News You Should Know: Latest Forecasts Add Uncertainty to State Budget

Recession Risk Grows, Adding Uncertainty to Colorado Budget Crunch | The Colorado Sun

There’s still a lot of uncertainty as the deadline approaches for the Legislature to release its budget plan for the next fiscal year. State economists say that while Colorado’s economy is growing, unemployment is rising and spending and economic growth are slowing. At the same time, lawmakers are trying to find ways to cut over $1 billion from the state budget.

Americans Lost $5.7 Billion to Investment Scams in 2024, FTC Says. Here’s How to Protect Yourself | CNBC

Investment scams are on the rise—the latest data from the Federal Trade Commission show Americans lost $5.7 billion to investment scams in 2024, up 24% from the year before. Officials say scamming operations have become more sophisticated, and criminals stole an average of more than $9,000 from victims last year. Here are some tips for spotting and avoiding potential scams.

The IRS Has Issued a Whopping $145 Billion in Tax Refunds so Far | CNET

Tax season is well underway, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reports its tax return processing is mostly on par with last year, so far. The IRS says it has processed more than 60 million returns since tax season began and issued more than 43 million refunds, with an average refund of more than $3,300.

What to Know About Trump’s ‘Crypto Strategic Reserve’ Plan | NPR

President Donald Trump announced his intent to create a strategic reserve of cryptocurrency similar to the U.S. stockpile of gold. While there are still many questions about how a cryptocurrency reserve might work, the U.S. government already holds billions of dollars in bitcoin seized from criminal cases.

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News You Should Know is a digest of news from publications around the nation about finance, investing, and retirement.