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
Required withdrawals from a traditional IRA or 401(k) now begin at age 73, and missing one can trigger a penalty of up to 25%
Millions of Americans with traditional IRAs and 401(k) plans now face a hard withdrawal deadline once they turn 73, and the financial penalty for missing...
Claim Social Security at 62 and the most it pays is about $2,969 a month; wait until 70 and the ceiling jumps to $5,181
Workers turning 62 in 2026 face a stark financial fork: claim Social Security retirement benefits now and collect a maximum of $2,969 a month, or...
Most denied Medicare Advantage claims are overturned on appeal, yet few seniors file
Three out of four Medicare Advantage denials that seniors actually challenged were reversed by the plans themselves, according to federal audit data, yet the vast...
Social Security warns of fake benefit-statement emails that carry malware
Millions of Americans who rely on Social Security benefits are facing a new threat in their inboxes. The Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector...
The VA helps cover burial and funeral costs for eligible veterans
Families of eligible veterans can receive federal reimbursement for burial and funeral costs through the Department of Veterans Affairs, but the benefit is not automatic....
A lower-earning spouse can claim up to half the higher earner’s Social Security, even with little or no work record of their own
Millions of Americans who spent years out of the paid workforce or earned far less than a spouse stand to collect Social Security benefits equal...
A newly reintroduced Social Security 2100 Act would lift every retiree’s monthly check by 2% and set a higher minimum benefit, but Congress still has to pass it
Every Social Security retiree in the United States would see a 2% bump in monthly benefits under a bill that Rep. John B. Larson, a...
Divorced spouses married at least 10 years can claim up to half an ex’s Social Security, and it never lowers the ex’s own check
Millions of Americans who ended long marriages may be leaving money on the table. A divorced person whose marriage lasted at least 10 years can...
Higher earners barred from a Roth IRA can still use a backdoor conversion
Taxpayers earning above the Roth IRA income thresholds for 2026 still have a legal path to get money into a Roth account. The IRS has...
Medicare’s free yearly wellness visit is a check-in, not a full physical
Millions of Medicare Part B beneficiaries qualify for a free annual wellness visit, but the benefit does not include a head-to-toe physical exam. The Centers...
Medicare’s old Part D donut hole is gone, so drug costs no longer spike partway through the year
Millions of Medicare Part D enrollees who once watched their prescription costs jump sharply partway through each year no longer face that mid-year spending cliff....
Once you owe less than 80% of your home’s value, you can demand your lender drop private mortgage insurance
Millions of homeowners with conventional mortgages are paying monthly private mortgage insurance premiums they no longer owe. Federal law gives borrowers the right to demand...
Lettuce prices have jumped 32% over the past year, squeezing fixed-income grocery budgets
Grocery shoppers on fixed incomes are absorbing one of the sharpest single-item price increases in the produce aisle: lettuce costs climbed 32.1% over the past...
New York is mailing inflation-relief checks of up to $400 to about 8 million households this year
More than 8 million inflation refund checks have already landed in New York mailboxes, delivering up to $400 per household in a one-time payment that...
Miss the eight-month window to take Medicare after job coverage ends and you pay a lifetime premium penalty
Workers leaving employer health plans face a tight eight-month deadline to enroll in Medicare Part B or risk paying higher premiums for life. Federal rules...
Most states waive property taxes entirely for veterans rated 100% disabled
Veterans with a 100 percent service-connected disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs can eliminate their entire property-tax bill in a growing number...