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
The child and dependent care credit covers up to $3,000 in care costs for one child, $6,000 for two
Families paying for child care so they can work face a hard ceiling on the federal tax break meant to help them. The Child and...
Selling your home can be completely tax-free on up to $250,000 of profit, or $500,000 for a married couple
Homeowners who sell their primary residence and pocket a profit of $250,000 or less owe zero federal tax on that gain, and married couples filing...
You can deduct up to $2,500 of student-loan interest even if you don’t itemize
Millions of borrowers paying down student loans can trim their federal tax bill by up to $2,500 each year, and they do not need to...
Money inside a 401(k) or IRA is shielded from most creditors, even in bankruptcy
Millions of Americans carry both retirement savings and consumer debt, and many face the question of what happens to a 401(k) or IRA if they...
Many states knock hundreds off a homeowner’s property tax through a “circuit breaker” rebate you have to claim
Homeowners in Michigan, Maryland, Maine, and Wisconsin can reclaim hundreds of dollars in property tax relief through state “circuit breaker” credits, but none of the...
The IRS must pay you 7% interest if it holds your refund longer than 45 days
Taxpayers still waiting on federal refunds from the 2026 filing season have a financial backstop most people overlook: if the IRS holds a refund longer...
The IRA contribution limit is $7,500 this year, or $8,000 once you turn 50
Workers saving for retirement through an Individual Retirement Account got more room to contribute in 2026, with the IRS raising the annual cap to $7,500...
Required withdrawals from a traditional IRA now begin at age 73
Americans who turned 73 in 2025 face a federal deadline that did not exist for the previous cohort of retirees: they must begin pulling money...
Another bill in Congress would scrap the earnings limit that docks checks for retirees who keep working
Millions of Americans between 62 and full retirement age who collect Social Security while still earning a paycheck face automatic benefit reductions each year. Rep....
The average tax refund climbed to $3,275 this year, up more than 11% from a year ago
Tens of millions of American taxpayers received fatter refund checks during the 2026 filing season, with the average payout climbing to $3,275 through mid-April, an...
A new bill in Congress would raise Social Security checks, but it still has to get through the Senate
Millions of Social Security and veterans benefits recipients could see an extra $200 added to their monthly checks under a bill now working its way...
A House bill would pay for bigger Social Security checks by taxing wages above today’s cap
Workers earning above $250,000 a year would face a new layer of Social Security payroll tax under a bill filed in the House this Congress,...
The penalty pause on inherited IRAs is over, and heirs who skip a withdrawal now face a 25% hit
Heirs who inherited retirement accounts under the 10-year distribution rule and skipped annual withdrawals during a two-year IRS grace period now owe a 25% excise...
Workers who left a 401(k) at an old job can roll it into an IRA to cut fees and pick their own funds
Workers who changed jobs and left a 401(k) behind are often paying fees they never agreed to and may not even recognize. More than 70...
Heirs whose parent had already started withdrawals must now take a yearly distribution too
Families who inherited an IRA from a parent who had already begun taking required minimum distributions now face an obligation many did not expect: they...
Missing one required withdrawal from an inherited IRA brings a 25% penalty, cut to 10% if you fix it fast
Heirs who inherit an IRA and fail to take even one required minimum distribution now owe a 25% excise tax on the shortfall amount. That...
Medicare is mailing real new cards this year, and scammers are blasting fake “new card” texts to cash in
Millions of Medicare beneficiaries who recently requested replacement cards or changed their coverage are receiving legitimate new cards in the mail this year. At the...
A non-working spouse can keep saving for retirement through a spousal IRA
Couples in which one spouse has left the workforce or has no earned income can still set aside up to $7,500 in an IRA for...
A genuine message from Medicare will never offer a new card or ask you to click a link
Beneficiaries who receive an unexpected call, text, or email promising a new Medicare card or directing them to click a link are almost certainly dealing...
Surviving spouses, minor children, and disabled heirs can still stretch an inherited IRA over many years
Families who inherit an IRA after the death of a loved one face a strict clock: most non-spouse beneficiaries must empty the account within 10...