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
SNAP food benefits will now change only once a year, stripping the mid-year raises that cushioned grocery-price spikes
Tens of millions of Americans who rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program lost a key financial buffer when Public Law 119-21 took effect on...
A Senate bill would raise base disability pay for millions of veterans and survivors later this year
Sens. Jerry Moran and Richard Blumenthal introduced bipartisan legislation in May that would raise base disability compensation for veterans and increase Dependency and Indemnity Compensation...
Delaying Social Security until 70 usually pays off only if you live past about age 80
Americans born in 1960 or later who wait until age 70 to collect Social Security retirement benefits receive 124% of their primary insurance amount, compared...
Retirement savers hit a record in early 2026, putting 14.4% of their pay into 401(k)s
American workers are saving for retirement at the highest rate on record, directing an average of 14.4% of their pay into 401(k) plans in early...
The federal estate-tax exemption rose to about $15 million per person in 2026
Wealthy families just received a permanent tax break that will keep more of their estates out of the IRS’s reach. Starting with deaths in 2026,...
A Series EE savings bond doubles in value if you hold it 20 years
Savers who buy a Series EE bond from the U.S. Treasury today receive a fixed interest rate that, on its own, may look modest compared...
Naming account beneficiaries sends money straight to heirs, skipping probate whatever your will says
Anyone who dies with a bank account, retirement plan, or life insurance policy that carries a named beneficiary will send that money directly to the...
Long-term-care bills turn tax-deductible once medical costs top 7.5% of income
Families paying for nursing home stays, home health aides, or long-term care insurance premiums can claim those costs as itemized tax deductions, but only after...
Recalled salmonella-linked eggs at Kroger and other stores can be returned for a refund
Midwest Poultry Services, L.P. has recalled more than 1,589,577 dozen shell eggs tied to a salmonella outbreak that has sickened 98 people across six states...
Certificates of deposit still pay around 4%, but cashing out early forfeits months of interest
Savers who locked money into one-year certificates of deposit are still earning annual percentage yields near 4 percent, well above the sub-1 percent returns common...
Claim Social Security, regret it within a year, and you can withdraw the application, repay, and restart for more
Retirees who claimed Social Security benefits too early and now wish they had waited face a narrow federal escape hatch: withdraw the application within 12...
Cooling inflation just trimmed the 2027 Social Security raise estimate, with one analyst cutting hers from 4.7% to 3.7%
Millions of Social Security recipients expecting a sizable raise in January 2027 may need to adjust their expectations. Analyst Mary Johnson recently cut her 2027...
Free AARP and IRS tax help is open to retirees, with no income limit
Retirees 60 and older can walk into thousands of tax preparation sites across the country and get their federal returns filed for free, with no...
Homeowners who add grab bars, ramps or a walk-in tub can deduct part of the cost as medical
Homeowners who install grab bars, entrance ramps, or walk-in tubs for medical reasons can claim part of those costs as a federal tax deduction, but...
Retiring before 65, COBRA can bridge your health coverage up to 18 months until Medicare
Americans who leave the workforce before turning 65 face a gap in health coverage that can last months or even years before Medicare kicks in....
Eleven people have pleaded guilty in a $65 million ring that used overseas call centers to swindle thousands of older Americans
Eleven people have now admitted their roles in a $65 million fraud operation that used call centers based in India to steal from thousands of...