Many communities are experiencing devastating losses from recent hurricanes, and no one knows how long it will take to recover. Maybe you’re considering donating to help people in those communities. But how can you avoid charity scams and make sure your donations go to the people who need them and not to a scammer?

With the holiday season approaching, you might be looking for extra funds to cover things like gifts and trips. But if you’re planning to borrow the money, make sure a payday loan isn’t your first — or only — choice. Sure, you might get the money fast, but the added fees and interest could make the payback really slow — or nearly impossible.

Have you seen offers to “unlock” the equity in your home by selling it and then renting it back from the buyer? The ads make these agreements — called sale-leasebacks — sound like a simple and risk-free way to get cash upfront and stay in your home. But the truth is these agreements are far from risk-free.

The federal government is once again offering free COVID test kits. When it opens in September, you can order up to four kits per household at COVIDTests.gov. All for free.