Special to USA TODAY Mari Madlem says she has plenty of worries about going back to work during the coronavirus pandemic. But the 69-year-old from Portland, Oregon, doesn’t have the option of telecommuting since she works as a cosmetics saleswoman at an upscale department store. “I really have a lot of contact with people,” she says, adding that she’s anxious about whether co-workers and customers will take precautions like wearing masks. “If I don't go back, I'm out of work.” Despite her...

Special to USA TODAY The millions of Americans who have filed for unemployment since the pandemic walloped the economy in March face an unwelcome surprise next month. While the CARES Act directed an extra $600 a week in jobless benefits to help out-of-work Americans weather business shutdowns, those additional benefits expire July 31. Unless Congress steps in to extend the benefits, Americans will see their unemployment checks reduced to their state’s typical payout starting in August, with a...

As some stay-at-home orders lift across the country, Dr. Eva Beaulieu reminds us why staying home is the best practice to help the health care system. USA TODAY If you're worried about losing all those pretax dollars you saved in a flexible spending account this year, relief may be in sight, even if COVID-19 keeps you from visiting the doctor or putting your kids in day care. FSAs allow employees to set aside money for medical and child care expenses. It’s a careful calculation that allows...

The coronavirus pandemic is causing financial stress in millions of households. In the last five weeks alone, more than 26 million workers filed for unemployment. In the meantime, the bills are coming due – everything from rent to property taxes. All in all, it’s adding up to a cash crunch for some consumers. It might be tempting to reach for a quick source of cash, but even in a crisis it’s best to avoid high-cost products that can make it tougher to find a solid financial footing in the...

Special to USA TODAY The stimulus checks landing in millions of Americans’ bank accounts are meant to help people cope with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. But they could also be helping debt collectors, thanks to a loophole in the $2 trillion stimulus package. The problem, legal advocates say, is that the stimulus checks aren’t explicitly off-limits to debt collectors or creditors, unlike other government payments such as Social Security and disability benefits. That oversight means...