Bella Stoddart

1 month ago | cnbc.com | Bella Stoddart |Monica Pitrelli

The travel industry is one of the sectors most susceptible to fraud, with scams rising 18% during the summer peak season and 28% in the winter peak season in 2024, according to a new report. The report, published last Tuesday by the Mastercard Economics Institute, showed that fraud related to travel agency and tour company bookings is more than four times higher than the fraud average of other industries.

1 month ago | cnbc.com | Monica Pitrelli |Bella Stoddart

A new U.S. rule that requires hotel and short-term lodging companies to disclose so-called "junk fees" starts Monday.  Announced by the Federal Trade Commission in December, the rule takes direct aim at the widely loathed charges, which can appear as "resort," "destination" or "hospitality service" fees and purport to grant perks that travelers either don't want or already expect to receive.  These include "premium" internet service and access to a hotel gym.

2 months ago | cnbc.com | Bella Stoddart |Monica Pitrelli

Fewer Americans are planning to travel this summer, according to a survey by the consumer finance company Bankrate. Some 46% of respondents said they are planning a summer vacation this year — down from 53% in 2024. Of those who don't intend to travel, nearly two-thirds (65%) said money was the main reason. However, it's not just travel costs that are keeping people from planning trips — more respondents said the cost of everyday life (68%) was a bigger issue than vacation expenses (64%).

2 months ago | cnbc.com | Monica Pitrelli |Bella Stoddart

Kristin Herman said using a "buy now, pay later" service to pay for a last-minute trip to Miami felt like a lifesaver. She said the approval was quick, and there were no upfront costs — but she accidentally skipped a scheduled payment. "One missed reminder turned into fees," she told CNBC Travel. Rane Teo, however, said he used a buy now, pay later — or BNPL — plan to break up the cost of a weekend stay for his family on the Indonesian island of Batam.

2 months ago | flipboard.com | Monica Pitrelli |Bella Stoddart

13 hours agoStudent loans in default will be sent for collection. Here's what to know for borrowersNEW YORK (AP) — Starting next month, the Education Department says student loans that are in default will be referred for collections. Roughly 5.3 million borrowers are in default on their federal student loans and soon could be subject to having their wages garnished. Referrals for collection had …9 hours agoConsumers are already making financial changes in response to tariffs.