Your Cheddar hosts Kristen Scholer and Tim Stenovec discuss the latest news in personal finance, business, and the markets.
Not paying your car loan could now land you in jail. According to a new report from the American Civil Liberties Union, some people are being jailed for their unpaid bills. Private debt collectors are partnering with some local courts and prosecutors to use the criminal justice system to force repayments. The report says they are using arrests and jailing even when the debts are in dispute or when the debtor has no ability to repay.
Plus, your money isn't going quite as far as it used to. The consumer price index has increased .5% on the month and 2.1% on the year. Why? Experts say inflation is partial to blame, which means price increases for food, gas, utilities, cars, etc.
An independent watchdog within the IRS reports that while taxpayer services have vastly improved, the agency is still too slow to resolve identity theft cases. And National Taxpayer Advocate Erin Collins says those delays are “unconscionable.” Erin M. Collins said in the report released Wednesday that overall the 2024 filing season went smoothly, though IRS delays in resolving identity theft victim assistance cases are worsening. It took nearly 19 months to resolve self-reported identity theft cases as of January, and Wednesday's report states that now it takes 22 months to resolve these cases.
Amazon.com Inc. surpassed $2 trillion in market value for the first time in afternoon trading on Wednesday. The push higher for Amazon’s stock market valuation comes a little more than a week after Nvidia hit $3 trillion and briefly became the most valuable company on Wall Street. Nvidia’s chips are used to power many AI application and its valuation has soared as a result. Amazon has also been making big investments in AI as global interest has grown in the technology. Most of the company’s focus has been on business-focused products.
Climate change doesn’t just mean more extreme weather – it also leads to billions of dollars in lost productivity, tourism, and stresses infrastructure.
