The latest on contactless credit cards, FAFSA changes, and being hurt by the government shutdown
Here are some favorite personal finance reads from around the web this week.
Contactless payments are coming to the U.S., another threat to the use of cash
–Quartz
Compared to countries like the U.K. and Australia, the U.S. is behind on payment technology, but all that is about to change this year. Banks are planning to enable contactless technology for credit and debit cards.
Think the federal-aid process is crazy? Here’s some ‘bureaucratic sanity’
—The Chronicle of Higher Education
The U.S. Department of Education deserves praise for recent changes to the FAFSA process that make it easier for students to verify their financial information for colleges. This will hopefully help more lower-income students pay for college, rather than deter them with verification-related red tape.
My first furlough
–The Billfold
What’s it like to be a federal employee furloughed due to the recent government shutdown? This worker documents her current situation and the toll it has taken on her life and her finances.
Refunds from the IRS may go out, but hurdles to complete your return remain
–CNBC
The official start of the tax season is coming up on Jan. 28, and the IRS has assured taxpayers that refunds will go out despite the government shutdown. However, many accountants are concerned about reduced IRS staff, stalled regulations, and longer wait times for amended returns.
Craving more financial finds? Here are my latest blog posts!
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A round-the-world tour of how college works—and gets paid for—in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Brazil, and China.
Actually, you can’t have it all: Millennial burnout
Millennials are experiencing burnout from career stress, financial insecurity, student loan debt, social media, and more. So let’s cut them some slack.
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