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The Money Overview

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Tyler Foster

Latest Articles by Tyler Foster

Budgeting & Saving

Automatic transfers on payday build savings before the money ever reaches your checking account

Workers who want to build savings face a simple timing problem: once a full paycheck lands in a checking account, spending decisions compete with saving...

Tax Changes & Deadlines

The average tax refund climbed to $3,462 this year, up $346 from last spring

Tens of millions of American taxpayers are collecting bigger refund checks this spring, with the average payout climbing to $3,462 through early April 2026, an...

Tech & Your Wallet

Wyze is recalling its solar security cameras after six caught fire and injured owners

Six Wyze Solar Cam Pan security cameras caught fire and injured their owners, prompting Wyze Labs to recall roughly 323,920 units sold across the United...

Social Security & Medicare

Extra Help can wipe out most Part D drug costs for lower-income seniors, yet many never apply

Millions of lower-income Medicare beneficiaries qualify for a federal program that can eliminate most of their prescription drug costs, yet they have never filed an...

Retirement Planning

The average 401(k) balance slid 4% to $141,000 after this year’s market swings

Millions of American workers opened their first-quarter 2026 retirement statements to find smaller numbers. The average 401(k) balance dropped roughly 4% to $141,000 after a...

Retirement Planning

Keeping three to five years of spending in bonds lets retirees ride out a stock-market slump

Retirees who depend on portfolio withdrawals face a direct threat when stock prices fall sharply in the first years after they stop working. The risk,...

Retirement Planning

Workers who stay on the job past 73 can delay required withdrawals from that employer’s 401(k)

Americans who keep working past age 73 have a tax advantage hiding in plain sight: they can postpone required minimum distributions from their current employer’s...

Credit Cards & Rewards

Most credit-builder cards still cap the late fee near $8, even after a court tossed the federal rule

Consumers who rely on credit-builder cards to establish or repair their credit scores are still seeing late fees near $8 on their monthly statements, even...

Fraud & Scams

Americans reported losing billions to scams that started on social media, the FTC says

Americans reported losing $2.1 billion to scams that started on social media in 2025, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Nearly 30% of people who...

Real Estate

A transfer-on-death deed passes your home straight to heirs without going through probate

California homeowners gained a direct way to pass residential property to heirs without a probate filing when the state enacted the revocable transfer-on-death deed, effective...

Government & Policy

Congress killed the rule that would have capped overdraft fees at $5, so big banks keep charging full price

Bank customers who overdraw their checking accounts at the largest U.S. financial institutions will keep paying fees far above $5 per transaction. Congress used the...

Social Security & Medicare

Social Security’s taxable wage cap rose to $184,500 for higher earners this year

Higher-earning workers in the United States will see a larger slice of their paychecks subject to Social Security payroll taxes starting this year. The taxable...

Fraud & Scams

Turning on account alerts for every transaction can catch fraud the same day it happens

Reported fraud losses in the United States hit $12.5 billion in 2024, and federal regulators are now telling consumers that a single settings change on...

Budgeting & Saving

The “rule of 72” shows how fast money doubles: divide 72 by your interest rate

A saver with $10,000 earning 6 percent annual interest can estimate when that balance will reach $20,000 in roughly two seconds: divide 72 by 6,...

Mortgages & Rates

A HELOC lets homeowners borrow against their equity, with the house as collateral

Homeowners who have built equity in their properties can convert that value into a revolving credit line, but the trade-off is direct: the house itself...

Bank Accounts & Fees

A bank CD often auto-renews at a far lower rate unless you act in the grace period

Millions of Americans holding certificates of deposit face a quiet deadline that can cost them hundreds of dollars in lost interest. When a CD matures,...

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