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
$2,050 is the extra standard deduction taxpayers 65 and older get this year
Unmarried taxpayers who turn 65 before the end of 2026 can claim an extra $2,050 on top of the regular standard deduction, a figure the...
Creating a free my Social Security account online blocks scammers from rerouting your direct deposit, and it takes about two minutes
Identity thieves who steal personal information can use it to open a fraudulent my Social Security account and reroute a beneficiary’s monthly direct deposit to...
$1,000 extra a year can go into a health savings account once you turn 55
Americans turning 55 gain access to an extra $1,000 a year in health savings account contributions, a fixed statutory amount that does not change with...
When one spouse enters a nursing home on Medicaid, “spousal impoverishment” rules let the at-home spouse keep the house and a share of savings
Married couples face a brutal financial reality when one partner needs full-time nursing home care paid by Medicaid: the program’s strict asset limits can drain...
Filers 60 and older can get their taxes done free through AARP Tax-Aide
Americans who are 60 or older can have their federal tax returns prepared at no cost through AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide program, a service backed by...
Medicaid looks back five years at any money or property you gave away before it will help pay for a nursing home
Anyone who gave money to a grandchild, transferred a house to a family member, or made a large charitable gift in the past five years...
Disputing an error on your credit report is free, and the bureau must investigate and fix or remove it within about 30 days
One in five consumers had an error on at least one of their credit reports, according to a Federal Trade Commission study, and five percent...
Interest from Treasury bills, notes and savings bonds is exempt from state and local income tax, unlike a bank CD
Savers who park cash in Treasury bills, notes, or savings bonds keep every dollar of that interest free from state and local income taxes. The...
Most states don’t tax Social Security benefits, but a handful still do
Retirees in most of the country collect Social Security without owing a dime in state income tax on those benefits. But residents of a shrinking...
“Bunching” two years of charitable gifts into one can push you over the standard deduction so the donations actually cut your taxes
Millions of households that once wrote off charitable gifts on their tax returns lost that benefit after the standard deduction nearly doubled. The shift forced...
$615 is Medicare’s new Part D drug deductible in 2026, yet the average plan premium drops to about $34.50
Medicare beneficiaries heading into 2026 face a split signal on drug costs: the maximum Part D deductible rises to $615, up from $590 this year,...
Most states cut property taxes for veterans, and fully exempt many disabled vets
Veterans with severe service-connected disabilities can eliminate their entire property tax bill in several states, a benefit that saves thousands of dollars a year for...
$80 buys a lifetime National Parks senior pass for anyone 62 and older
Any U.S. citizen or permanent resident who has turned 62 can lock in access to more than 2,000 federal recreation sites for the rest of...
If your home’s assessed value looks too high, you can appeal your property-tax bill, and many who do win a reduction
Homeowners in some of the largest U.S. tax jurisdictions are winning reductions on their property assessments after filing formal appeals, and public records from Cook...
Medicare now lets you spread prescription costs into capped monthly payments instead of one big bill at the pharmacy
Medicare beneficiaries who once faced steep pharmacy bills for costly prescriptions can now elect to spread those charges into smaller, capped monthly payments billed directly...
A federal program with about $4 billion in funding helps low-income households pay summer cooling bills, but you must apply
Millions of low-income households across the United States face rising summer temperatures with no guarantee they can afford to run air conditioning. A federal block...