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
$162,660 in savings and the family home stay with the healthy spouse when a partner goes on Medicaid for a nursing home
Married couples face a stark financial divide when one spouse needs nursing home care paid by Medicaid. Federal rules effective January 1, 2026, allow the...
$308 million in forgotten cash went back to Illinois residents this year, a record, and a free state search shows whether any is yours
Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs announced that $308 million in forgotten cash was returned to residents, businesses, and nonprofits this year, a single-year record that...
Born in 1959? Your Social Security full retirement age is 66 and 10 months, so claiming at 66 in 2026 still trims your check
Americans born in 1959 who file for Social Security at age 66 this year will lock in a permanent benefit cut of roughly 4.2 percent....
Humana is cutting Medicare Advantage plans to 85% of U.S. counties for 2027
Humana is planning to pull its Medicare Advantage offerings from a significant share of U.S. counties ahead of the 2027 plan year, narrowing its footprint...
Forty work credits, roughly 10 years, qualify you for Social Security
Americans who have paid Social Security taxes across roughly 10 years of work reach the 40-credit threshold that determines whether they qualify for retirement benefits....
Medicare covers hospice care in full, including drugs and nursing, for those given six months or less to live
People enrolled in Medicare Part A who receive a terminal diagnosis with a life expectancy of six months or less can access hospice services at...
A retired social worker who lost $300,000 to a gold-coin scam is now getting hit with a surprise Medicare surcharge on the savings she drained
A retired social worker who lost $300,000 to a gold-coin scam is now facing a second financial blow she never expected: a Medicare surcharge triggered...
Retirees can have federal tax pulled straight from a Social Security check with Form W-4V, heading off an April surprise
Retirees who collect Social Security benefits and earn enough other income to cross federal tax thresholds often discover they owe money only when they sit...
Hawaii, California and Washington top $4.98 a gallon for gas, while Indiana stays cheapest near $3.32
Drivers in Hawaii, California and Washington are paying at or above $4.98 a gallon for regular gasoline, while motorists in Indiana fill up for roughly...
$4,400 fills a single person’s health savings account in 2026, or $8,750 for a family, plus $1,000 at 55
Workers with high-deductible health plans can stash up to $4,400 in a health savings account for 2026 if they have self-only coverage, or up to...
$25,000 for singles and $32,000 for couples is where Social Security benefits start getting taxed, a line frozen since 1984
Millions of retirees filing federal tax returns in 2026 face a threshold that has not moved in more than four decades. The income lines that...
Capital One is mailing automatic checks from a $425 million settlement to former 360 Savings customers, based on the interest they lost
Former Capital One 360 Savings customers are receiving checks in the mail without having to file a claim, part of a $425 million multistate settlement...
Pull all three credit reports free weekly at AnnualCreditReport.com
Every person in the United States can now pull free credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion every single week through AnnualCreditReport.com, a permanent change...
$1,736 is Medicare’s 2026 hospital deductible, resetting each benefit period
Medicare beneficiaries admitted to a hospital in 2026 will owe $1,736 before coverage kicks in, and that charge can hit more than once in the...
$3,938.58 a month, tax-free, now goes to a veteran rated 100% disabled, with more added for a spouse and children
Starting in January 2026, a veteran rated 100 percent disabled by the Department of Veterans Affairs receives $3,938.58 each month, entirely free of federal taxes....
Investment losses offset gains plus $3,000 of income yearly, the rest carried forward
Taxpayers who sold investments at a loss during recent market swings face a hard cap on how much of that damage they can use each...