, the people who are overall most likely to travel for the holidays are also the ones responsible for the biggest declines in travel this year.For example, Gen Zers (ages 18-28) and millennials (ages 29-44) are overall the most likely to travel at 30 percent and 29 percent, respectively, compared to 16 percent of Gen Xers (ages 45-60) and 12 percent of boomers (ages 61-79).But the percentage of traveling Gen Zers dropped the most from last year, by 14 percentage points, followed by traveling millennials, who dropped by 9 points. Gen Xers dropped by 5 points, and boomers are traveling at basically the same rate this year as last, with a 2-point difference.

And while 21 percent of both men and women say they plan to travel this holiday season, that’s down 10 percentage points from 2024 for men and down 2 points for women.

Let’s look at parents — 33 percent of parents with children under the age of 18 plan to travel this holiday season, down 13 points from 2024. In comparison, 21 percent of all parents plan to travel this season, down 7 points from last year.Lastly, higher earners are more likely to travel for the holiday season. Twenty-nine percent of those earning $100,000 and above say they plan to travel, compared to 23 percent of those in both the $80,000 to $99,999 and $50,000 to $79,999 income brackets and 16 percent of those earning below $50,000. Still, all of those income brackets are traveling less than or about the same as they did last year, with drops of 9 percentage points, 2 points, 8 points and 8 points, respectively.

“While many Americans appear to be scaling back their travel plans this year, we’ll have to see if that actually happens,” says Rossman. “Consumer sentiment has been depressed for a while now, thanks mostly to worries about inflation and tariffs, yet people are still spending. The disconnect between what people say and what they do has been growing.”

Holiday travelers prefer credit cards

Among all the ways to pay, credit cards are the most popular method for holiday travel (63 percent) — either paid in full (40 percent) or with a balance paid over time (23 percent).

Debit cards and/or cash is the second most popular option (44 percent), followed by rewards points (32 percent), asking friends/family to pay (13 percent) and BNPL services (10 percent).

Both credit cards and rewards travel are more popular this year. The number of adults who say they’ll use each method of payment are up 4 percentage points and 8 percentage points, respectively, from 2024.

“Don’t forget about your rewards points and miles,” Rossman advises. “Many people have accumulated more than they realize.”

Nearly 1 in 3 holiday travelers plan to take on debt

Adjusting for overlap between those who plan to carry a credit card balance and those who will use BNPL, nearly 1 in 3 travelers (31 percent) are likely to take on debt.Millennial holiday travelers are most likely to accrue debt, at 39 percent. That’s compared to 30 percent of Gen X, 25 percent of Gen Z and 21 percent of boomer travelers.And debt usage for holiday travel peaks among middle-income earners of $50,000 to $99,999 (39 percent). The lowest income bracket, those making less than $50,000, is next (34 percent), followed by 23 percent of $100,000+ earners.Learn how to travel smart and stay out of debt.

Around 2 in 5 holiday shoppers, especially boomers, fear high price tags this holiday season

Loren Jerae, a 26-year-old stay-at-home mom in Charlotte, North Carolina, has already begun Christmas shopping. She’ll frequent thrift stores, online marketplaces and clearance racks for the next few months until she’s curated the perfect pile of presents for her 5-year-old son.

As a young mom, “I didn’t want our finances to determine his holiday,” she says. “Ever since he was born, I have always been budget-friendly.”

When it comes to holiday shopping, Jerae is in good company.

Most Americans (79 percent) plan to holiday shop this year. And about half of holiday shoppers (49 percent) have already begun or plan to begin shopping before Oct. 31, according to Bankrate’s 2025 Early Holiday Shopping Survey. Jerae starts even sooner.

She says she sets money aside during the first half of the year. Come July, she takes advantage of summer clearance sales and back-to-school deals to snag some early Christmas gifts. By August, she’s tackling her entire shopping list for her son, fiancé, parents and other friends and family.

Two in 5 shoppers (41 percent) are concerned that holiday gifts will be more expensive this year, which may be why they’re getting a head start. “I absolutely feel like [prices are] higher,” Jerae comments.

A few years ago, she and her fiancé tried shopping the month before Christmas and ended up spending around $700 on “a bunch of junk.” She told herself she’d never do that again.

“I am not spending that type of money on one or two items,” she says. By shopping early, “I can make $100 stretch, and we can get several things.”

Boomers and middle-income earners are most concerned about higher holiday prices

Notably, that concern over high prices is highest among boomers (46 percent, ages 61-79) and decreases with age. Forty percent of Gen Xers (ages 45-60), 39 percent of millennials (ages 29-44) and 37 percent of Gen Zers (ages 18-28) noted the same concern.Concern about high holiday prices this year is also more prominent among middle-income households. Forty-nine percent of $80,000-$99,999 earners and 45 percent of $50,000-$79,999 earners say they’re concerned, versus 38 percent of both the highest and lowest earners ($100,000+ and under $50,000, respectively).Rossman says the higher earners are easier to explain, as more disposable income allows for some wiggle room in the budget. But lower earners may have already tightened their holiday budgets after high inflation and interest rates in the last few years. It could still be a tough financial season — but they’ve adapted.On the other hand, Rossman explains, middle earners may be newly disenchanted by higher prices and feel like their paychecks aren’t stretching as far as they used to.

Concern about high prices may be warranted

Money woes are top of mind for some holiday shoppers

More than 1 in 3 shoppers say inflation will change how they shop (36 percent), and more than 1 in 4 say holiday shopping will strain their budgets (29 percent) and are stressed about winter holiday shopping costs (27 percent).In fact, only 11 percent explicitly said they’re not concerned about the cost of winter holiday shopping.

More holiday shoppers will make their purchases online

Nearly 2 in 5 shoppers (38 percent) intend to make most of their purchases online, versus 1 in 5 (20 percent) who plan to make most of their purchases in person. Perhaps surprisingly, boomers are the most likely to make most of their purchases online (45 percent), compared to just 33 percent of Gen Zers.Jerae, a Gen Zer, tends to shop more in person. “I’d rather just hit all the thrift stores in my area,” she explains.And roughly 1 in 6 shoppers (16 percent) expect that gifts will be harder to find this year.

Around 1 in 4 shoppers expect to spend more this holiday season

Twenty-seven percent of holiday shoppers expect to spend more this holiday season than they did last year, compared to 30 percent who expect to spend less. Forty-three percent expect to spend about the same.

There could be a couple of factors at play.

First, those who plan to spend more may anticipate higher prices this year, Rossman explains. Or, they could simply be earning more income and feeling generous.

Meanwhile, Rossman says those who plan to spend less might be more optimistic about prices this year. Or, they might be shortening their gift lists to save money.

More than 1 in 4 shoppers plan to take on debt this season, but debit cards are the top pick for payment

Sixty-one percent of holiday shoppers expect to use debit cards for at least some of their purchases, avoiding debt but likely sacrificing rewards potential.

Credit cards are the next most popular option, with 57 percent of shoppers planning to use them. Among those users, 35 percent plan to pay in full and 21 percent plan to carry balances over time.

Cash remains a popular option, with 49 percent planning to pay with cash. Buy now, pay later (BNPL) services (12 percent), checks (5 percent) and some other method (3 percent) round out the ways people plan to pay for their winter holiday shopping.

Gen Zers are the most likely to use debit cards (70 percent) and cash (55 percent). Boomers are the most likely to pay with credit cards (62 percent), and millennials are the most likely to use a BNPL service (17 percent).

After adjusting for overlap, more than 1 in 4 shoppers (28 percent) may take on debt either with a credit card they will pay off over time or BNPL. But just 4 percent say they are “willing to take on debt” in another survey question — revealing a possible disconnect between what Americans say and what they do.

Nearly half of shoppers will start before Halloween

You’re not behind on holiday shopping yet, but nearly half of shoppers (49 percent) will have started or plan to start before the end of October.

That includes 13 percent who started or planned to start by the end of August, another 11 percent in September and another 25 percent in October, leaving 37 percent who plan to start shopping in November and 14 percent in December.

Rossman thinks the early bird might get the worm.

“While some consumers shake their heads that holiday shopping seems to start earlier each year, the early start gives you more time to spread out your cash flow and find the best deals,” he explains.

5 ways to save money this holiday season

You don’t have to go into debt to pay for the holidays. Instead, try these tips to be a smart shopper this season.

Set aside money ahead of time. Half of Americans are in credit card debt, and the holidays make it easy to spend more money than you have. Instead, try building a holiday fund before you start shopping or booking travel. From January to July, Jerae puts between $30 and $50 weekly into a high-yield savings account that she’ll later use for Christmas gifts. Only around 1 in 4 holiday shoppers (24 percent) expect to budget for the holidays, but you can be one of them. Learn how to create a sinking fund to avoid going into debt.

Start shopping early. The thought of buying gifts in July may sound like holiday creep, but it can actually lead to better deals and help you dodge the December mall frenzy. Take advantage of sales throughout the fall and compare prices without feeling rushed. You could have every item on your list checked off weeks before the holidays, leaving you more time to nosh on cookies and celebrate with your family.

Stay flexible with your travel schedule. “You can save on travel costs by going a few days before the holiday and/or coming back a few days later,” Rossman explains. “Or even traveling on the holiday itself. You could also consider nearby airports, connecting flights, less popular flight times and staying with family instead of booking a hotel room.”

Try secondhand shopping. Jerae found a play kitchen for $40 resale, well below the brand-new $100+ price tag. She says kids don’t know or care if a gift is secondhand — and she can find better prices for items with higher quality and more character. Learn how to thrift to help your budget.

Use a rewards credit card. You could earn cash back or points on your holiday purchases, flights or hotel stays with one of the best rewards cards. And those rewards could go toward future gifts or a family vacation. Learn how to choose a rewards card.

You can also combine money-saving methods. “Starting early and stacking discounts are strategies that shoppers can deploy to save money,” Rossman advises.

The bottom line

Many Americans are holiday shopping early this year, and possibly with good reason — they’re worried about rising prices and want more time to find the best deals. Just don’t fall prey to impulse shopping during those extra months.

By sticking to a list and a budget, it really could be the most wonderful time of the year.

MethodologyBankrate commissioned YouGov Plc to conduct the surveys. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc.2025 Holiday Travel Survey: Total sample size was 2,529 adults, of which 498 plan to travel this holiday season Fieldwork was undertaken between Sept. 2-4, 2025. The survey was carried out online. It gathered a non-probability-based sample and employed demographic quotas and weights to better align the survey sample with the broader U.S. population.2025 Early Holiday Shopping Survey: Total sample size was 2,567 adults, including 2,020 who expect to participate in winter holiday shopping. Fieldwork was undertaken between July 28-30, 2025. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all U.S. adults (aged 18+).

©2025 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

A few weeks ago, I was about to pay the HVAC technician who had repaired my home’s heat pump. Out of habit, I pulled a credit card from my wallet — I figured I’d earn rewards on this pricey transaction — but then the tech warned me that his company assesses a 3% surcharge on credit card payments. Thankful for the heads-up, I wrote him a check instead.

Credit card surcharges aren’t new, but they’re becoming more common. According to J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Merchant Services Satisfaction Study, “34% of merchants are adding surcharges for customer purchases made using credit cards.” Compare that number to just a year before, when 20% of merchants reported assessing surcharges, per a 2024 State of the Industry Report from CMSPI, a payments consultancy firm.

Surcharging at restaurants, in particular, can at times feel like the rule, not the exception. One Reddit thread from August 2025 pointedly asked: “Since when did 3% CC [credit card] fees at restaurants become the new normal?” In other words, why now?

Several factors are at play, but a short version is that it’s simply become more expensive, over time, for businesses to accept credit cards, and surcharges help offset those costs.

The practice, though, is changing the math for users of rewards credit cards. While it used to be a no-brainer to pick up the tab with a card that earns a flat 2% back, now that same decision on a bill with a 3% surcharge could result in a loss.

“We’re approaching a tipping point where consumers are actively saying they won’t pay the surcharge,” says Don Apgar, director of the merchant payments practice at Javelin Strategy & Research.

In the moment — stuck in the restaurant booth when the check arrives — you don’t exactly have much of a choice. But you do have longer-term options.

» MORE: NerdWallet’s best credit cards for restaurants

Why surcharges exist

The payment processing company Stripe defines a surcharge as “an additional fee that a business may add to a transaction when a customer pays with a credit card,” meant to recoup “the costs that the business incurs for processing credit card payments.” These costs to businesses, known as interchange fees, totaled more than $160 billion in 2022, according to Stripe.

Interchange fees are set by the payment networks that credit cards run on: Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. The rewards that your credit card earns — cash back, points or miles — are largely funded by those interchange fees. As such, merchants generally pay more in interchange fees to accept rewards cards as a payment method. Apgar estimates that 75% of the credit cards that consumers pay with today earn rewards.

It’s become a flashpoint in the payments industry, pitting credit card companies against merchants. The former argue they’re providing an essential service and that interchange fees are simply the cost of doing business, while the latter argue that those costs are spiraling out of control.

Lawmakers, too, are paying attention. In 2022, the Credit Card Competition Act was introduced in Congress. It aims to create more competition in the credit card payment network market, which supporters argue would lead to lower interchange costs for merchants. The bill hasn’t passed, but supporters continue to push for it every year.

Why they’re ‘becoming de facto’

So for now, merchants are leaning on surcharges to defray interchange fees, when they can. Some states ban surcharging outright, while others allow it as long as merchants abide by certain rules.

For example, businesses must tell their customers — through written or verbal notices — if they impose a surcharge for credit card payments. And in general, surcharges cannot exceed the limit set by the payment network that the card runs on. (You may have encountered such language on a restaurant bill: “Non-cash adjustments are not greater than our cost of acceptance.”)

It’s a patchwork system that can be hard to follow for both customers and merchants. And on top of that, rewards credit cards are getting even more generous for consumers — and thus more expensive for businesses to accept.

“U.S. cardholders have an insatiable appetite for rewards and benefits,” says John Cabell, managing director of payments intelligence at J.D. Power. “We continue to see an upward spiral for rewards, cash back percentages [and] the number of rewards categories.”

Cabell also believes the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the surcharging trend. “Since the pandemic, additional fees and charges have become more commonplace,” he says. For instance, some restaurants that remained open during the pandemic tacked on a COVID-related surcharge to make up for the extra costs required to operate safely.

Today, restaurants may be more inclined to surcharge with the recent memory that their patrons were willing to pay extra fees before.

“Surcharging was few and far between … but now it’s becoming de facto,” Apgar says.

What are your options?

‘Do the math’

When faced with a surcharge, you could opt to pay the bill with cash, check or debit card, instead of credit. You won’t be alone. J.D. Power’s 2025 U.S. Merchant Services Satisfaction Study found that “41% of credit card users … decided not to use a card payment method at a large or small business because of a surcharge.”

If you insist on paying with a credit card, try to use one whose rewards outweigh the surcharge. And remember, it’s not always about the percentages. To come out ahead on a restaurant tab with a 3% surcharge, a card that earns 3% cash back on dining would cover you — but so might a card that earns 2 points back per $1 at restaurants, depending on how much those points are worth. For that matter, so might a card with a large welcome bonus that you’re trying to snag.

“You have to do the math to figure out if it’s worth it based on the type of rewards and benefits you’re pursuing,” Cabell says.

Stack rewards

Use a card that earns bonus rewards on dining, then “stack” those savings with a cash-back app or card-linked offer.

Chain restaurants and local eateries alike are often featured in both.

Flag improper charges

If you suspect a restaurant is illegally surcharging, you can dispute the charge by filing a complaint with the card issuer, who will escalate it to the payment network and then the payment processor for that particular merchant.

You could also file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau or your state’s attorney general. To recover a surcharge, you could ask for a refund from the restaurant, or go to small claims court. However, Cabell warns that it could “take a real effort for a very small amount of money.”

Go next door

If you see a sign on the door or menu mentioning a “non-cash service fee” or a “discount for all cash purchases,” you could walk out and take your business elsewhere.

That’s cold comfort to, say, foodies who love trying out the latest trendy spots, surcharges be darned. In that case, it may help to keep in mind that rewards are only one benefit of paying with a credit card. You’ll also get stronger fraud protections, easier budget tracking and opportunities for credit-building. Depending on the card and the purchase, you may also get insurance coverage or extended warranties.

Whether it’s worth paying a surcharge for those benefits is up to you.

Jae Bratton writes for NerdWallet. Email: jbratton@nerdwallet.com.

The article Restaurant Surcharges Are Changing the Math for Credit Card Rewards originally appeared on NerdWallet.

By MICHAEL CANTU

Don’t buy that new car yet. If you can wait, you’ll have new 2026 model year options that aren’t out yet. Although some models barely change, others are completely redesigned and often get the latest features and improvements. Whether you’re interested in improved fuel economy, cutting-edge technology, or maybe just fresh and distinctive styling, there’s likely a car on the horizon that you’ll be interested in. To ensure you don’t miss out on the latest and greatest, the car experts at Edmunds highlight five vehicles you should consider waiting for.

Small SUV: 2026 Toyota RAV4

America’s bestselling SUV is getting completely redesigned for the 2026 model year. Notably, the new RAV4 is going all-hybrid for 2026. Trust us, this is a good thing. The base RAV4 should get about 40 mpg for combined city/highway driving and produce a respectable 226 horsepower. Alternatively, you can get the RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid. It makes a sporty 320 horsepower and can drive an estimated 50 miles on all-electric power with a fully charged battery. Toyota has also modernized the RAV4’s interior with a fresh design featuring large display screens and the brand’s latest tech. The RAV4 will be available in several trim levels, including the outdoorsy RAV4 Woodland and the new sporty GR version.

Estimated starting price: $33,000

Midsize SUV: 2026 Subaru Outback

The Outback gets a full redesign for 2026. Subaru has moved on from the Outback’s wagon profile in favor of a taller, boxier design that’s meant to be more SUV-like. If the new styling isn’t for you, the new interior likely will be. It’s a big departure from the outgoing design. It’s highlighted by a new infotainment system that has sharper-looking graphics and quicker responses to your touch. Unchanged, thankfully, is the Outback’s impressive 8.7 inches of ground clearance that’s helpful for wintertime travel and recreational off-roading. The rugged Wilderness model also returns to provide even more off-road capability. Expect the new Outback at dealerships this fall.

Starting price: $36,445 (including destination)

Midsize three-row SUV: 2027 Kia Telluride

Kia’s Telluride has been one of Edmunds’ favorite midsize SUVs ever since it debuted for the 2020 model year. The Telluride is spacious inside, comfortable, and loaded with features. It also has an upscale design both inside and out, and it delivers big on value thanks to an agreeable price. Now, for 2027, a redesigned Telluride will debut. Kia won’t release official information on the next Telluride until late November, but we can get an idea of what to expect from the related Hyundai Palisade that has already been unveiled. We expect the new Telluride will have new technology features and, most notably, an available hybrid powertrain that could help this family hauler get more than 30 mpg.

Estimated starting price: $39,000

Sporty coupe: 2026 Honda Prelude

Honda’s sport coupe from the 1980s and 1990s returns as a hybrid-powered coupe later this year. The new Prelude makes 200 horsepower, which is likely underwhelming for acceleration junkies. On the upside, however, the Prelude should get more than 40 mpg combined. It should also be fun to drive on twisty roads. Honda has given it a sophisticated suspension that should help the Prelude have sporty handling as well as a comfortable ride quality. The new Prelude has two small rear seats and a hatchback-style trunk, so it should be reasonably useful for everyday driving. Interestingly, Honda says there will be only one trim level of the Prelude and it will come fully loaded with features.

Estimated starting price: $38,000

Full-size truck: 2026 Ram 1500 Rev

The Ram Rev, formerly called the Ramcharger, is what Ram calls a range-extended electric truck, which is similar to a plug-in hybrid. The Rev has a large battery pack and two electric motors that provide an electric driving range of 145 miles and produce 647 horsepower. When the battery runs low, a V6 engine fires up and charges the battery, extending the total driving range to 690 miles. When the tank gets low, you can pump gas or charge the battery to hit the road again. The Rev touts an impressive towing capacity of 14,000 pounds and looks much like a regular Ram 1500 inside and out. We expect the hybrid Ram to hit the market sometime in 2026.

Estimated starting price: $65,000

Edmunds says

These five vehicles above are worth the wait because they will each provide compelling attributes that either significantly improve upon the current model year’s vehicle or provide a distinctive new take.

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The government shutdown likely means there won’t be an inflation report next month for the first time in more than seven decades, the White House said Friday, leaving Wall Street and the Federal Reserve without crucial information about consumer prices.

“Because surveyors cannot deploy to the field, the White House has learned there will likely NOT be an inflation release next month for the first time in history,” the Trump administration said in an email.

Some of the inflation data is collected electronically, but most is gathered in person by government employees who visit stores across the country. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, which prepares the inflation report, has already reduced the data collected each month because the Trump administration’s hiring freeze left some cities without surveyors.

The announcement follows Friday’s release of September inflation data, which showed prices ticked higher but remained lower than many economists had expected. That report, which was delayed by nine days from its originally-scheduled release, was based on data that was collected before the shutdown began Oct. 1.

In past shutdowns the consumer price index — the government’s principal inflation measure — was compiled based on partial data. But it may be too late to gather even that level of information, the Labor Department said.

By GEOFF MULVIHILL, Associated Press

Officials in Louisiana, Vermont and Virginia pledged Thursday to keep food aid flowing to recipients in their states, even if the federal program is stalled next month because of the government shutdown.

The fate of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, which helps about 1 in 8 Americans buy groceries, is becoming a deep concern as it gets closer to Nov. 1, when the benefits could dry up without either a resolution of the federal government shutdown or other action.

Other states have explored using their own funds to prop up the program but have run into technical roadblocks, and it wasn’t clear whether the three newly announced plans have answers for those. Legislative officials in Vermont said they’re waiting word from the state administration on how the benefit would be delivered.

Here’s what to know.

Some states are announcing plans, but details have been scarce

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, said he was declaring a state of emergency to provide food benefits to SNAP beneficiaries. A spokesperson said details on how it would work are coming later.

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, another Republican, said he was making it a top priority to make sure “seniors, individuals with disabilities, and children who rely on food stamps do not go hungry in Louisiana,” but he has also not detailed how.

New Hampshire officials announced a plan to increase access to food through food banks and mobile pantries. It would require approval of a legislative committee in the GOP-controlled state.

Vermont lawmakers also said Thursday they intend to have the state cover both the food aid and heating fuel assistance that’s at risk.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said this week that he would deploy the National Guard to help food banks. “This is serious, this is urgent – and requires immediate action,” he said.

States have limited ability to help

Officials from Alaska, New Mexico and North Dakota have said that they’ve considered using state money to keep the food aid flowing but fear a federal government directive may make that impossible.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees SNAP, told states earlier this month not to send information to the vendors who provide the debit cards because of uncertainty about whether the program would be funded in November.

Officials in the states say that federal control of the system appears to stand in the way of their attempts to fund the program on their own.

“Without action from USDA, I think it is highly unlikely that any states would issue November SNAP benefits,” Carolyn Vega, a policy analyst at the advocacy group Share Our Strength, said in an email. “On top of the technical challenges, states can’t shoulder that cost, especially with the risk it wouldn’t be refunded.”

It’s not certain the program will be paused, but it’s looking likely

Lower-income families who qualify for SNAP receive debit cards loaded each month by the federal government that work only for groceries at participating stores and farmers markets.

The average monthly benefit is $187 per person. Most beneficiaries have incomes at or below the poverty level.

Time is running short to keep benefits flowing in November.

Congress and President Donald Trump could strike a deal to end the federal shutdown that started Oct. 1.

It’s also possible that the Trump administration would allocate money for the program even if the shutdown continues. The liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities estimates that about $5 billion is available in a contingency fund and is calling on the administration to use that for partial benefits in November, but it’s not clear if that’s being seriously discussed.

Forty-six of the 47 Democrats in the U.S. Senate sent a letter Thursday to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins calling on her to release the contingency money.

The USDA has not answered questions from The Associated Press about whether those funds might be tapped.

States have also indicated that there could be a delay in benefits even if a deal is struck to fund SNAP for November.

Losing SNAP could mean tough choices for beneficiaries

Sylvia Serrano gets $100 every month to help buy groceries for herself and the four grandchildren she’s raising in Camden, New Jersey.

Two of her grandkids have autism, and because of their aversions to certain textures they eat only certain foods that are unlikely to be available at food banks.

The act of getting food could also be harder for her without SNAP. She now does her shopping while the kids are at school, using a grocery store that’s close to home due to her not-so-reliable car.

She says that with SNAP, she can mostly stay up on her other expenses. Without it? “I would have to send less payment into a bill or something in order to cover the needs and then the bills are going to get behind,” Serrano said.

Some states are encouraging stocking up and seeking other help

Some states are telling SNAP recipients to be ready for the benefits to stop.

Arkansas is advising recipients to identify food pantries and other groups that might be able to help, and to ask friends and family for aid.

It’s unclear whether any benefits left on recipients EBT cards on Nov. 1 will be available to use. Arkansas officials suggest people who have balances on their cards to use it this month on shelf-stable foods.

Missouri and Pennsylvania officials, on the other hand, expect previous benefits will remain accessible and are telling beneficiaries to save for November if they can.

Oklahoma is encouraging people who receive benefits to visit a state website that connects people with nonprofits, faith-based groups, Native American tribes and others that may be able to help with food.

Food banks could be the fallback for many beneficiaries

Separate federal program cuts this year have already put food banks that supply food pantries in a tough spot, said George Matysik, the executive director of Share Food Program in Philadelphia.

So dealing with an anticipated surge in demand could be tough.

Matysik said it’s especially acute for his organization and others in Pennsylvania, where a state government budget impasse has meant at least a pause in another funding stream. He said the group has had to cut about 20% of its budget, or $8.5 million, this year.

“Any time we have a crisis, it’s always the working class that feels the pain first,” he said.

Associated Press reporters Sophie Austin in Sacramento, California; Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin; Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska; Jack Brook in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Jack Dura in Bismarck, North Dakota; Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut; John Hanna in Topeka, Kansas; Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Morgan Lee in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Michael Casey in Boston; and Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed to this article.

By CATHY BUSSEWITZ, Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — With the U.S. experiencing a significant hiring slowdown, it’s a daunting time to be looking for a job. Many workers are staying put instead of changing jobs to secure better pay. Artificial intelligence tools increasingly screen the resumes of applicants. Now may seem like an inappropriate time to request a raise.

But sticking around doesn’t mean wages and salaries have to stagnate. Career experts say it’s not wrong, even in a shaky economy, to ask to be paid what you’re worth. Raises aren’t even necessarily off the table at organizations that are downsizing, according to some experts.

“A lot of people think if their company has done layoffs, the likelihood of getting a raise is pretty low,” said Jamie Kohn, a senior director in the human resources practice at business research and advisory firm Gartner. “And that might be true, but the the other way to think about it is that this company has already decided to reinvest in you by keeping you on.”

When should you ask?

If you’ve taken on greater responsibilities at work and have received strong performance reviews, or if you’ve learned you’re paid substantially less than colleagues or competitors with similar levels of experience, then it may be the right time to ask for a pay adjustment.

“They know that you’re taking on more work, especially if you’ve had layoffs on your team,” Kohn continued. “At that point, it is very hard for them to lose an employee that you know they now are relying on much more.”

Another signal that it’s time to ask for an adjustment is if you’re working a second job to make ends meet or your current financial situation is causing angst that impacts job performance, said Rodney Williams, co-founder of SoLo Funds, a community finance platform.

“There’s nothing wrong with saying, ’Hey, I need to raise my financial position. I’m willing to do more,” Williams said. “I’m willing to show up earlier, I’m willing to leave later, I’m willing to help out, maybe, and do other things here.”

Some people view asking for more compensation as less risky than switching to a new job. “There is a sense of not wanting to be ‘last in, first out’ in a potential layoff situation,” said Kohn.

Know your worth

Before starting the compensation conversation, do some research on current salaries. You can find out what people with comparable experience are making in your industry by searching on websites such as Glassdoor, where people self-report salaries, or ZipRecruiter, which gathers pay data from job postings and other sources.

Three years ago, a lot of people asked for 20% pay increases because of price inflation and high employee turnover coming out of the coronavirus pandemic, Kohn said. Companies no longer are considering such big bumps.

“Right now, I think you could say that you are worth 10% more, but you’re unlikely to get a 10% pay increase if you ask for it,” she said.

Your success also depends on your recent performance reviews. “If you’ve been given additional responsibilities, if you are operating at a level that would be a promotion, those might be situations where asking for a higher amount might be worth it,” Kohn said.

Compare notes with colleagues

Many people view the topic as taboo, but telling coworkers what you make and asking if they earn more may prove instructive. Trusted coworkers with similar roles are potential sources. People who were recently hired or promoted may supply a sense of the market rate, Kohn said.

“You can say, ‘Hey, I’m trying to make sure I’m being paid equitably. Are you making over or under X dollars?’ That’s one of my favorite phrases to use, and it invites people into a healthy discussion,” Sam DeMase, a career expert with ZipRecruiter, said. “People are way more interested in talking about salary than you might think.”

You can also reach out to people who left the company, who may be more willing to compare paychecks than current colleagues, DeMase said.

Brag sheet

Keep track of your accomplishments and positive feedback on your work. Compile it into one document, which human resources professionals call a “brag sheet,” DeMase said. If you’re making your request in writing, list those accomplishments when you ask for a raise. If the request is made in a conversation, you can use the list as talking points.

Be sure to list any work or responsibilities that typically would not have been part of your job description. “Employers are wanting employees to do more with less, so we need to be documenting all of the ways in which we’re working outside of our job scope,” DeMase said.

Also take stock of the unique skills or traits you bring to the team.

“People tend to overestimate our employers’ alternatives,” said Oakbay Consulting CEO Emily Epstein, who teaches negotiation courses at Harvard University and the University of California, Berkeley. “We assume they could just hire a long line of people, but it may be that we bring specialized expertise to our roles, something that would be hard to replace.”

Timing matters

Don’t seek a raise when your boss is hungry or at the end of a long day because the answer is more likely to be no, advises Epstein, whose company offers training on communication, conflict resolution and other business skills. If they’re well-rested and feeling great, you’re more likely to succeed, she said.

Getting a raise is probably easier in booming fields, such as cybersecurity, while it could be a tough time to request one if you work in an industry that is shedding positions, Epstein said.

By the same token, waiting for the perfect time presents the risk of missing out on a chance to advocate for yourself.

“You could wait your whole life for your boss to be well-rested or to have a lot of resources,” Epstein said. “So don’t wait forever.”

Responding to “no”

If your request is denied, having made it can help set the stage for a future negotiation.

Ask your manager what makes it difficult to say yes, Epstein suggested. “Is it the precedent you’d be establishing for this position that might be hard to live up to? Is it fairness to the other people in my position? Is it, right now the company’s struggling?” she said.

Ask when you might revisit the conversation and whether you can get that timeframe in writing, DeMase said.

Laura Kreller, an executive assistant at a university in Louisiana, recently earned a master’s degree and asked for her job description to change to reflect greater responsibilities and hopefully higher pay. Her boss was kind but turned her down, citing funding constraints. Kreller said she has no regrets.

“I was proud of myself for doing it,” she said. “It’s better to know where you stand.”

Share your stories and questions about workplace wellness at cbussewitz@ap.org. Follow AP’s Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health at https://apnews.com/hub/be-well

Amy Arnott of Morningstar

Deciding where to live later in life isn’t an easy task. Many seniors prefer to stay in their own homes but may need help managing medical issues or day-to-day tasks. Others might move in with their adult children or family members.

One potential solution is a continuing care retirement community, or life plan community.

A CCRC is a community living facility where retirees can access a spectrum of care as they age—care levels typically include independent living, assisted living, nursing care, and memory care. Most CCRCs also offer a range of amenities and activities, such as on-site fitness centers and groups for different hobbies.

There’s evidence that people living in CCRCs enjoy better health outcomes, and higher levels of social and emotional well-being. It can also be an attractive option for couples as they can continue living near each other even if one person eventually needs a higher level of care.

Moving to a CCRC requires a substantial financial commitment, and it carries the sobering possibility that it might be the last time you get to choose where you live. Here are some key things to consider:

Fees and living arrangements

People entering a CCRC generally start in independent living, with their own living quarters.

In many cases, the cost of admission could be on par with buying a house in the same area. Based on data from US News & World Report, entrance fees average about $400,000 but can range from $100,000 to more than $1 million. The hefty price tag doesn’t mean you’re buying the property you live in; instead, the money helps cover part of the costs you may incur while living there and may be partially refundable to your estate after death.

Residents also pay monthly fees, which averaged about $4,200 for independent living as of the end of 2024. Monthly fees, which often increase about 4% per year to cover inflation, generally cover housing, meals, housekeeping, maintenance, transportation, and recreational activities. Depending on your contract, monthly fees may also cover certain healthcare costs.

Three types of CCRC contracts

Type A contracts are the costliest option. They have the steepest entrance fees and the highest starting monthly fees, which generally cover comprehensive long-term-care services and remain the same (except for annual inflation increases) even if you need a higher level of care.

Type B contracts have lower upfront costs than Type A contracts, and lower monthly fees when you first move in. They provide the same access to housing and residential services as Type A contracts, but not the same level of access to healthcare services. If a resident needs a higher level of care, the monthly fee grows to cover the higher cost. In exchange for lower monthly fees at move-in, people in these contracts take the risk that their costs could significantly increase.

Type C contracts generally have the lowest upfront costs and may not include any entrance fee. Instead, the monthly fee changes to reflect the market rate for the type of healthcare needed. Monthly fees start lower when a resident first enters independent living but can grow dramatically if they need higher-level care. As with Type B contracts, people in these contracts pay lower monthly fees when they move in but may end up paying significantly more.

Other factors to consider with contracts

The upfront payments included in Type A and Type B contracts are often partially refundable after you leave the facility or pass away. Though, there fundable portion of the fee varies.

Taxes are another factor to consider.

For Type A and Type B contracts, part of the entrance fee may be eligible for a one-time tax deduction as a prepaid medical expense. A portion of the monthly fees may also be eligible for annual deductions if they’re considered a prepaid medical expense. (In both cases, deductions are only allowed if the costs are more than 7.5% of adjusted gross income.) Facilities typically provide residents with specifics on the portion of fees that may be deductible each year.

Finding the right fit

ACCRC can help seniors maintain a happy, healthy, and rewarding life. But it’s imperative to make sure the facility is not only a good fit for your needs, but financially strong before signing a contract.

The National Continuing Care Residents Association offers resources that include a Consumer Guide, a Handbook on CCRC Finance, and a Model Bill of Rights.

This article was provided to The Associated Press by Morningstar. For more personal finance content, go to https://www.morningstar.com/personal-finance

Amy C. Arnott, CFA is a portfolio strategist for Morningstar.

By Rae Ellen Bichell, KFF Health News

Stacey Knoll thought the court summons she received was a scam. She didn’t remember getting any medical bills from Montrose Regional Health, a nonprofit hospital, after a 2020 emergency room visit.

So she was shocked when, three years after the trip to the hospital, her employer received court orders requiring it to start funneling a chunk of her paychecks to a debt collector for an unpaid $881 medical bill — which had grown to $1,155.26 from interest and court fees.

The timing was terrible. After leaving a bad marriage and staying in a shelter, she had just gotten full custody of her three children, steady housing in Montrose, Colorado, and a job at a gas station.

“And that’s when I got that garnishment from the court,” she said. “It was really scary. I’d never been on my own or raised kids on my own.”

KFF Health News reviewed 1,200 Colorado cases in which judges, over a two-year period from Feb. 1, 2022, through Feb. 1, 2024, gave permission to garnish wages over unpaid bills. At least 30% of the cases stemmed from medical care — even when patients’ bills should have been covered by Medicaid, the public insurance program for those with low incomes or disabilities. That 30% is likely an underestimate since medical debt is often hidden behind other types of debt, such as from credit cards or payday loans. But even that minimum would translate to roughly 14,000 cases a year in Colorado in which courts approved taking people’s wages because of unpaid medical bills.

Among the other findings:

• Patients were pursued for medical bills ranging from under $30 to over $30,000, with most of the bills amounting to less than $2,400. As the cases rolled through the legal system, accumulating interest and court fees, the amount that patients owed often grew by 25%. In one case, it snowballed by more than 400%.
• Cases trailed people for up to 14 years after they received medical care, with debt collectors reviving their cases even as they moved from job to job.
• Medical providers of all stripes are behind these bills — big health care chains, small rural hospitals, physician groups, public ambulance services, and more. In several cases, hospitals won permission to take the pay of their own employees who had unpaid bills from treatment at the facilities.

Colorado has company. It is one of 45 states that allow wage garnishment for unpaid medical bills. Only Delaware, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Texas have banned wage garnishment for medical debt.

As KFF Health News has reported, medical debt is devastating for millions of people across the country. And now the problem is likely to grow more pressing nationwide. Millions of Americans are expected to lose health insurance in the coming years due to Medicaid changes in President Donald Trump’s tax and spending law and if Congress allows some Affordable Care Act subsidies to expire. That means health crises for the newly uninsured could lead them, too, into a spiral of medical debt.

And the hurt will linger: Large unpaid medical bills are staying on credit reports in most states after a July decision from a federal judge reversed a new rule aimed at protecting consumers.

“If you can’t maintain your health, how are you going to work to pay back a debt?” said Adam Fox, deputy director of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, a nonprofit aimed at lowering health costs. “And if you fundamentally can’t pay the bill, wage garnishment isn’t going to help you do that. It’s going to put you in more financial distress.”

Flying blind on medical debt

When someone fails to pay a bill, the creditor that provided the service — whether for a garage door repair, a car loan, or medical care — can take the debtor to court. Creditors can also pass the debt to a debt collector or debt buyer, who can do the same.

“At any given point, about 1% of working adults are being garnished for some reason,” said Anthony DeFusco, an economist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who studied paycheck data from ADP, a payroll processor that distributes paychecks to about a fifth of private sector U.S. workers. “That’s a big chunk of the population.”

But specific research into the practice of garnishing wages over medical debt is scant. Studies in North Carolina, Virginia, and New York have found that nonprofit hospitals commonly garnish wages from indebted patients, with some studies finding those patients tend to work in low-wage occupations.

Marty Makary, who led research on medical debt wage garnishment in Virginia at Johns Hopkins University before joining Trump’s cabinet as Food and Drug Administration commissioner, has called the practice “aggressive.” He co-authored a study that found 36% of Virginia hospitals, mostly nonprofit and mostly in urban areas, were using garnishment to collect unpaid debts in 2017, affecting thousands of patients.

The Colorado findings from KFF Health News show that hospitals are far from the only medical providers going after patients’ paychecks, though.

Researchers and advocates say that, in addition to a dearth of court case data, another phenomenon tends to obscure how often this happens. “People find debt shameful,” said Lester Bird, a senior manager at the Pew Charitable Trusts who specializes in courts. “A lot of this exists in the shadows.”

Without data on how often this tactic is employed, lawmakers are flying blind — even as a 2024 Associated Press-NORC poll showed about 4 in 5 U.S. adults believe it’s important for the federal government to provide medical debt relief.

‘Blood from a turnip’

Colorado was among the first of 15 states to scratch medical debt from credit reports. Debt buyers in the state aren’t allowed to foreclose on a patient’s home. If qualified patients opt to pay in monthly installments, those payments shouldn’t exceed 6% of their household income — and the remaining debt gets wiped after about three years of paying.

But if they don’t agree to a payment plan, Coloradans can have up to 20% of their disposable earnings garnished. The National Consumer Law Center gave the state a “D” grade for state protections of family finances.

Consumer advocates said they aren’t sure how well even those Colorado requirements are being followed. And people wrote letters to the courts saying wage garnishment would exacerbate their already dire financial situations.

“I have begun to fall behind on my electricity, my gas, my water my credit cards,” wrote a man in western Colorado in a letter to a judge that KFF Health News obtained in the court filings. Court records show he was working in construction and at a rent-to-own store, with about $8,000 in medical debt. He wrote to the judge that he was paying close to $1,000 a month. “The way things are going now I will lose everything.”

The people being sued in KFF Health News’ Colorado review worked in a wide array of jobs. They worked in school districts, ranching, mining, construction, local government, even health care. Several worked at stores such as Walmart and Family Dollar, or at gas stations, restaurants, or grocery stores.

“You’re really kicking people when they’re down,” said Lois Lupica, a former attorney working with the Denver-based Community Economic Defense Project and the Debt Collection Lab at Princeton. “They’re basically suing the you-can’t-get-blood-from-a-turnip population.”

In 2022, court records show, Valley View health system based in Glenwood Springs was allowed to garnish the wages of one of its patients over a $400 medical bill. The patient was working at a local organization that the health system supported as part of the community benefits it provides to keep its tax-exempt status. Nonprofit hospitals like Valley View are required to provide community benefits, which can also include charity care that covers patients’ bills.

Stacey Gavrell, the health system’s chief community relations officer, said it offers options such as interest-free payment plans and care at reduced or no cost to families with incomes up to 500% of the federal poverty level.

“As our rural region’s largest healthcare provider, it is imperative to the health and well-being of our community that Valley View remains a financially viable organization,” she said. “Most of our patients work with us to develop a payment plan or pursue financial assistance.”

The collection agency that took the employee to court, A-1 Collection Agency, advertises itself on its website as empathetic: “We understand times are tough and money is tight.”

Pilar Mank, who oversees operations at A-1’s parent company, Healthcare Management, said it accepts payment plans as small as $50 a month and that most of the hospitals it works with allow it to offer a discount if patients pay all at once.

“Suing a patient is the absolute last resort,” she said. “We try everything we can to work with the patient.”

If you can’t maintain your health, how are you going to work to pay back a debt?

Hospitals sometimes also garnish wages from their own employees for care they provided them. In one case, a hospital employee worked her way up from housekeeper to registrar to quality analyst. She even participated in public events representing her employer and appeared on the hospital’s website as a featured employee — while the court issued writs of garnishment until her $10,000 in medical bills from the hospital was paid off.

“Hospital care costs money to deliver,” said Colorado Hospital Association spokesperson Julie Lonborg about hospitals’ garnishing their own employees’ wages. “In some ways, I think it’s funny to be asked the question. I would understand if someone said, ‘Why aren’t you garnishing their wages?’”

Studies show that hospital debt collection efforts through wage garnishment bring in only about 0.2% of hospital revenues, said April Kuehnhoff, a senior attorney with the National Consumer Law Center, which advocates for people with low incomes.

“We also know that there are states that don’t allow this at all,” she said. “Hospitals are continuing to provide medical care to consumers.”

Smooth sailing for collectors —but not for patients

Health care providers appeared as the plaintiffs in only 2% of the medical debt cases. Instead, cases were filed almost entirely by third-party debt collectors and buyers, with BC Services and Professional Finance Company behind more than half of the cases, followed by A-1 Collection Agency and Wakefield & Associates.

Debt buyers make money by buying debt from providers who’ve given up on getting paid then collecting what they can of the money owed, plus interest. Debt collectors get paid a percentage of what they recover. Some companies do a bit of both.

BC Services declined to comment, and Wakefield & Associates did not respond to questions.

Charlie Shoop, president of Professional Finance Company, said his company initiates wage garnishment on less than 1% of all accounts placed with it for collection.

Health care providers in Colorado can no longer hide behind debt collectors’ names when they sue people, according to a 2024 state law prompted by a 9News-Colorado Sun investigation in partnership with a Colorado News Collaborative-KFF Health News reporting project.

In many states, the path for filing a case against a debtor and garnishing their wages is relatively smooth — especially if the debtor doesn’t appear in court.

“It’s unbelievably easy,” said Dan Vedra, a lawyer in Colorado who often represents consumers in debt cases. “If you have a word processor and a spreadsheet, you can mass-produce thousands of lawsuits in a matter of hours or minutes.”

Within KFF Health News’ sample, nearly all the medical debt cases were default judgments, meaning the patient did not defend themselves in court or in writing. Missing a court date can happen for a variety of reasons, such as not receiving the notice in the mail, assuming it was a scam, knowingly ignoring it, or not having the time to take off from work.

Vedra and other debt law experts said a high rate of default judgments indicates a system that favors the pursuers over the pursued — and increases the chances someone will be harmed by an erroneous bill.

But in New Hampshire, creditors now have to keep going to court for each paycheck they want to garnish, because the state allows creditors to garnish only wages that have already been earned, said Maanasa Kona, an associate research professor at the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University.

“It might not look like much on paper,” she said. “It’s just not worth it if they have to keep going back to court.”

If you have a word processor and a spreadsheet, you can mass-produce thousands of lawsuits in a matter of hours or minutes.

Wrongly pursued for bills

The nation’s medical billing setup is already prone to errors due to its complexity, according to Barak Richman, a law professor at George Washington University and a senior scholar at Stanford Medicine who has studied medical debt collection practices in several states. “Bills are not only noncomprehensible, but often wrong,” Richman said.

Indeed, Colorado’s Health Care Policy & Financing Department, which runs Medicaid in the state, said it sent out nearly 11,000 letters in the past fiscal year to health providers and collectors that erroneously went after patients on Medicaid. Bills for Medicaid recipients are supposed to be sent to Medicaid, not the patients, who typically pay a nominal amount, if anything, for their care.

Shoop said his industry has pushed Colorado, without success, for access to a database that would allow them to confirm if patients had Medicaid coverage.

Colorado’s Medicaid program declined to comment.

Patricia DeHerrera in Rifle, Colorado, had to prove that she and her children had Medicaid when they received care at Grand River Health — but only after A-1 contacted her employer at the time, the gas station chain Kum & Go, with court-approved paperwork to take a portion of her paychecks.

She contacted the state, which sent letters to the hospital and the collector notifying them they were engaging in “illegal billing action” and telling the collector to stop. The companies did.

Theresa Wagenman, controller for Grand River Health, said if a patient can present a letter from a Medicaid caseworker saying they’re eligible, then their bills get removed from the collections pipeline. Wagenman also said patients get at least eight letters in the mail and several phone calls before Grand River gives the go-ahead for the collector to send them to court.

DeHerrera’s main advice to others in this situation: “Know your rights. Otherwise, they’re going to take advantage of you.”

Yet fighting back isn’t easy.

Nicole Silva, who lives in the 900-person town of Sanford in south-central Colorado, said she and her family were all on Medicaid when her daughter was in a car crash. Still, court records show, her wages were garnished for a $2,181.60 ambulance ride, which grew to more than $3,000 from court fees and interest.

She tried to prove the bill was wrong, contacting her county’s social services office, but Silva said it wasn’t helpful and she wasn’t able to reach the right person at a state office. The state Medicaid program confirmed to KFF Health News that her daughter was covered at the time of the wreck.

Fighting the bill felt like too much for Silva and her husband to handle while parenting a growing number of kids, one of them severely disabled, and working — she as a preschool teacher and he as a rancher.

Not receiving the roughly $500 a month that she said came out of her pay was enough to affect their ability to pay other bills. “It was deciding to buy groceries or pay the electric bill,” Silva said.

When their electricity got shut off, she said, they had to scramble to borrow money from colleagues and friends to get it turned back on — with an extra fee.

She said the saga makes her hesitant to call an ambulance in the future.

Fox, of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, said consumers often think they cannot do anything to stop their wages from being garnished, but they can contest it in court, for example by pointing out they should have qualified for discounted — or charity — care if the hospital that provided the treatment is a nonprofit.

DeFusco, the economist, believes filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy is an underused option for debtors. It halts garnishment in its tracks, though not always permanently, and it comes with other consequences. But he understands it’s a Catch-22: It’s a complex process and typically necessitates hiring a lawyer.

“To get rid of your debt, you need money,” he said. “And the whole reason you’re in this situation is because you don’t have money.”

Methodology

We wanted to know how often Coloradans get their wages garnished due to medical debt. Courts don’t compile this information, and researchers and advocates haven’t tracked it systematically.

So we created our own database. We requested a list of all civil cases across the state in which judges gave permission for a person’s earnings to be garnished — known as writs of garnishment in court lingo — from Feb. 1, 2022, through Feb. 1, 2024. The Colorado Supreme Court Library provided a list from all courts except for Denver County Court, which provided its own records. The combined list comprised nearly 90,000 unique court cases. We split up the cases by county population — small (fewer than 10,000 people), medium (10,000 to 100,000 people), and large (more than 100,000 people) — then generated a random sample of 400 cases from each group to ensure we evaluated medical debt across counties of all sizes.

To identify medical debt cases, we looked at the original creditors named in court records, primarily the complaints or affidavits of indebtedness. Often, this information was available through a state website. When it wasn’t available online, we asked county courthouses to send us supporting documents. We counted dentists as medical providers. We excluded 14 cases in which the debt wasn’t exclusively medical.

We looked only at cases in which courts approved money to be garnished from someone’s paycheck, as opposed to from other sources such as their bank accounts. We did not review garnishment cases involving child support, taxes, or federal student loans.

KFF Health News intern Henry Larweh, data editor Holly K. Hacker, Mountain States editor Matt Volz, and web editor Lydia Zuraw contributed to this report.

©2025 KFF Health News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

By Harlan Vaughn, Bankrate.com

Whether you travel often or would like to travel more, earning frequent flyer miles or points with an airline and its participating partners can help you get free flights. You can also enjoy perks such as airport lounge access, free checked bags and priority boarding.

You can typically collect frequent flyer miles through an airline loyalty program, but there are other easy ways to boost your stash of miles, such as through eligible credit card spending.

If you’ve never used a frequent flyer program before, you may wonder how they work and whether they can really benefit you. In this guide, we cover what you need to know about earning and redeeming frequent flyer miles and how travel credit cards can help you earn free flights.

How to earn frequent flyer miles

You can earn airline miles or points in many ways, such as by booking flights or spending money with a credit card through online shopping portals that allow you to earn airline miles on your purchases.

Earn miles through flights

To earn miles when you buy plane tickets, you’ll need to sign up for an airline’s loyalty program. Because most major airlines are part of a larger alliance, joining one frequent flyer program allows you to book award flights with a dozen or more airlines.

For example, United Airlines belongs to the Star Alliance, an airline network comprising over 20-plus airlines, including Air Canada, Air China and Lufthansa. When you become a member of United’s loyalty program, United MileagePlus, you’ll be able to earn rewards that can be used for Star Alliance airline partner flights booked through United.

Another airline network is SkyTeam, which includes Delta Air Lines, Air France and Aeromexico, among others. There’s also the Oneworld alliance, which counts American Airlines, British Airways and Qantas among its list of participating airlines.

After you complete enrollment for the loyalty program you want to join, you’ll get an email confirming your account with your new frequent flyer number. You’ll need to enter this number when you book flights to earn miles on those flights. Otherwise, you could miss out on earning rewards (though some programs allow you to add your number after booking).

You can often earn elite status if you join a program and meet specific requirements. For example, with the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, you can reach:

• MVP status after flying 20,000 miles in one year.
• MVP Gold status after flying 40,000 miles.
• MVP Gold 75K status after flying 75,000 miles.
• MVP Gold 100K status after flying 100,000 miles.

Once you have elite status, you unlock access to valuable perks that can make travel more enjoyable. Depending on your status level, you could earn waived baggage fees, early boarding, lounge access, priority upgrades and free seat selection. The higher the tier, the better the rewards.

Earn miles with an eligible credit card

Travel credit cards — including credit cards that earn travel rewards, airline credit cards and hotel credit cards — allow you to earn miles or points through eligible credit card spending.

Many general travel credit cards allow you to earn flexible travel rewards, meaning you can typically redeem travel rewards with numerous airline and hotel partners. However, airline and hotel credit cards only allow you to earn and redeem rewards with a specific airline or hotel brand.

Additionally, the type of spending that qualifies for earning miles or points and the number of miles or points you’ll earn vary by the card issuer and card you choose, as different cards have different rewards programs and rates.

Most cards give you at least 1X miles or points for every dollar you spend on them, allowing you to rack up rewards every time you make a purchase. With a tiered rewards card, you may also earn a higher rate for purchases in specific categories.

Co-branded credit cards

The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is a co-branded airline credit card that allows you to earn frequent flyer miles with Delta Air Lines. It offers:

• Earn 2X Miles on Delta purchases, at U.S. Supermarkets and at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.
• Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases.

You can redeem miles with partner airlines in the same alliance, but co-branded credit cards are generally best for travelers loyal to one network.

General travel rewards cards

Then there’s the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, a general travel rewards card that allows you to earn transferable rewards. It offers:

• Earn 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠.
• Earn 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries.
• Earn 2x on all other travel purchases.
• Earn 1x on all other purchases.

Points can then be redeemed for 1:1 transfers to Chase airline and hotel loyalty program partners.

Another perk of travel rewards credit cards is that they often come with a welcome bonus for new cardholders, which you can use to jump start your stockpile of miles or points. In most cases, you’ll have to spend a specific dollar amount on a card within a set amount of time to earn a bonus. You may also qualify for elite status simply by holding the airline or hotel’s co-branded card.

Chase Sapphire Preferred vs. Delta SkyMiles Gold welcome bonus

The Chase Sapphire Preferred currently offers a welcome bonus of 75,000 points after you spend $5,000 within the first three months of account opening, which is worth $750 when redeemed for travel through Chase Travel℠ but can be worth up to $2,000 with the right transfer partner, according to Bankrate’s valuations.

For comparison, the Delta SkyMiles Gold card offers 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,000 in the first six months from account opening, which is worth around $960 with the right transfer partner, based on Bankrate’s valuations.

Getting approved for a top travel rewards credit card can be more complicated than signing up for an airline loyalty program. You’ll generally need a good to excellent credit score and a low debt-to-income ratio to qualify for the best travel cards. If you’re new to travel cards, you may want to look at the best travel cards for beginners first to make the card-choosing process easier.

Earn by buying, transferring or pooling miles

Although the primary ways to earn airline miles or points are by joining a loyalty program or regularly spending money on a travel rewards card, you have other options for racking up rewards.

Many loyalty programs allow you to buy miles or points if you don’t have enough in your account to book your desired vacation. The process is usually easy and can be done through the rewards program portal.

Remember, though, that buying miles is often not worth it, as they tend to cost more than their redemption value. But if you’re just shy of having enough miles to book your flight, buying more may be cheaper than purchasing the ticket with cash. You may also want to buy points if they go on sale, and you can get a good deal.

Need to add points or miles to your frequent flyer account?

If you need a few more points or miles to book a flight, you’ll often have the option to transfer rewards. If you have an eligible general travel card, you can easily transfer your rewards to any of your credit card issuer’s partner airlines. Most transfers are instant, while others can take a few days to process. Transfers aren’t reversible, so be careful when entering the number of points or miles you want to move.

Lastly, some loyalty programs allow you to pool your points or miles with family and friends who are members of the same program. For example, the Frontier Miles program offers a family pooling feature that allows you to share miles with up to eight friends and family members.

Earn through shopping portals and dining programs

Many major airline loyalty programs — including Southwest Rapid Rewards and Delta SkyMiles — have shopping portals you can use to earn miles on purchases you’re already planning to make. To do this, you’ll typically head to the rewards program’s shopping portal first. Then, check out available retailers or promotions or search for items you want to buy. Clicking through the portal will track your activity so that when you complete your purchase, you’ll receive credit in the form of extra miles or points added to your rewards account.

The best part? You don’t need to hold a co-branded airline card to take advantage of these offers. For example, fans of American Airlines can join the AAdvantage program for free and use their frequent flyer number to create an account with its online eShopping portal. Plus, paying for eShopping purchases with a card that earns American AAdvantage miles lets you double-dip on rewards, getting you to that award flight more quickly.

Similar to online shopping portals, dining programs also earn you rewards for eating at select restaurants. You’ll have to enroll in these programs separately (as you do with a shopping portal). Once you have an account, you’ll have to use your linked debit or credit cards to pay for your meal at an eligible restaurant.

How to redeem frequent flyer miles

Building a portfolio of frequent flyer miles can feel exciting, but don’t forget the real purpose of doing so — redeeming your miles for travel. Having a plan for redeeming your rewards isn’t just an essential part of maximizing your effort. Airline and hotel loyalty programs regularly devalue their points and miles, so holding them long-term puts you at risk of losing value over time.

The rewards programs associated with general travel credit cards typically provide more flexible redemption options than airline frequent flyer programs. With a general travel credit card, you can often redeem rewards for all types of travel purchases, along with cash back, gift cards, merchandise, event tickets and more. You may also be able to transfer your points or miles to a travel partner, increasing the potential value of your redemptions.

Frequent flyer programs, however, are limited to travel redemptions only, such as booking airfare. Similarly, points and miles earned with co-branded travel credit cards may be limited to redemption with the card’s specific airline or hotel partner’s booking portal. Always check your desired program for the specific options available to you to ensure the redemption options align with what you’re looking for.

Redeem through an airline program

• Log in to your airline loyalty program account.
• Search for your desired flight. You can choose to see how much flights cost in either dollars or miles (or points).
• Choose miles or points as your form of payment when checking out.

Note that if you’re looking to redeem miles for a flight within an airline alliance, you might need to call the airline for assistance with the booking.

Redeem through a credit card program

• Log in to your credit card account.
• Locate the rewards portal. From there, you should be able to redeem your rewards for travel bookings, gift cards, charitable donations and more. To redeem for travel, you can redeem your rewards through your issuer’s travel portal or transfer your rewards to one of your issuer’s travel partners. Typically, your rewards go further when you transfer your points or miles to a high-value rewards program.
• Select the redemption option you’re interested in and follow the prompts.

Before using your points or miles, ensure you’re getting the best deal, especially if you’re booking travel. Because airlines calculate the rewards value of their flights differently, sometimes you can save thousands of points or miles just by booking your ticket through a partner airline. Start by checking out one of the many tools available to redeem rewards for flights.

The bottom line

You can earn airline miles or points on the purchases you’re already making by signing up for a travel rewards card or joining your preferred airline loyalty program.

If you join the right rewards program for your spending habits and choose the most valuable redemption options to maximize your rewards earnings, your next trip could be closer than you think.

Frequently asked questions about frequent flyer miles

What’s the fastest way to get airline miles? It greatly depends on the frequent flyer program you’re a part of. However, usually one of the fastest ways is to have a credit card that earns miles on everyday purchases, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred, so you can rack up miles without much effort.If you have a co-branded card, then flying often with that airline and making eligible purchases may be your best bet.If you have neither, then stick to flying with the airline you prefer, and make sure to enter your frequent flyer number when making purchases to accumulate every mile you can.

How do I join a frequent flyer program for free? Most frequent flyer programs are free to join. The process to sign up has only a few steps:Head to the frequent flyer website you would like to join, such as the American AAdvantage program.Click on the “Join for free” button or a similar button that says “Sign up.”Follow the prompts to sign up for an account. You will likely need to enter your personal information, such as name, address and contact information.

How many miles are needed for a free flight? Different frequent flyer programs require different amounts of miles to earn a free flight. For example, Delta SkyMiles offers award deals for flights. Currently, a round-trip flight in the U.S. can go for as low as 5,000 miles, plus a small fee. Comparatively, United Airlines offers domestic round-trip flights starting at around around 7,0000 miles.

Key takeaways

• Join your preferred airline’s loyalty program for free to earn and redeem points and miles for your next flight.
• With a general travel rewards credit card or co-branded airline credit card, you can earn points and miles through eligible credit card spending.
• For more ways to earn points and miles, consider buying, transferring or pooling rewards or using airline shopping and dining portals.

©2025 Bankrate.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Although our nation is not in a financial storm, experts are struggling to formulate an economic forecast. In fact, they can’t even come up with a consensus on where the economy stands today. There are just too many crosscurrents creating a variety conflicting views.

Have tariffs led to higher inflation? Which way are interest rates headed? Is the economy growing as fast as the numbers indicate?

Something we do know is that our national debt surpassed $37 trillion earlier this month. That means we now spend more on loan interest than we do on both national defense and Medicare.

The bottom line is that all the uncertainty adds up to more questions than answers. But despite all that, the American consumer appears to keep rolling along, albeit with a bit more caution.

Take a certain large restaurant conglomerate, for example. The traffic at their upscale steak house has slowed a bit, but their mid-scale steak house chain is maintaining heavy traffic. That seems to be an indication that consumers are trading down somewhat.

And it’s in the same vein as grocery store brand sales increasing while national brand sales are falling. In other words, consumers are being more selective with their spending.

From an investor’s perspective, it may be tempting to reach for some of the exotic and flashy investments that are dominating the financial headlines. But I seriously question if now is the time to be chasing returns.

Regular readers know that I’m a big believer in diversification, which means having a variety of quality positions in a variety of asset classes. It may not be the flashiest or most glamorous approach, but historically, it has stood the test of time. I’m aware that what happened in the investment world in the past is not guaranteed to repeat. Nonetheless, long-term diversification has proven to be an effective strategy.*

There have recently been some subtle changes in the investment world. One is significant. Private equity has been given the green light to be among the investment choices for retirement programs. Private equity tends to be higher risk and can be illiquid. I’m speculating that the firms that administer these retirement programs are scrambling to upgrade their investment choices to include a menu of private equity offerings. As a financial advisor, I’m a bit concerned about the decision to make riskier investments more readily available to almost everyone.

SA few years ago, an investment firm advertised that, if you wanted to invest like the wealthy, they were your firm. They offered choices beyond traditional stocks, bonds, mutual funds and ETFs. Unfortunately, many of those who thought they were investing like the wealthy have lost significant money.

Such losses could mean working beyond their intended retirement date for many investors. What’s just another day in the market for the ultra-wealthy is often a catastrophic loss for everyday investors. And in many instances these significant losses came about when investors were swinging for the fences. But they played the game without a scouting report, commonly known as research.

With economic forecasts and projections all over the map and private equity firms now trying hard to get a slice of the retirement pot, it’s time for investors to be levelheaded. Be wary of overreaching by taking on unnecessary risk.

*A diversified portfolio does not assure a gain or prevent a loss in a declining market. There is no guarantee that any investment strategy will be successful or will achieve their stated investment objective.

Email your questions to kenmorris@lifetimeplanning.com

Securities offered through Kestra Investment Services, LLC (Kestra IS), member FINRA/SIPC. Investment Advisory services offered through Kestra Advisory Services, LLC (Kestra AS), an affiliate of Kestra IS. Society for Lifetime Planning is not affiliated with Kestra IS or Kestra AS. https://kestrafinancial.com/disclosures

The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those held by Kestra Investment Services, LLC or Kestra Advisory Services, LLC. This is for general information only and is not intended to provide specific investment advice or recommendations for any individual. It is suggested that you consult your financial professional, attorney, or tax advisor with regard to your individual situation. Comments concerning the past performance are not intended to be forward looking and should not be viewed as an indication of future results.

New tariffs imposed earlier this year by the Trump administration are starting to raise prices on some consumer goods, and many Michigan households are struggling as a result.

According to United Way’s latest ALICE (asset limited, income constrained and employed) report, roughly 41% of Michigan households are facing financial hardship. So how can people make the most out of the money they do have?

Khadija Mutakabbir, a licensed financial literacy counselor and an experienced loan advisor with Detroit Peer Money Mentors, says it starts with building healthy money habits.

The youth-led effort, funded through the city’s Grow Detroit’s Young Talent program, helps to educate Detroit youth about financial wellness and money management. Participating mentors receive extensive training on how to lead workshops and encourage participants to take control of their personal finance.

Mutakabbir joined The Metro on Monday to talk about the program and how her background in finance shaped her mission to educate others.

Use the media player above to hear the full conversation.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Trusted, accurate, up-to-date.

WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.

Donate today »

More stories from The Metro

The Metro: AI generated music is pushing boundaries against human artists on Spotify

Nadia Ziyad

Read More »

The Metro: The difference between boards and committees in local government

Nadia Ziyad

Read More »

The Metro: Gabriela Santiago-Romero confronts immigration fears in District 6

Nadia Ziyad

Read More »

The post The Metro: Youth-led mentorship program giving young Detroiters tools for financial wellness appeared first on WDET 101.9 FM.