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 surviving spouse can step up to the larger of the two Social Security checks a couple was receiving
A surviving spouse does not keep both Social Security checks that a married couple was receiving. Instead, the survivor steps up to the larger of...
Two older student-loan plans, PAYE and ICR, stop taking new borrowers on July 1
Federal student-loan borrowers who want to enroll in Pay As You Earn or Income-Contingent Repayment are running out of time. The Department of Education set...
Ford is recalling about 420,000 vehicles because a seat belt may not hold in a crash
Owners of roughly 420,000 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs built between 2018 and 2022 face a direct safety risk: the front seat belts in...
The 2027 Social Security raise estimate slipped to 3.8%, about $77 more a month for the average retiree
About 72 million Americans who depend on Social Security checks are on track for a smaller bump in 2027 than many had expected just weeks...
A new lawsuit claims Best Buy secretly sold shoppers’ personal data to advertisers
A Virginia shopper has filed a lawsuit accusing Best Buy of quietly funneling customers’ personal purchase data to advertisers without the notice required under state...
The child and dependent care credit covers up to $3,000 in care costs for one child, $6,000 for two
Families paying for child care so they can work face a hard ceiling on the federal tax break meant to help them. The Child and...
Beef prices are on track to rise about 12% this year, the steepest climb in the grocery aisle
A pound of ground beef that cost $5.00 last summer now runs closer to $5.60, and the gap is still widening. Beef and veal prices...
Tyson and Cargill will pay $87.5 million over beef prices, and shoppers who bought steak between 2014 and 2019 can claim by June 30
Shoppers who purchased beef between 2014 and 2019 have until June 30 to file claims in an $87.5 million settlement involving Tyson Foods and Cargill....
Many states knock hundreds off a homeowner’s property tax through a “circuit breaker” rebate you have to claim
Homeowners in Michigan, Maryland, Maine, and Wisconsin can reclaim hundreds of dollars in property tax relief through state “circuit breaker” credits, but none of the...
A health savings account is the only account taxed three ways in your favor, with a $4,400 individual limit this year
Workers enrolled in high-deductible health plans now have a higher ceiling for tax-advantaged medical savings. The IRS set the 2026 self-only contribution limit for health...
The IRA contribution limit is $7,500 this year, or $8,000 once you turn 50
Workers saving for retirement through an Individual Retirement Account got more room to contribute in 2026, with the IRS raising the annual cap to $7,500...
Required withdrawals from a traditional IRA now begin at age 73
Americans who turned 73 in 2025 face a federal deadline that did not exist for the previous cohort of retirees: they must begin pulling money...
Card interest rates remain near record highs even as balances dip
Credit card APRs are hovering near record highs just as many households are finally starting to chip away at their balances. The combination signals a...
Another bill in Congress would scrap the earnings limit that docks checks for retirees who keep working
Millions of Americans between 62 and full retirement age who collect Social Security while still earning a paycheck face automatic benefit reductions each year. Rep....
The average tax refund climbed to $3,275 this year, up more than 11% from a year ago
Tens of millions of American taxpayers received fatter refund checks during the 2026 filing season, with the average payout climbing to $3,275 through mid-April, an...
A House bill would pay for bigger Social Security checks by taxing wages above today’s cap
Workers earning above $250,000 a year would face a new layer of Social Security payroll tax under a bill filed in the House this Congress,...