Cora Lewis, Author at The Rapid City Post

FILE - A 1040 tax form printed from the Internal Revenue Service web page is seen, Feb. 13, 2019, in Zelienople, Pa. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)

Here’s when you’ll get your tax refund from the IRS

January 29, 2026

Tax season is underway, and the IRS expects 164 million people will file returns by April 15. If you file electronically, the IRS says it should take 21 days or less to receive your refund. If you choose to receive your refund with direct deposit, it should take even less time. When filing a paper return, the refund could take four weeks or more, and if your return requires amendments or corrections, it could take longer. The IRS cautions that taxpayers not rely on receiving a refund by a certain date, especially when making major purchases or paying bills.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks at the Federal Reserve, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

What the Federal Reserve rate cut means for you

December 10, 2025

The Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate by a quarter point Wednesday for the third time since September, bringing its key rate to about 3.6%, the lowest in nearly three years. Before September, it had gone nine months without a cut. The benchmark rate is the rate at which banks borrow and lend to one another, and the Fed has two goals when it sets the rate: one, to manage prices for goods and services, and two, to encourage full employment. The benchmark rate also affects the interest rates consumers pay to borrow money via credit cards, auto loans, mortgages, and other financial products.

Travelers make their way through the Nashville International Airport, Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Consumers should do their research before giving in to Travel Tuesday temptation

November 29, 2025

Chain stores have Black Friday. Online marketplaces have Cyber Monday. For local businesses, it’s Small Business Saturday. In the last 20 years, more segments of the retail industry have vied for their own piece of the holiday shopping season. The travel trade has firmly joined the trend with another post-Thanksgiving sales push: Travel Tuesday. On the same day as the nonprofit world’s Giving Tuesday, airlines, hotels, cruise ship companies, travel booking platforms and tour operators get in on the annual spirit to spend by promoting one-day deals. Consumer advocates say there are legitimate savings to be had but also chances to be misled by marketing that conveys a false sense of urgency.

FILE - FanDuel, DraftKings and other online gambling apps are displayed on a phone in San Francisco, Sept. 26, 2022. Online sports gambling apps are facing tax hikes in some states this year. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

Online gambling is everywhere. So are the risks

November 12, 2025

With the rise of online betting and prediction markets, states and public health organizations are devoting resources to people who become addicted or develop a problematic habit. According to those in the space, it can be helpful for new gamblers to set limits in advance on how much they’re willing to lose and how much time they’re willing to spend. Many of the platforms and apps that offer gambling, such as FanDuel and DraftKings, also include optional safeguards to limit time or losses. Other apps can block access to the platforms for set amounts of time.

FILE - Several VISA and MASTER credit cards are shown in Buffalo Grove, Ill., Feb. 8, 2024. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

What a Federal Reserve rate cut means for your finances

October 29, 2025

The Federal Reserve has cut its benchmark interest rate by a quarter point for the second time since September. Before that, it had gone nine months without a cut. The federal funds rate is the rate at which banks borrow and lend to one another. While the rates consumers pay to borrow money aren’t directly linked to this rate, shifts affect what you pay for credit cards, auto loans, mortgages, and other financial products. The cut will impact mortgages and credit card debt gradually, and savings rates will become less appealing.

FILE - The U.S. Department of Education building is seen in Washington, on Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Trump administration pledges to speed some student loan forgiveness after lawsuit

October 21, 2025

The Trump administration has agreed to resume student loan forgiveness for an estimated 2.5 million borrowers who are enrolled in certain in certain federal repayment plans following a lawsuit from the American Federation of Teachers. Under the agreement reached Friday between the teachers union and the administration, the Education Department will provide loan forgiveness for those eligible in certain repayment plans that offer lower monthly payments based on a borrower’s earnings. The government had stopped providing forgiveness under those plans based on its interpretation of a different court decision.

FILE - In this March 5, 2012, file photo, consumer credit cards are posed in North Andover, Mass. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File)

What a possible Fed rate cut would mean for your finances

September 17, 2025

The Federal Reserve is expected to cut its benchmark interest rate for the first time in nine months. Since the last cut, progress on inflation has slowed while the labor market has cooled and Wall Street has rallied. That means Americans are dealing with both high prices and a challenging job market. The federal funds rate, set by the Federal Reserve, is the rate at which banks borrow and lend to one another. The rates that consumers pay to borrow money aren’t directly linked to this rate. But shifts in Fed policy affect what people pay for credit cards, auto loans, mortgages, and other financial products.

FILE - Education Secretary Linda McMahon speaks during a Senate Appropriations hearing, Tuesday, June 3, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)

What’s happening with forgiveness for student loans on income-based repayment plans?

July 22, 2025

Amid a federal overhaul of student loan plans, many borrowers have been left wondering what it means for their hopes of loan forgiveness. In particular, those who are enrolled in a repayment plan known as income-based repayment, or IBR, have wondered if forgiveness will still be available to them. A recent update from the Education Department said forgiveness through the IBR plan is paused while systems are updated. “IBR forgiveness will resume once those updates are completed,” the agency said. IBR is not affected by a federal court’s injunction blocking former President Joe Biden’s Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, plan.

FILE - A person looks at their phone at Seattle–Tacoma International Airport on Sunday, June 1, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)

One Tech Tip: ‘Click-to-cancel’ is over, but there are other ways to unsubscribe

July 11, 2025

A “click-to-cancel” rule, which would have made it easier for consumers to end unwanted subscriptions, has been blocked by a federal appeals court days before it was set to go into effect. But there are ways to end those subscriptions and memberships, even if they take some work. The rule would also have required companies to disclose when free trials and promotional offers would end and let customers cancel recurring subscriptions as easily as they started them. But even without the new federal guidance, here are some ways to stay on top of subscription and membership fees.

Job scams are on the rise and more people are falling for them. Protect yourself with these tips

July 9, 2025

As job-seekers look for work in an challenging environment, an increasing number are falling victim to scams that promise good pay for completing easy online tasks. The Federal Trade Commission says the scams start innocuously, often with a tailor-made text or WhatsApp message. The tasks seem legitimate, but victims are then told they need to pay money to access their earnings. To avoid falling victim to these scams, ignore unexpected messages, never pay to access your pay, and avoid accepting positions where you rate, like, or leave phony reviews for products or services.

FILE - A woman walks by a sign "Buy now pay later" at a store in Bangalore, India, on Sept. 10, 2009. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi, File)

Buy Now, Pay Later loans will soon affect some credit scores

June 26, 2025

Hundreds of millions of ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ loans will soon affect credit scores for millions of Americans. Scoring company FICO said Monday that it is rolling out a new scoring model that factors the short-term loans into their consumer scores. Previously, the loans had been excluded, though Buy Now, Pay Later company Affirm began voluntarily reporting new pay-in-four loans to Experian, a separate credit bureau, in April. Typically, with Buy Now, Pay Later loans, consumers pay for a given purchase in four installments over six weeks, in a model more similar to layaway than to a credit card.

FILE - People demonstrate in Lafayette Park across from the White House in Washington, June 30, 2023, after a sharply divided Supreme Court has ruled that the Biden administration overstepped its authority in trying to cancel or reduce student loan debts for millions of Americans. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

Credit scores decline for millions as US student loan collections restart

June 16, 2025

Millions of Americans are seeing their credit scores suffer now that the U.S. government has resumed referring missed student loan payments for debt collection. After 90 days of non-payment, student loan servicers report delinquent accounts to major credit bureaus, which use the information to recalculate the borrower’s score. Falling behind on loan payments therefore can affect an individual’s credit rating as severely as filing for personal bankruptcy. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, about 1 in 4 people with student loan accounts were more than 90 days behind on payments at the end of March. It said borrowers ages 40 and older were most likely to be delinquent on their loans.

FILE - People shop for shoes in a Nike store on Nov. 25, 2022, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson, File)

Why are more shoppers struggling to repay ‘buy now, pay later’ loans?

May 21, 2025

Short-term lender Klarna says more customers are having trouble repaying their “buy now, pay later” loans. The disclosure this week corresponded with reports by lending platforms Bankrate and LendingTree, which cited an increasing share of all “buy now, pay later” users saying they’re falling behind on payments. Some analysts see the late or missed installments as a sign of faltering financial health among a segment of the U.S. population as the nation’s total consumer debt rises to a record $18.2 trillion. Buy now, pay later plans generally split payments for purchases into four or fewer installments. Providers typically market the loans as accruing zero interest and promote them as a safer alternative to traditional credit cards.

Cora Lewis.