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
Workers ages 60 to 63 can put an extra $11,250 into a 401(k) this year, well above the standard catch-up
Americans turning 60, 61, 62, or 63 this year can stash an extra $11,250 into a 401(k) as a catch-up contribution, a $3,750 bump over...
Millions of taxpayers have until July 10 to claim COVID-era refunds the IRS charged as late
Tens of millions of taxpayers who paid penalties and interest on balances the IRS treated as overdue during the COVID-19 federal disaster period may be...
Retirees whose income dropped after they stopped working can appeal a high Medicare premium using Form SSA-44
Retirees who left the workforce in 2024 or 2025 are now receiving Medicare premium bills based on their peak earning years, not their current, lower...
One new estimate puts the 2027 Social Security raise as high as 4.7%, the biggest cost-of-living bump in over a decade
Retirees and disabled workers collecting Social Security could see their monthly checks jump by as much as 4.7 percent starting in January 2027, which would...
Divorced spouses married at least ten years can claim up to half an ex’s Social Security, and it never reduces the ex’s own check
Divorced Americans who were married for at least a decade can collect up to 50 percent of a former spouse’s Social Security retirement benefit, and...
Heirs inherit a home and investments at their value on the day you die, erasing the tax on a lifetime of gains
Every year, families across the United States inherit homes, brokerage accounts, and other assets whose value grew for decades under a prior owner. When that...
Medicare Advantage plans are expected to trim dental, vision and drug perks in 2027
Millions of Medicare Advantage enrollees could lose dental cleanings, vision exams, and prescription drug extras starting in 2027 after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid...
When a Medicare Advantage plan drops you for 2027, you get a guaranteed right to buy any Medigap policy
Beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans that will not renew for 2027 hold a federal right to purchase any Medigap policy sold in their state,...
Rising Medicare premiums will eat more than a quarter of next year’s Social Security raise
Retirees counting on a 2.8 percent Social Security cost-of-living adjustment in January 2026 will find that a $17.90 monthly jump in the standard Medicare Part...
Social Security’s earnings limit rises to $24,480 in 2026 for those who claim before full retirement age
Workers who collect Social Security before full retirement age and keep earning a paycheck will be able to take home slightly more in 2026 before...
Taxpayers 65 and older can claim an extra $6,000 deduction through 2028, phasing out above $75,000
Millions of Americans age 65 and older gained access to a new federal tax break worth up to $6,000 per person after the One, Big,...
Homeowners 65 and older can knock hundreds off property-tax bills through a state circuit-breaker rebate
Seniors on fixed incomes across at least six states can reclaim a portion of their property-tax payments through circuit-breaker rebate programs, yet many eligible homeowners...
The $200-a-month emergency Social Security boost ended July 1 with no renewal
Millions of Social Security recipients lost $200 a month in emergency payments when the benefit boost expired on July 1, and Congress has not renewed...
Low- and middle-income savers can claim up to $2,000 back through the Saver’s Credit
Married couples filing jointly who contribute to a 401(k) or IRA can claim as much as $2,000 back on their federal tax return through the...
The beneficiary form on your 401(k) or IRA overrides your will, and an outdated one can send savings to an ex
A divorced saver who updated a will but forgot to change a 401(k) beneficiary form can unintentionally leave hundreds of thousands of dollars to an...
Social Security now blocks 70,000 fraudulent direct-deposit changes a year with new ID checks
The Social Security Administration has started requiring identity verification before approving any change to a beneficiary’s direct-deposit account, a policy shift driven by an inspector...
Who still pays federal income tax on Social Security? Retirees whose combined income tops limits frozen since 1984
Millions of retirees still owe federal income tax on their Social Security benefits because the dollar thresholds that trigger that tax have not changed since...
High earners can pay up to $649 a month for Medicare Part B, more than triple the standard premium
Retirees with higher incomes will pay as much as $649.20 per month for Medicare Part B in 2026, more than triple the standard monthly premium...
NextEra retirement-plan members will get automatic payments from an $8 million settlement drawn from plan records
Current and former participants in the NextEra Energy, Inc. Employee Retirement Savings Plan stand to receive automatic payments from an $8 million settlement, with individual...
Workers 50 and up earning over $150,000 must now make 401(k) catch-up contributions in a Roth
Americans aged 50 and older who earned more than $150,000 in the prior year will soon lose the option to make pre-tax catch-up contributions to...