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
Stop most pre-screened credit-card and insurance offers for free through OptOutPrescreen
Consumers who receive stacks of unsolicited credit-card and insurance pitches in the mail can shut most of them off for free through OptOutPrescreen.com or a...
Shimano agreed to an $11.5 million federal penalty after bike cranksets that can crack mid-ride caused fractures and crashes
Shimano will pay $11.5 million to settle federal charges that it knowingly sat on reports of cranksets cracking apart beneath riders, a failure that left...
A dependent-care FSA lets you set aside up to $5,000 pre-tax for a child’s care or an adult dependent’s day program
Workers who pay for child care or adult day programs stand to keep more of each paycheck by routing up to $5,000 a year through...
Adding a trusted relative as an authorized user on a long-held credit card can quietly lift their credit score
Families looking for a low-effort way to help a young adult or credit-thin relative build a stronger credit profile have long turned to a simple...
Compex data-breach victims can claim $100 to $200, or up to $5,000 with proof of losses, before the August 19 deadline
People affected by the Compex Legal Services Inc. data breach face a narrow window to file claims for payments ranging from $100 to $200, or...
$1,558 a month, tax-free, can go to a wartime veteran’s surviving spouse who needs care
A surviving spouse of a wartime veteran who needs help with basic daily tasks can receive up to $1,558 a month from the Department of...
If you cover more than half of an aging parent’s support, you may be able to claim them as a dependent on your taxes
Adult children who pay for a parent’s housing, food, medical bills, and other basic needs now face a direct tax question: does the money they...
Who can get their entire $202.90 Medicare Part B premium paid for them? Limited-income seniors who apply for a Medicare Savings Program
Seniors living on tight budgets face a $202.90 monthly bill for Medicare Part B in 2026, a cost that adds up to more than $2,400...
Social Security survivor benefits can start as early as age 60
Surviving spouses who lose a partner face an immediate financial gap, and federal law allows them to begin collecting Social Security survivor benefits years before...
About 452,000 retirees could lose up to 15% of each Social Security check as defaulted student-loan collections restart this summer
Roughly 452,000 Americans age 62 and older who hold defaulted federal student loans and collect Social Security benefits face the prospect of losing up to...
Donating appreciated stock skips the capital-gains tax and still earns a full deduction
Investors sitting on long-term stock gains face a choice every tax season: sell shares and hand a slice to the IRS, or donate those shares...
$255 is Social Security’s one-time death benefit, a figure frozen since 1954
When a worker dies after paying into Social Security for years, the federal government sends eligible survivors a single check for $255. Congress set that...
Amazon Prime customers who were enrolled or struggled to cancel between 2019 and 2025 can claim part of a $2.5 billion FTC settlement by July 27
Millions of Amazon customers who were signed up for Prime memberships without clear consent, or who hit roadblocks trying to cancel, now have until July...
You can still put money into a traditional or Roth IRA for last year right up until the April tax deadline
Millions of taxpayers who missed the December 31 calendar flip still have months to fund a traditional or Roth IRA for the prior tax year....
A new federal student-loan plan called RAP launches July 1, replacing the income-driven options millions of borrowers use now
Millions of federal student-loan borrowers will lose access to every existing income-driven repayment plan when a new option called the Repayment Assistance Plan takes effect...
A homestead exemption can shave thousands off your property-tax bill, but in many states you have to file for it yourself
Millions of homeowners across the United States qualify for property-tax relief they never receive, simply because they do not file the right paperwork by the...