Thursday, January 2, 2025

The problem with health care

Also: All about Dry January! ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌  ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ 
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The Daily Money

ALL THE MONEY NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Thu Jan 2 2025

 

Daniel de Visé Personal Finance Reporter

Happy New Year! Did you miss us?

It's Daniel de Visé with your Daily Money.

We have a lot to catch up on, starting with health care.

It might be easier to make sense of the recent fatal shooting of an insurance CEO, an act with ominous overtones about health care costs and insurance coverage, if any one aspect of health care finance in America had gotten dramatically worse. 

All about Dry January

For many, the new year means new goals: Getting back to the gym, cooking more meals at home or cutting back on sugar. And for many, it's a time to reduce alcohol intake.

Folks looking to get on the right track may be interested in Dry January, a 31-day challenge in which participants abstain from drinking alcohol, whether it be cocktails, wine or beer.

Though drinking spikes during the holidays, January finds many revelers interested in sobering up.

Tips for a financially healthy 2025

The economy is entering 2025 in reasonably good shape, with a low unemployment rate, modest inflation, a trend toward declining interest rates and strong corporate profit growth that has been giving the stock market a lift.

It's not a bad backdrop for a fresh start on improving your finances. Here are some trends, issues and tips to keep in mind in the coming weeks, from columnist Russ Wiles.

📰 More stories you shouldn't miss 📰

Tesla Cybertruck explodes in Las Vegas
Social Security recipients get their January checks in December
Not all Big Lots stores will close
How much is the child tax credit for 2025?
Why to delay taking Social Security

About The Daily Money

Each weekday, The Daily Money  delivers the best consumer and financial news from USA TODAY, breaking down complex events, providing the TLDR version and explaining how everything from Fed rate changes to bankruptcies impacts you.

Daniel de Visé covers personal finance for USA Today.

FILE PHOTO: Flags fly at half-staff outside of the office of UnitedHealthcare, the day after the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, Brian Thompson was shot dead, in Minnetonka, Minnesota, U.S., December 5, 2024.

Everything in American health care seems to cost more, across the board, year after year.

Bartender Jesse Meredith of the Cribbs Kitchen in downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina shows how to make a mocktail on Feb. 4, 2022. This is the Sweet as Peaches mocktails which is white tea, lemon juice, peach puree and simple syrup.
 

What to know about Dry January, a 31-day alcohol abstinence challenge

Dry January is a 31-day challenge to abstain from alcohol consumption during the entire month of January. It was officially founded in 2013.

Piggy bank on calculator concept for saving, accounting, banking and business account
 

Tips for financial health in the new year

Although the economy is doing well, there are still plenty of things households can do to shore up their finances.

Las Vegas Metropolitan Police are investigating a vehicle fire outside Trump International Hotel Las Vegas on Jan. 1, 2025.
 

Cybertruck explosion near Vegas Trump hotel probe as possible terror act

Authorities are investigating a possible act of terrorism after a Cybertruck parked near a Vegas Trump hotel exploded, leaving 1 dead and 7 injured.

The average monthly Social Security benefit will increase from $1,927 to $1,976 in 2025 after the cost-of-living adjustment this year, according to the Social Security Administration.
 

Some Social Security checks came earlier than usual in 2025: See schedule

Because of the calendar, Social Security recipients who get Supplemental Security Income benefits get their first 2025 check on Dec. 31, 2024.

In 2021, the expanded child tax credit with monthly payments became available to 65 million children in a record nearly 40 million families across the United States. This single piece of legislation helped lift 5.3 million Americans out of poverty, including 2.9 million children.
 

Child tax credit: Here's what you need to know for this tax season

Here is what you should know about the child tax credit for this year's tax season and whether you qualify for it.

Social Security full retirement age chart.
 

Delaying Social Security benefits can pay off. Here's exactly how much

Nearly half of American Baby Boomers expect Social Security to be their primary source of retirement income. Here's why it makes sense to wait.

The Big Lots! store in Poughkeepsie on August 7, 2024.
 

Big Lots sale will keep up to 400 stores open across US

In a sale brought about by global asset and real estate consulting firm Gordon Brothers, between 200 and 400 Big Lots stores will remain open.

A batch of $2 bills.
 

IRS to issue about $2.4 billion in stimulus checks. Do you qualify?

The Internal Revenue Service said Friday that one million taxpayers are set to receive about $2.4 billion in stimulus checks in the coming weeks.

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