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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

Government & Policy

Combat-injured veterans can receive tax-free special compensation on top of their retirement pay

Military retirees who claim VA disability compensation almost always take a cut on the Pentagon side of their check first: federal law forces a dollar-for-dollar...

Government & Policy

A surviving spouse of a veteran who died of a service-connected condition can draw a monthly tax-free payment

A surviving spouse whose husband or wife died from a service-connected injury or illness can draw $1,699.36 a month, tax-free, for the rest of their...

Government & Policy

Severely disabled retired veterans can now collect both military retirement pay and VA disability at the same time

Military retirees rated 50 percent or more disabled by the Department of Veterans Affairs can now keep their full retired pay alongside their VA disability...

Retirement Planning

A Roth IRA’s earnings can be taxed if pulled before a five-year clock, even after age 59½

A five-year holding requirement written into federal tax law can still produce an income-tax bill on Roth IRA earnings, even for savers who have already...

Credit & Debt

A Trans Union settlement pays some consumers about $100 automatically by October 30

A $8.31 million settlement is resolving claims that TransUnion sold credit reports carrying inaccurate bankruptcy remarks, and part of it has already started paying out:...

Smart Spending

Kroger pharmacy customers who paid with insurance can file a claim by December 21

Kroger customers who used prescription insurance at a Kroger-owned pharmacy any time between December 9, 2018, and August 23, 2026, now have a court-cleared path...

Government & Policy

Veterans groups warn a congressional proposal could cut disability benefits for 1.5 million veterans

Disabled American Veterans, the nation’s largest disabled-veterans advocacy organization, is warning that a sweeping congressional package could reduce disability compensation for as many as 1.5...

Government & Policy

A stalled bill would add $833 a month to the checks of the most severely disabled veterans

A bill that would add $833.33 a month to the checks of the most severely disabled veterans in the country has been sitting in a...

Tax Changes & Deadlines

Families who finalized an adoption in 2026 can claim up to $17,670, and part of it is refundable for the first time

Families who finalized an adoption in 2026 can claim a federal credit worth up to $17,670 per child, an increase from the $17,280 ceiling that...

Government & Policy

The new law extends food-stamp work requirements to Americans up to age 65, and the current exemption clock runs out September 30

Americans between the ages of 55 and 64 who receive food stamps without dependent children are now subject to a work requirement that exempted their...

Government & Policy

Medicaid’s new 80-hour work rule starts January 1, but pregnant women, caregivers and the medically frail are exempt

Beginning January 1, 2027, adults enrolled in Medicaid through the program’s expansion group will have to document at least 80 hours a month of work,...

Government & Policy

Trump has now struck drug-pricing deals with 26 companies, adding nine more this week in exchange for tariff protection

President Donald Trump has now reached most-favored-nation drug-pricing agreements with 26 pharmaceutical manufacturers, after adding nine mid-sized companies this week in deals that carry a...

Government & Policy

The White House plans to freeze pay for about 2 million federal workers in 2027 while the military gets a raise of up to 7%

The White House has told Congress it plans to freeze base and locality pay for roughly 2 million civilian federal employees in 2027, canceling an...

IRS & Enforcement

An IRS offer in compromise can settle a tax debt for less than the full amount

An IRS offer in compromise lets a taxpayer settle a federal tax debt for less than the full balance owed, but the number that gets...

Retirement Planning

Required withdrawals from a traditional IRA now begin at age 73

Required minimum distributions from a traditional IRA now begin at age 73, not the age 70½ threshold that governed the rule for decades, or the...

Retirement Planning

Skipping a full 401(k) employer match leaves free retirement money on the table

An employer that promises to match part of what a worker contributes to a 401(k) is not extending a bonus — it is offering compensation...

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