Daniel Harper
Daniel is a finance writer covering personal finance topics including budgeting, credit, and beginner investing. He began his career contributing to his Substack, where he covered consumer finance trends and practical money topics for everyday readers. Since then, he has written for a range of personal finance blogs and fintech platforms, focusing on clear, straightforward content that helps readers make more informed financial decisions.
Latest Articles by Daniel Harper
A 401(k) loan avoids taxes and penalties as long as it’s repaid on time
A 401(k) participant who borrows from their own retirement account is not making a taxable withdrawal at all, as long as the loan follows the...
Spreading a required IRA withdrawal across the year can smooth a retiree’s tax bill
Retirees who own traditional IRAs and most workplace retirement accounts must begin required minimum distributions the year they turn 73, and the total owed for...
A federal retiree’s survivor annuity continues for a spouse only if the worker elected it
A federal employee who retires under CSRS or FERS does not automatically guarantee their spouse a monthly income after they die. The survivor annuity that...
Veterans can fill most prescriptions through the VA for a small copay or free
A veteran enrolled in VA health care does not shop for a pharmacy plan the way most retirees do. Medications prescribed by a VA provider...
PACT Act presumptive conditions can speed a veteran’s disability claim for toxic exposure
Getting a VA disability claim approved has always come down to one hurdle: proving the military caused the condition. The PACT Act, a law expanding...
A veteran’s disability pay is exempt from federal income tax and most state taxes
Disability compensation is one of the few streams of federal money that never shows up on a tax return. The Department of Veterans Affairs pays...
A special-needs trust preserves government benefits for a disabled heir
Leaving money directly to a disabled heir who receives Supplemental Security Income or Medicaid can backfire badly: those programs cap how much a recipient can...
Gifting up to the annual exclusion each year quietly shrinks a taxable estate
The federal government lets anyone give away a set amount of money to as many people as they want every year, with no gift tax...
A durable power of attorney lets a trusted person handle your finances if you can’t
A power of attorney is a one-page legal fix for a problem most families only discover mid-crisis: someone needs to pay a parent’s mortgage, sign...
A revocable trust can name someone to manage your money if illness leaves you unable
A revocable living trust does more than route money to heirs after death. Written correctly, it also names a backup manager — a successor trustee...
Naming a minor directly as a beneficiary can force a court guardianship a trust would avoid
A parent or grandparent who lists a child directly as the beneficiary on a life insurance policy or retirement account is choosing the option that...
A 60-day IRA rollover done a day late becomes a taxable withdrawal
A retirement distribution that’s meant to pass briefly through a saver’s hands before landing in a new account carries a deadline that shows no leniency...
Delaying Social Security while first drawing down an IRA can cut a retiree’s lifetime taxes
Waiting until 70 to claim Social Security raises a retiree’s monthly check by roughly 8% for every year past full retirement age, but it also...
An ABLE account lets a disabled person save tens of thousands without losing benefits
An ABLE account lets a person with a qualifying disability save and invest money in a dedicated, tax-advantaged account without the balance counting against the...
A no-penalty CD lets a saver lock a rate yet pull the cash if rates climb
A certificate of deposit locks a saver’s money in exchange for a fixed rate, and leaving early on a standard CD costs a penalty measured...
FDIC insurance covers up to $250,000 per depositor, and beneficiaries can raise that limit
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insures up to $250,000 per depositor, per bank, for each account ownership category, a ceiling that has not moved since...
