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
401(k) hardship withdrawals hit a record 6% of savers in 2025, most to head off a foreclosure or eviction.
Six percent of workers enrolled in Vanguard 401(k) plans pulled a hardship withdrawal in 2025, the highest share the firm has ever recorded and up...
States are holding about $70 billion in unclaimed money, and a free official search can turn up accounts in your name.
Roughly $70 billion sits in state unclaimed-property accounts across the country, money separated from its owners by a move, a forgotten account, or a misspelled...
The FTC is mailing $2.7 million in refund checks to 62,893 Handy customers, who must cash them within 90 days.
The Federal Trade Commission has begun mailing more than $2.7 million to 62,893 people, closing out a case against the gig-work platform Handy Technologies. Each...
One-person households in the contiguous 48 states and D.C. can receive up to $298 monthly in SNAP through September
A one-person household can receive as much as $298 a month in SNAP through September 2026 in the contiguous 48 states and Washington, D.C. That...
Pennsylvania’s standard property-tax and rent rebate reaches $1,000, with applications open through December 31
Pennsylvania’s property-tax and rent rebate remains open through December 31, giving eligible residents six extra months to claim relief for taxes or rent paid in...
New Jersey’s Stay NJ benefit reaches $6,500 for some older homeowners in 2027
New Jersey’s $6,500 Stay NJ figure belongs to 2027, not to the checks moving in 2026. The distinction is more than calendar trivia: the state...
Target recalled 211,000 Cat & Jack sandals and is offering full refunds
Target recalled about 211,000 pairs of Cat & Jack children’s sandals after receiving reports that decorative pearls detached, creating a choking hazard. The remedy is...
Walmart and Sam’s Club cut prices on thousands of summer essentials
Walmart and Sam’s Club are promoting thousands of lower summer prices, stretching from groceries and beverages to pools, toys and apparel. The announcement is broad,...
A veteran rated 100% disabled can receive $3,938.58 monthly with no dependents in 2026
The 2026 VA disability table pays $3,938.58 a month to a veteran rated 100% disabled with no dependents. That is the base rate for one...
Eligible veterans have until August 1 to apply for a $1,053.19 clothing allowance
The Department of Veterans Affairs set its 2026 clothing allowance at $1,053.19, with applications for this year’s payment due on or before August 1. The...
Illinois seniors earning up to $75,000 can freeze their home’s assessed value for 2026
Illinois has widened its senior assessment freeze enough to reach homeowners who earned too much to qualify last year. The statewide household-income ceiling jumps from...
Non-itemizers can deduct up to $1,000 in cash gifts, or $2,000 jointly, starting in 2026
A new federal deduction gives charitable donors who claim the standard deduction a tax benefit that used to be largely reserved for itemizers. Starting with...
Many inherited IRAs must be emptied within 10 years, even when annual withdrawals also apply
“Ten-year rule” sounds like permission to wait, but for many inherited IRAs it describes only the outside boundary. A nonspouse beneficiary may have to empty...
Roth 401(k) owners no longer face lifetime required minimum distributions
Roth money inside a workplace plan no longer comes with an age-driven withdrawal order for the original owner. That change gives a Roth 401(k) something...
A missed required minimum distribution can trigger a 25% tax, reduced to 10% after a timely correction
The excise tax on an RMD failure is calculated on the missing distribution, not on the entire retirement account, and current law rewards a correction...
Delaying a first required minimum distribution can force two taxable withdrawals into one year
The first required minimum distribution comes with a one-time April 1 extension, but using it does not move the next December 31 deadline. That overlap...