Financial and Lifestyle Resources for Vermont

The latest $900 billion relief package includes a second stimulus check for Americans. Here’s what you need to know!

The modern world is filled with convenience that would have been nearly unimaginable twenty years ago. From where I sit in Montpelier, I can have food delivered from five different grocery stores within two hours. I can place an order online at a local store, have my items gift wrapped, and sent to my family on the other side of the country in only two clicks. Unfortunately, our modern world can also have its drawbacks. Much of the convenience we experience every day relies on putting our personal information on countless websites, order forms, phone trees, social networks, and mobile apps. The more places our information is stored, the more we open ourselves up to fraudulent activity. Luckily, there are some simple ways to reduce risk and keep your information private without sacrificing convenience. 

This holiday season looks a little different from years past and that includes shopping days like Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday. Rather than offering different deals on different days, many local Vermont retailers have modified their holiday plans and are offering sales online instead. It’s easier, faster, and safer, especially during COVID-19! We rounded up a list of deals to some of our favorite local businesses for your convenience.

Money can be one of the most stressful aspects of sharing your life with someone, especially in the early days of a relationship. So far, my wife and I have successfully navigated our finances through three different times in our lives: dating as students, living together, and getting married. These are the three ways we tackled the “money conversation.”

Starting September 4, tenants will be protected from eviction until the end of 2020. This new government order comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and applies to renters who make less than $99,000 (or $198,000 for joint filers).

When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended in April that everyone wear cloth coverings to protect themselves and others from COVID-19, many Vermonters dusted off their sewing machines to make their own or pulled out their winter balaclavas. If your homemade mask is looking a little ragged and you are hoping to buy something professionally made, several Vermont businesses have stepped up to the challenge and are make comfortable, long-lasting face masks! With COVID-19 very much an ongoing public health crisis and the Vermont Department of Health recommending all Vermonters wear cloth face coverings when outside of the home, now might be the perfect time to buy yourself a new mask.

If you receive a debit card in the mail claiming to be your COVID-19 stimulus payment, don’t throw it out! While over 140 million Americans have received their Economic Impact Payment from the federal government by direct deposit or as a check in the mail, a third form of payment may be arriving for those of you still waiting.  On May 18, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the IRS announced that roughly four million Economic Impact Payments will be sent in the mail as a prepaid debit card, often referred to as an EIP card.  

COVID-19 has brought financial uncertainty to many, and even as we edge closer to recovery, the impacts of COVID-19 will be felt by many Vermonters for months to come. I sat down with Yvonne Garand, our senior vice president of marketing and business development, to talk about personal finance in the age of COVID-19.