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
Big banks must now hand your full account history to a rival bank in minutes for free — a CFPB open banking rule that just took effect April 1
Switching banks has always been a hassle, and Maria Torres knows it firsthand. The Chicago-based freelance graphic designer spent the better part of a weekend...
Many states erase part or all of a home’s property tax for seniors, veterans, and disabled owners — but the break only applies if you file for it
Every year, homeowners across the country leave real money on the table because they never filed a single form. In Texas, a homeowner who turns...
One late payment dents your score for years — but a short “goodwill letter” asking the lender to delete it often works if your history is otherwise clean
A single credit card payment that arrives 31 days late can shave roughly 60 to 110 points off a FICO score, depending on where the...
Leave your job at 55 or later and you can tap that 401(k) penalty-free — but roll it into an IRA first and you lose the break for good
Picture this: a 56-year-old worker clears out her desk for the last time, knowing her 401(k) holds $400,000 and she needs $30,000 to bridge the...
You can reverse a charge for something that never arrived — federal law gives you 60 days to dispute a credit-card purchase
Last spring, a reader wrote to the CFPB’s complaint database about a $400 pair of sneakers ordered from a third-party seller. The tracking number went...
If you owned a life insurance policy before 2000, insurers like MetLife may owe you stock worth thousands — 60 million shares went unclaimed
Somewhere in a state treasurer’s vault or a federally regulated trust account, shares of MetLife stock are sitting uncollected, waiting for people who may not...
Tinder charged California users over 29 more for the same app — now it’s refunding $60.5 million, up to $150 a person, with claims due August 18
If you’re over 29 and paid for Tinder Plus or Tinder Gold in California, you probably got charged more than younger users for the exact...
Billions in scam-refund checks the FTC mailed out were never cashed — see if your name is on the unclaimed list at ftc.gov/refunds
Somewhere in a landfill, a shredder bin, or a junk-mail pile, there is almost certainly a government check with someone’s name on it. According to...
Ask your bank to add a verbal password to your account — it stops a scammer who has your details from talking their way past phone support
Picture this: someone calls your bank, recites your full name, your address, and the last four digits of your Social Security number. The customer service...
A low home appraisal can sink your sale or refinance — but lenders must now offer a “reconsideration of value,” and solid comps often raise the number
A seller signs a contract at $425,000, then the appraisal comes back at $400,000. The buyer’s lender will only finance based on the lower figure,...
The security deposit your old utility or landlord never returned is likely sitting with your state — a free search reunites owners with billions each year
You moved out, forwarded your mail, and never saw that security deposit again. Your old landlord may have mailed a check to an address you...
A 2024 data breach at insurance broker Alera Group pays anyone notified up to $3,500, or about $50 with no proof — but claims close June 29
What happened at Alera Group Alera Group, one of the largest independent insurance brokerages in the United States with more than 4,000 employees and over...
If your mortgage escrow collected more than it needed, the servicer owes you the surplus back — check your annual statement for a refund you may have missed
Every month, a slice of your mortgage payment disappears into an escrow account your servicer controls. That money is earmarked for property taxes and homeowners...
Working before full retirement age can shrink your Social Security check — but that money isn’t gone; benefits are recalculated upward once you reach full retirement age
Picture this: a 63-year-old who filed for Social Security early opens a pay stub and discovers the government withheld hundreds of dollars from the monthly...
A 78-year-old Texas retiree was told his bank was hacked — so he turned $2 million in savings into gold bars and handed them to a courier at his door
The caller told him his bank had been breached. Hackers, the voice on the line explained, had already accessed his accounts. If he wanted to...
Your first required retirement withdrawal can be delayed to April — but that forces two taxable withdrawals into one year and can spike your Medicare premiums
If you turned 73 in 2025 and hold a traditional IRA, the IRS technically gives you until April 1, 2026, to take your first required...