Services Australia staff are striking for 24 hours on Monday over a pay dispute. Workers walked off the job on Monday, with the strike possibly impacting Centrelink and health insurance services. However, Services Australia general manager Hank Jongen told 7NEWS.com.au last week it was “making preparations to minimise potential disruption to our customers”. “We respect … Read more
Grand Canyon National Park Jacobs Stock Photography | Photodisc | Getty Images The National Park Service is offering free admission to U.S. national parks on six days in 2024. There are more than 400 national parks in the U.S. Most of them offer free entrance all the time. However, 109 parks don’t — including some … Read more
IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel testifies before the House Small Business Committee on July 17, 2013. James Lawler Duggan | Reuters The IRS has unveiled a “voluntary disclosure program” for businesses that claimed a pandemic-era tax credit in error and want to pay the money back. Worth thousands per employee, the employee retention tax credit, or … Read more
Tracey was at home cooking dinner one night when she heard a 7NEWS segment about junk insurance. Months later, she would receive a $90,000 refund she had no idea she was owed. “When I heard the segment I went ‘oh my goodness’ and quickly wrote all the information down,” she told 7NEWS.com.au. For more Personal … Read more
Almost a million Australians are set to see a cash boost in the new year, as indexation to government payments takes effect from January 1. More than 936,000 Australians receiving youth, student or carer support will see a 6 per cent boost to their payments. The increases to payments ensure that Australians receiving support can … Read more
Maskot | Maskot | Getty Images Both new and used car purchases were expensive for drivers this year, as limited inventory and high borrowing costs affected affordability. “Interest rates have taken such a toll on purchasing power,” said Ivan Drury, director of insights at Edmunds. Yet, consumers might begin to see lower prices in 2024, … Read more
Rear view of couple traveling through car. Maskot | Maskot | Getty Images A recall on your vehicle can derail your travel plans, depending on the issue at hand. It’s an issue plenty of drivers have to consider this fall. Subaru, Volkswagen, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Honda Motor are among the vehicle manufacturers that … Read more
Tooga | Digitalvision | Getty Images Long delays to get a new U.S. passport have eased from earlier in 2023 but haven’t yet returned to their pre-pandemic baseline. As of Nov. 6, the U.S. State Department is processing routine passport applications in seven to 10 weeks, the agency said. It’s processing expedited applications — which … Read more
The average household is saving thousands of dollars each year on their power bills with rooftop solar and battery storage. Households can save between $822 and $1350 on their power bills if they have rooftop solar and this jumps to between $1322 and $2252 if households have an 8.5kWh battery, government analysis shows. An 8.5 … Read more
Jgi/jamie Grill | Tetra Images | Getty Images The IRS is waiving roughly $1 billion in late-payment penalties for millions of taxpayers with balances under $100,000 from returns filed in 2020 and 2021. Some 4.7 million individual taxpayers, businesses, trusts, estates and nonprofit organizations are eligible for the relief, which amounts to about $206 per … Read more
