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Student loan borrowers have more time to reduce their interest rate

NEW YORK (AP) — Student loan borrowers now have until the end of 2026 to enroll in auto pay and have their interest rate reduced by 1%. The original deadline was Sept. 30, but the U.S. Department of Education extended it to give borrowers more time to enroll. The rate reduction will last through June 2028. Borrowers who currently use auto pay already receive an interest-rate discount of 0.25%, so the new reduction takes off just 0.75%. This temporary benefit is meant to support borrowers, along with those who are returning to repayment, and ensure they can stay on top of the new ...

One income, two retirements

For a lot of people, a one-size-fits-all retirement plan just doesn’t fit. Their family circumstances call for a more custom-made approach. That’s the case with couples who have one income. Christine Benz and Valentina Djeljosevic recently discussed the retirement planning needs of these couples, including emergency funding and Social Security filing decisions. Valentina Djeljosevic: For couples who get to make this choice, to forgo having two earners, I’m sure they’re wondering, “Can we make it on one income?” But what might they be missing? Christine Benz: They’re ...

A reckoning on social media addiction came late for many kids. Will AI safety be different?

Years after the risks of social media for kids first became apparent, U.S. states this summer reached an accord hailed as a turning point for child safety. Meanwhile, a new generation of children has begun engaging with an even more potent technology: artificial intelligence. While the efforts to make social media safer are still taking shape, they offer some lessons for those looking to protect children using AI — technology that is growing so quickly, the extent of its risks for young people and their development is just emerging. When Meta agreed to changes to its social media ...

The 5 future vehicles you need to watch for, according to Edmunds

Fall is typically when automakers release the majority of their models for the new year. Most will be continuations of prior designs, but there’s also a good number that are all-new or getting major redesigns. If you’re thinking about buying a new vehicle in the next six months, it can be useful to know which ones have major changes or offer notable breakthroughs. To give you an inside scoop on what’s coming down the pike in the next few months, the automotive experts at Edmunds have picked five vehicles that promise to be well worth the wait. Small SUV: 2027 Nissan Rogue ...

Rising oil prices, falling technology stocks and reversing bond yields keep Wall Street unsettled

NEW YORK (AP) — Some sharp reversals kept financial markets unsteady on Thursday, as oil prices rose and U.S. stock indexes finished mixed. The S&P 500 fell 0.5% for a second straight loss after setting its all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 51 points, or 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 1.3% as technology stocks took particularly hard hits. Stocks felt pressure from a 4.1% rise in the price for a barrel of Brent crude oil, the international standard, to $104.28. It’s been pinballing between $96 and nearly $110 over the last month on uncertainty about when ...

A lawsuit accuses Starbucks of mislabeling 8 ‘sugar-free’ drinks

Starbucks is facing a consumer lawsuit over claims that the protein drinks labeled “sugar-free” on its cafe menus may actually contain more sugar than a Reese’s peanut butter cup. The federal lawsuit filed late Friday in Seattle alleges that eight protein beverages Starbucks sells in the U.S. contain varying amounts of sugar even though the company lists them as sugarless. On Monday, the menu on Starbucks’ U.S. website listed a 16-ounce Sugar-Free Caramel Protein Matcha with 16 grams of sugar and a 20-ounce version of the same drink with 21 grams of sugar. By comparison, one ...