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 federal estate-tax exemption jumped to $15 million per person this year under the new law
The federal estate and gift tax exemption climbed to $15 million per person for 2026, the IRS confirmed in its annual inflation adjustments, up from...
Food stamps now let elderly and disabled households keep up to $4,750 in savings and still qualify
Starting October 1, 2026, the beginning of federal fiscal year 2027, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program’s resource limit for households with a member who is...
A Medicaid nursing-home spouse can keep up to $162,660 and the family home
When one spouse enters a Medicaid-funded nursing home, federal spousal-impoverishment rules let the spouse who remains at home keep up to $162,660 in countable assets...
The Fed meets September 15 with rates unmoved all year, keeping top CDs near 4% and mortgages at 6.71%
The Federal Reserve returns to the table on September 15 and 16 having moved the federal funds rate exactly zero times in 2026, holding its...
A new bill would let homeowners over 65 shield up to $1 million in home-sale profit from taxes
A bill introduced in the House this summer would let homeowners 65 and older shield up to $1 million of home-sale profit from capital-gains tax,...
New U.S. tariffs of 10% to 12.5% now hit imports from 60 countries, and the cost lands on store shelves
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative’s Section 301 forced-labor tariffs took effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on July 24, 2026, adding a 10...
Series I savings bonds carry a fixed rate on top of inflation, locking in real interest for years
A Series I savings bond splits its interest into two separate pieces, and only one of them ever changes. The fixed-rate half is locked in...
A Series EE savings bond is guaranteed to double if held 20 years
A Series EE savings bond bought today comes with a promise written into federal law: hold it 20 years, and it will be worth at...
A life-insurance payout to a named beneficiary skips probate and usually arrives income-tax-free
A life-insurance death benefit paid to a named beneficiary bypasses probate court entirely and, in the vast majority of cases, arrives without any federal income...
Adding an adult child to your bank account can expose the money to that child’s creditors and lawsuits
Naming an adult child as a joint owner on a bank account can put the parent’s entire balance at risk if that child is later...
Student-loan forgiveness is taxable again in 2026 for income-driven plans, so a wiped-out balance can trigger a surprise tax bill
Student-loan forgiveness earned through an income-driven repayment plan is taxable income again for any balance discharged on or after January 1, 2026, closing a five-year...
Google is paying $8.25 million over apps that collected children’s data, and eligible users must file by September 14
Google and its advertising subsidiary AdMob have agreed to pay $8.25 million to resolve a federal lawsuit alleging the companies collected personal information from children...
Roth IRA earnings turn tax-free only after the account is five years old
A Roth IRA can turn a saver’s very first year of contributions into a five-year waiting period before any investment gains inside the account are...
A Roth IRA never forces the owner to take a required withdrawal
A Roth IRA owner can let the account grow untouched for the rest of their life, since federal tax law never forces a withdrawal the...
A severely disabled veteran can get a federal grant to adapt a home or specially equip a vehicle
A veteran with a severe service-connected disability can receive up to $126,526 in federal grant money to buy, build, or remodel a home around a...
Veterans’ September disability pay lands October 1, paid a month in arrears
September’s VA disability compensation lands on October 1, 2026, because the Department of Veterans Affairs pays this benefit a month behind rather than in the...
