Last year was busy in terms of permitting and construction for local municipalities.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic-controlled House voted Tuesday to pass a $1.4 trillion government spending package, handing President Donald Trump a victory on his U.S.-Mexico border fence while giving Democrats spending increases across a swath of domestic programs.

LANSING (AP) — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has signed legislation to ensure that Michigan's 6% sales and use taxes are collected on more items sold through websites such as Wayfair, Overstock and Amazon.

LANSING (AP) — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer rallied with teachers earlier this week to push for a sizable boost in school spending, saying a "failure" in the Capitol has contributed to worsening educational outcomes for Michigan kids.

Asked to name their highest priority benefits for a new job, more than half of millennials in a new survey ranked health insurance highly. Just 36 percent included a company retirement plan match in their top three.

While the layoffs at Ford Motor Co. are the latest to grab headlines, the automaker isn’t alone in trimming its payrolls. Retailers, snack foods companies, manufacturers and others are cutting costs across the country, too.

LANSING (AP) — Michigan's Legislature was poised Friday to pass a bill that would cut the country's highest auto insurance premiums by letting drivers forego a one-of-a-kind requirement to buy unlimited medical coverage for crash injuries.

(StatePoint) Kids often view money as having one function only: to buy stuff, right now. Give a young child $5 and he’ll likely spend it all, often looking for things that cost $5.

America's "recession obsession" is ongoing. We're glued to each dip in the Dow. We're hanging on every bit of news on layoffs, late car payments and bad economic luck. We're worried that somehow, the 10-year economic expansion is coming to a halt.

Amanda Hill, 27, deals with big student loan debt by doing everything she can to keep her other bills small.

New federal overtime rules could boost some pay for some workers

If you're preparing your income taxes and your refund isn't as big as you had bargained for, there's no reason to panic.

During his 90-minute presentation Tuesday morning on the economic forecast for Northwest Ottawa County, Dr. Paul Isley used the word “recession” more than 30 times.

The best way to prepare to do your taxes — or even get your taxes done — is to take a deep breath, gather your thoughts and start scrambling for your paperwork.

It's the time of year for fresh starts and resolutions, so now is the perfect time to take stock of your financial fitness.

Many times, the New Year kicks off with a huge financial hangover. But this year, we're looking at even more reasons to keep an eye on our money.

LANSING — Michigan would shift income tax revenue away from the School Aid Fund toward road repairs and environmental cleanups under legislation approved by the Legislature Friday morning during the frenetic lame-duck session.

Grand Haven’s streets have seen better days, and more than double the current annual investment is needed to maintain existing quality and improve the system, city officials say. 

FRUITPORT TWP. – Nearly 90 minutes into a public hearing at Fruitport Middle School Wednesday night, no one voiced opposition to the proposed Little River Band of Ottawa Indians casino project.

The City of Grand Haven is considering a long-term financing plan that would require a millage to keep up with increasing infrastructure needs.

NEW YORK (AP) — It would have been easy to turn on their computers at home over plates of leftover turkey and take advantage of the Black Friday deals most retailers now offer online.

Voters in Ottawa County will decide in the November election whether to raise the maximum county tax levy or leave it up to the county, local municipalities and the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (OAISD). 

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers advertised the most jobs on record in July, and the number of workers quitting their jobs also hit a new all-time high.

The Northwest Ottawa Recreation Authority (NORA) has asked the City of Grand Haven to take over its administrative services.

Despite a strong economy, about 40 percent of American families struggled to meet at least one of their basic needs last year, including paying for food, health care, housing or utilities.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Is the latest pickup in U.S. economic growth destined to slow in the years ahead as most analysts say?

American shoppers stepped up their spending more than expected in July amid rising consumer confidence, a tight labor market and this year’s federal tax cut.

School classrooms will once again be filled with students in just a few weeks.

Whether it is during local government meetings or Wake Up West Coast breakfasts, affordable housing dominates conversations among West Michigan leaders.

TRAVERSE CITY (AP) — Rebecca Brown is a rare case; the 18-year-old plans to work every summer through her college years.

Get ready for a little bit more pain at the pump this summer.

Preparing tax returns is never fun, but some businesses are helping to ease the pain by offering freebies and special deals on Tax Day, which this year is April 17 (today).

Ottawa County Treasurer Bradley Slagh has been knocking on doors recently in a last ditch effort to give people a chance to pay back taxes before they lose their home or farm.

(AP) — The Republican tax overhaul is giving most Americans a break on their federal income taxes. But fallout from the same law means many people could actually see their state income taxes rise.

You may start seeing more money in your paycheck this month, thanks to a new tax rate structure that went into effect with the recent federal tax law change.

The oldest baby boomers are turning 72 this year. They’re taking required distributions from their IRAs and even the ones who delayed Social Security checks as long as they could earn delayed retirement credits, to age 70, are now collecting.

Got your 2017 tax return filed yet?

Wall Street is making a good case for buying stock in Maalox and Tums.

Dr. Paul Isley, associate dean for undergraduate programs at the Seidman College of Business at Grand Valley State University, provided a sunny economic forecast for 2018 during a meeting of local business leaders Tuesday morning.

West Michigan Works! has released its 2018 Hot Jobs list, and it found the highest demand in health sciences and manufacturing.

Organizers of an upcoming financial resource fair hope people are seeing and thinking green once the event ends.

(AP) — In New Jersey and California, top Democratic officials want to let people make charitable contributions to the state instead of paying certain taxes. In Connecticut and New York, officials are exploring a switch from income taxes to new ones on payroll. A few governors have even calle…

(AP) — With Congress sending President Donald Trump a tax overhaul, state and local governments are preparing for some fallout.

According to one festive and fun annual economic indicator, the cost of this holiday season for shoppers is not expected to rise a significant amount over last year.

LANSING (AP) — The Michigan Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the state to return $554 million to nearly 275,000 school employees and retirees who saw a portion of their pay illegally deducted for retiree health care for about two years, ending a lengthy legal battle that stretched across t…

Sara Bergeron and her 11-year-old daughter, Lexi, were watching the news late last week when they saw a clip about student debt at school lunchrooms.

As Capitol Hill heads toward a possible federal government shutdown, letters to more than 100,000 Michigan children could go out next month warning their health coverage is in peril.

Spending time with family during the holidays is awesome, but there's another kind of spending that may be causing a lot of strife in your life this time of year.