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
Senate Democrats reintroduced a plan to add $200 a month to Social Security and SSI checks, but Congress still must act
Tens of millions of Social Security and Supplemental Security Income recipients could see an extra $200 added to their monthly checks under a bill Senate...
A family code word can stop the AI voice-cloning scams that fake a grandchild’s emergency call
Criminals armed with cheap AI voice-cloning tools are calling grandparents, mimicking a loved one’s voice, and demanding emergency cash transfers. Two federal agencies, the FBI’s...
Egg prices are down almost 28% from a year ago
American grocery shoppers are paying sharply less for eggs than they did a year ago. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in its June 2026...
Starting in 2026 you can deduct up to $1,000 in charity, or $2,000 per couple, without itemizing
Roughly nine out of ten U.S. tax filers take the standard deduction, which for years meant their charitable gifts produced zero tax benefit. That changes...
A Roth IRA’s five-year rule can tax earnings withdrawn too soon
Savers who pull earnings from a Roth IRA before satisfying the five-year holding requirement can owe ordinary income tax on those gains, even if they...
The number of 401(k) millionaires climbed to a record 665,000, even as the typical saver holds far less
A record 665,000 savers now hold at least $1 million in their 401(k) accounts, a milestone that masks a sharper reality: the typical American with...
Workers are socking away a record share of their pay in 401(k)s even as balances dip
American workers pushed their 401(k) contribution rates to record levels as a share of compensation, even as account balances slipped under pressure from volatile equity...
Long-term-care insurance premiums are tax-deductible, and larger write-offs come with age
Older Americans paying out of pocket for long-term-care insurance stand to claim larger tax deductions than younger policyholders, but most never take advantage of the...
U.S. Series EE savings bonds double in value if you hold them 20 years
Savers who bought Series EE bonds after May 2005 at rock-bottom fixed rates are now approaching the 20-year mark, the point at which the U.S....
Errors in your Social Security earnings record can shrink your check, and you can fix them free online
A single missing year of wages on a Social Security earnings record can quietly reduce a worker’s monthly retirement or disability check for life. The...
A proposed Medicare rule would cut what seniors pay out of pocket for X-rays, CT and MRI scans starting in 2027
Millions of Medicare beneficiaries who get X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs at hospital-owned outpatient facilities could see their out-of-pocket costs drop starting January 1, 2027....
Medicaid lets a healthy spouse keep the family home and one car when a partner enters a nursing home
Married couples face a stark financial threat when one partner needs nursing-home care: Medicaid requires applicants to spend down most of their assets before coverage...
Top CDs still pay up to 4.94%, and the Fed could actually raise rates at its July 29 meeting
Depositors hunting for the best certificate-of-deposit yields can still find annual percentage yields as high as 4.94 percent at select banks, even though the Federal...
Original Medicare rarely covers care when you travel outside the United States
Americans on Original Medicare who need medical care while traveling abroad will almost certainly pay the full bill themselves. Federal regulations bar Medicare from covering...
A ladder of Treasury bills can pay retirees over 4% with interest exempt from state taxes
Retirees hunting for safe, short-term income above 4 percent are turning to a strategy that stacks Treasury bills across staggered maturities, creating a rolling stream...
Mission Community Hospital patients can claim up to $5,000 from a data-breach settlement by August 12
Patients of Mission Community Hospital in the San Fernando Valley who had personal health data exposed in a May 2023 breach now face an August...