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 “rule of 55” lets you tap your current 401(k) penalty-free if you leave that job at 55 or later
Workers who leave their job at 55 or older can pull money from that employer’s 401(k) without paying the 10 percent early-distribution penalty that normally...
A one-time six-month window after you turn 65 lets you buy any Medigap plan without health questions
People turning 65 and enrolling in Medicare Part B get exactly one chance to buy a Medigap supplemental insurance plan on their own terms. Federal...
Heirs who inherit stock or a home get the value reset, erasing decades of capital gains
Families who inherit appreciated stock or a home often owe far less in capital-gains tax than the person who originally built that wealth would have...
Treasury bills pay interest that’s completely exempt from state and local income tax
Investors in states like California, New York, and New Jersey can keep every dollar of Treasury bill interest out of their state and local tax...
8% a year is what your Social Security check grows for every year you wait past 67
Americans born in 1960 or later who reach full retirement age at 67 face a straightforward but high-stakes math problem: every year they delay collecting...
A 10% lifetime penalty hits your Medicare Part B premium for every year you sign up late
People who miss their first window to enroll in Medicare Part B face a permanent surcharge: a 10% increase to the monthly premium for every...
Lower-income savers can claim up to $1,000 for funding a retirement account
Workers earning modest incomes who put money into a retirement account can reduce their federal tax bill by as much as $1,000 per person, or...
A free my Social Security account lets you check your benefit estimate and guard against direct-deposit fraud
Social Security beneficiaries who have not claimed their free online account with the agency face a specific and growing risk: someone else could set one...
$8,750 can go into an HSA this year — the only account that’s tax-free three ways
Workers with family high-deductible health plans can now set aside up to $8,750 in a health savings account for 2026, the highest annual cap the...
The income limits that make Social Security benefits taxable haven’t moved since 1984, so more retirees owe yearly
Nearly half of all Social Security beneficiaries will owe federal income tax on their benefits by 2026, up from roughly one in eight three decades...
Roth IRA earnings turn tax-free only after five years in the account
Savers who opened a Roth IRA for the first time in 2025 and plan to tap earnings in early retirement could owe federal income tax...
$2,100 now caps what you’ll pay out of pocket for Medicare drugs all year
Starting in 2026, Medicare Part D beneficiaries will not pay more than $2,100 out of pocket for prescription drugs in a single year. That figure...
The yearly IRA catch-up for savers 50 and older rises to $1,100 in 2026 for the first time in years
Workers age 50 and older will be able to put an extra $1,100 into an individual retirement account starting in 2026, up from the $1,000...
High earners locked out of a Roth IRA can still fund one through a backdoor conversion each year
Taxpayers earning above the IRS income thresholds for direct Roth IRA contributions face a familiar barrier each filing season, but the workaround remains intact: a...
Workers 50 and older can add an extra $8,000 to a 401(k) in 2026 above the $24,500 limit
Workers age 50 and older will be able to set aside up to $32,500 in a 401(k) during 2026, combining a $24,500 base deferral limit...
You can give up to $19,000 to each person every year completely tax-free
Every person in the United States can hand $19,000 to any single recipient in 2026 without owing a penny in federal gift tax. That per-recipient...
You can split your tax refund straight into an IRA using Form 8888
Taxpayers expecting a federal refund this filing season have a little-known option that can turn part of that money into retirement savings before it ever...
Social Security sends this month’s last checks on June 17 and June 24 by birth date
Millions of Social Security beneficiaries born after the 10th of the month are waiting on two final payment dates in June 2026: June 17 for...
Many states quietly offer a property-tax “circuit breaker” rebate worth hundreds, but you have to file for it
Homeowners and renters across at least seven states can claim refundable property-tax relief worth hundreds of dollars, but only if they file the right paperwork....
Roth IRAs require no withdrawals in your lifetime and keep growing tax-free for heirs
Roth IRA owners never have to take a single dollar out of their accounts while they are alive, a statutory advantage that lets balances compound...