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
The IRS often waives a first-time penalty if you simply ask
A penalty notice from the IRS can land in a retiree’s mailbox for a single late return or a payment that slipped past the deadline,...
Nine states levy no income tax, stretching a fixed retirement income further
Where a retiree settles down can be worth thousands of dollars a year at tax time. Nine states impose no broad tax on personal income,...
A defaulted federal debt can cost you a chunk of a tax refund through the Treasury Offset Program
A tax refund can vanish before it ever arrives. Through a federal collection system called the Treasury Offset Program, the government can intercept a refund...
The VA fills many prescriptions for a few dollars and mails them to the door for free
For a veteran enrolled in VA health care, the pharmacy counter looks nothing like the one at a retail drugstore. Many prescriptions are filled for...
Disabled veterans can buy a home with no down payment and skip the VA funding fee
A VA-backed home loan lets a qualified veteran buy a house with no down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance, two features that already separate...
CHAMPVA can cover health care for the spouse and children of a permanently disabled veteran
A veteran’s permanent and total disability rating does more than set a monthly compensation check. It can also open a health program that covers the...
A Roth’s five-year clock must pass before earnings come out completely tax-free
The great promise of a Roth IRA is tax-free income in retirement, but that promise comes with a timing rule that catches savers off guard,...
Money-market funds are paying near 4%, often beating a big bank’s savings account
Cash sitting in a large bank’s ordinary savings account has been earning almost nothing, often a fraction of a percent, while short-term interest rates have...
Adding a joint owner to a bank account can override your will and cut out other heirs
Adding an adult child to a bank account for help with bills is one of the most common financial moves older Americans make, and one...
U.S. savings bonds stop earning interest after 30 years, so cash the old ones
A U.S. savings bond stops earning interest exactly 30 years after it was issued, which means an old bond tucked in a drawer or a...
A no-penalty CD lets you lock a rate near 4% and still pull the money if you need it
A no-penalty certificate of deposit offers a rare combination for cautious savers: the ability to lock in a fixed interest rate while keeping the option...
Applying for a mortgage can unleash a flood of calls from lenders who bought your data
Filing a mortgage application can set off a barrage of phone calls, texts, and mailers from lenders the applicant never contacted, sometimes within hours of...
New FDIC trust rules can insure up to $1.25 million at a single bank
A single depositor can now protect as much as $1.25 million at one insured bank by holding the money in a trust account and naming...
Brookstone-branded tabletop fire pits are recalled, and owners can get a full refund
Owners of a Brookstone-branded tabletop fire pit can get a full refund after federal regulators announced a recall of about 48,700 units. Southern Telecom, the...
Millions of paper tax refunds are running weeks late as the IRS phases out mailed checks
More than 14 million tax returns were flagged for manual review this filing season, and over a million taxpayers waited about five and a half...
Some states let Medicaid pay a family member to provide a senior’s home care
A growing number of state Medicaid programs will pay an adult child, and sometimes a spouse, for the hours they already spend caring for an...
