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
Giving your house to the kids can trigger a five-year Medicaid penalty
Families who deed a home to their children to protect it from nursing-home costs can lose Medicaid long-term care coverage for up to five years....
AI voice-cloning scams that fake a grandchild’s voice have drained $2.3 billion from older Americans this year, and calling the family back is the one reliable check
Older Americans have lost roughly $2.3 billion to fraud so far this year, with AI-powered voice-cloning scams that imitate a grandchild in distress accounting for...
Delaying your first IRA withdrawal to April 1 can double up and spike your taxes
Retirees who turned 73 and chose to push their first required minimum distribution to the April 1 deadline now face two taxable withdrawals landing in...
Medicare’s fall open enrollment opens October 15, and more seniors than ever will find their Advantage plan dropped or overhauled for 2027
Seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans face a turbulent fall. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) finalized new payment rules and risk-adjustment policies...
A bill in Congress would end all federal taxes on Social Security benefits and pay for it by taxing wages above $250,000
Sen. Ruben Gallego, Democrat of Arizona, has introduced a bill that would wipe out federal income taxes on Social Security benefits for every retiree in...
Nearly 4 in 10 homeowners over 65 are turned down for a home-equity line of credit
Older homeowners sitting on record levels of home equity are finding that wealth locked inside their walls does not guarantee access to credit. Nearly four...
Millions of retired teachers, firefighters and police officers still haven’t gotten their full Social Security back pay, and senators are pressing the agency to fix it
Retired public-sector workers across the country, including teachers, firefighters and police officers, are caught between a law that promised them higher Social Security checks and...
Tom’s of Maine buyers can claim part of a $2.9 million marketing settlement
Consumers who bought Tom’s of Maine toothpaste between November 21, 2020, and March 6, 2026, can now file claims against a $2,900,000 class action settlement...
Adding a spouse as an authorized user on an old, well-paid credit card can lift their credit score without opening a new account
Married couples trying to qualify for a mortgage or auto loan at competitive rates can hit a wall when one partner’s credit score lags behind...
A surviving spouse can roll an inherited IRA into their own and delay withdrawals, an option other heirs no longer get
Surviving spouses who inherit an IRA can roll it into their own account and follow their personal required minimum distribution schedule, a privilege that most...
Louisiana just returned a record $70.9 million in forgotten money, about $900 a person, and a free state search shows if any is yours
Tens of thousands of Louisiana residents just got money back they did not know they were owed. State Treasurer John Fleming announced on July 20,...
Over-the-counter hearing aids now run $200 to $600 a pair versus $4,000 to $6,000 for prescription ones, and Original Medicare covers neither
Millions of older Americans with mild-to-moderate hearing loss now face a stark choice between over-the-counter hearing aids priced at $200 to $600 a pair and...
A disabled adult can save in an ABLE account without losing Medicaid or SSI, sheltering up to $19,000 a year plus its earnings
Disabled adults who receive Supplemental Security Income or Medicaid now have a federally protected way to build savings without triggering benefit cuts. An ABLE account,...
Social Security disability pays nothing for the first five months after you qualify
Workers who qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance face a mandatory five-month blackout before they receive a single dollar, a gap that strips income from...
Mississippi, Kansas, Oklahoma, Alabama and West Virginia carry the lowest overall living costs
Households stretching paychecks against persistent inflation now have fresh federal and state data confirming that five states offer living costs well below the national average....
Medicare covers blood-sugar screening and a diabetes-prevention program at no cost
Medicare beneficiaries with prediabetes can get blood-sugar screening tests and enroll in a year-long lifestyle-change program without paying a dime out of pocket. The Department...