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 bipartisan bill would let SSI recipients keep $10,000 in savings, up from a $2,000 cap frozen since 1989
A bipartisan bill in Congress would let recipients of Supplemental Security Income hold up to $10,000 in savings without losing their benefits, a fivefold increase...
Hampton Bay ceiling fans are being recalled, and owners can collect a full refund or a Home Depot credit
Owners of a popular Home Depot ceiling fan can turn a safety recall into cash, because the fix on offer is a full refund or...
Seniors 60 and older can deduct medical costs over $35 to boost food-stamp benefits
Older Americans on food assistance often leave money on the table because they never report their medical bills. Federal SNAP rules let a household with...
Families can qualify for an earned-income tax credit worth up to $8,231 in 2026
Working families can claim an earned income tax credit worth as much as $8,231 for the 2026 tax year, a refundable credit large enough to...
The IRS raised 2026 tax brackets for inflation, so a modest raise may not push you into a higher rate
The IRS has raised its income tax brackets for 2026 to account for inflation, nudging the income thresholds for every rate upward so that a...
Rolling a 401(k) straight into an IRA avoids the automatic 20% tax withholding a payout check triggers
The moment a departing employee asks for a 401(k) balance to be paid out as a check, the government takes a cut before the money...
Filing a tax extension buys until October 15, and disaster-area filers in several states get even longer
Anyone who asked the IRS for more time to file this spring is now running down the clock on the extra months it bought. A...
Wartime veterans and surviving spouses may qualify for an Aid and Attendance pension up to about $2,900 a month
A wartime veteran or a surviving spouse who needs help with the daily tasks of living, bathing, dressing, or managing medications, may qualify for a...
Seventeen drugmakers agreed to cut Medicaid and cash drug prices toward the lowest any wealthy nation pays
The Trump administration has now signed most-favored-nation pricing agreements with seventeen drug manufacturers, deals built to pull the prices those companies charge in the United...
New federal rules just stripped the food-stamp work exemption from veterans and caregivers
A federal law now taking effect has quietly erased the food-stamp protections that shielded two groups from work rules: military veterans and parents caring for...
Trump’s proposed $2,000 tariff-dividend checks would cost about $450 billion, roughly double what his tariffs raise this year
President Trump’s pitch to mail nearly every American a $2,000 “tariff dividend” check carries a price tag that dwarfs the revenue meant to pay for...
A donor-advised fund lets you claim a big charitable deduction now and give the money to charities later
A donor-advised fund lets a giver take a full charitable tax deduction in the year money goes into the account, even when the actual gifts...
About 205,000 workers have been laid off in 2026, and a severance check can be rolled into an IRA to defer taxes
With roughly 205,000 American workers laid off in 2026 as automation reshapes office work, a severance check has become a rare planning opportunity as much...
People who got two or more unwanted robocalls or texts can claim up to $160 from a settlement by September 14
Up to $160 apiece is available to people who fielded unwanted marketing calls or texts pushing Farmers Insurance policies, part of a $1.25 million settlement...
A cash-value life insurance policy can be borrowed against tax-free while you are still alive
A permanent life insurance policy that has built up cash value can be tapped through a loan without generating a tax bill, a feature that...
Borrowing from a 401(k) skips taxes and penalties, but leaving your job can make the whole loan due fast
A worker who borrows from a 401(k) can pull out tens of thousands of dollars without triggering income tax or the 10 percent early-withdrawal penalty,...
