Retirement & Taxes
Long-term financial planning, retirement accounts, government benefits, tax law, and IRS rules. Covers the intersection of policy and personal finance that affects how people save, invest, and plan ahead.
Latest in Retirement & Taxes
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....
Working one more year can replace a zero in Social Security’s 35-year formula and raise your check
Workers who spent years out of the labor force or in low-paying jobs stand to gain the most from a single extra year on the...
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...
Starting in 2027 the government will deposit up to $1,000 a year into low- and middle-income savers’ retirement accounts
Millions of low- and middle-income workers who save for retirement will soon receive direct federal deposits of up to $1,000 a year into their retirement...
Claim Social Security after full retirement age and you can request up to six months of benefits as a lump sum
Workers who delay claiming Social Security past full retirement age can ask the agency to pay them up to six months of back benefits in...
Workers who earned over $145,000 must make their 401(k) catch-up contributions in after-tax Roth dollars starting in 2027
Higher-earning employees over age 50 who rely on pre-tax 401(k) catch-up contributions will lose that option beginning in 2027. Under final regulations issued by the...
Medicare’s QMB program bars doctors from billing enrolled seniors, yet many are charged anyway
Millions of the lowest-income Medicare recipients are shielded by federal law from paying deductibles, coinsurance, and copays, yet doctors and hospitals keep sending them bills....
Insulins like Lantus and NovoLog join Ozempic on Medicare’s 2027 lower-price list
Medicare beneficiaries who depend on insulin or the blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic are set to pay less starting in 2027, after the Centers for Medicare...
An outdated beneficiary form on your 401(k) or IRA overrides your will and can send your savings to an ex
A single form filed years ago with a 401(k) or IRA provider can override a will, a divorce decree, and the wishes of a current...
Rolling a 401(k) straight into an IRA avoids the automatic 20% tax withholding a check in your name triggers
Anyone leaving a job with a 401(k) balance faces a decision that can cost them thousands of dollars before they even open a new account....
Scammers can reroute your Social Security deposit online, and locking your account stops them in about two minutes
Someone who steals enough personal data to log into a my Social Security account can change the bank routing number on file and divert an...
$250,000 of home-sale profit is tax-free, and $500,000 for married couples who lived there two of the last five years
Homeowners who sell their primary residence can shield up to $250,000 of profit from federal income tax, or $500,000 for married couples filing jointly, provided...
The 401(k) limit is projected to reach $25,000 in 2027, with an extra $11,750 allowed at ages 60 to 63
Workers saving through employer-sponsored retirement plans are set to gain significantly more tax-advantaged contribution room over the next two years. The IRS confirmed the 2026...
Your heirs inherit your home and investments at their value on the day you die, erasing tax on a lifetime of gains
Federal tax law hands heirs a financial advantage that most taxpayers never receive during their own lifetimes. When a property owner dies, the cost basis...
Roth 401(k) accounts no longer force required withdrawals during your lifetime
Workers and retirees with Roth 401(k) or Roth 403(b) accounts no longer face mandatory withdrawals during their lifetimes. Congress eliminated the required minimum distribution rule...
Original Medicare now requires prior approval for some procedures in a handful of states
Medicare beneficiaries in six states now face a new requirement before receiving certain medical services: getting approval from the federal government first. The Centers for...
April, not December 31, is the real deadline to fund an IRA for the 2026 tax year
Taxpayers who stop thinking about IRA contributions after December 31 are leaving months of extra time on the table. Federal law ties the contribution deadline...
Workers can now deduct up to $25,000 in tips and $12,500 in overtime on their federal taxes
Millions of tipped and hourly workers filing their 2025 federal returns can now subtract up to $25,000 in qualified tips and $12,500 in overtime pay...
Medicare’s negotiated 2027 price cuts Ozempic to $274 a month, a 71% drop for the seniors who use it
Medicare Part D enrollees who rely on Ozempic to manage type 2 diabetes will pay $274 for a 30-day supply starting January 1, 2027, a...
Oregon is returning more than $1.4 billion to taxpayers through a record kicker credit this year
Oregon taxpayers who filed a 2024 state return are set to receive a combined $1.41 billion back from the state through the largest personal income...