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
Many states let seniors defer property taxes until the home is sold
Seniors on fixed incomes across the country can legally stop writing annual property tax checks and let the bill accumulate against their home equity instead,...
The 2026 standard deduction rises to $32,200 for couples before a single write-off
Married couples filing jointly will see their standard deduction climb to $32,200 for tax year 2026, a figure shaped not only by annual inflation adjustments...
Americans hold more in IRAs than 401(k)s, yet most never add a dollar after rolling over
Millions of workers who leave a job each year face a quiet but consequential choice: what to do with the retirement savings they built through...
Social Security’s 2027 raise estimate just slipped to 3.8%, about $77 more a month
Retirees counting on a bigger bump in their Social Security checks next year just lost ground. The estimated 2027 cost-of-living adjustment has slipped to roughly...
$35,000 stuck in a child’s 529 college account can now roll into their Roth IRA tax-free
Families sitting on leftover 529 college savings now have a direct path to convert up to $35,000 of that money into a child’s Roth IRA...
A widow can keep filing taxes jointly for two years, easing the hit of losing a spouse
A surviving spouse with a dependent child can keep filing at joint tax rates for two full years after the year of death, a status...
$11,250 in extra ‘super catch-up’ 401(k) savings is open to workers ages 60 to 63
Workers between the ages of 60 and 63 now have access to $11,250 in additional 401(k) catch-up contributions for 2026, a figure confirmed by the...
Washington just restored an estate tax up to 20% on people who die after July 1
Families with large estates in Washington state face a direct hit starting this month. For anyone who dies on or after July 1, 2026, the...
Aetna is closing about 90 Medicare Advantage plans across 34 states for 2027
Seniors enrolled in certain Aetna Medicare Advantage plans across 34 states face the loss of their coverage for 2027, as the insurer moves to discontinue...
Workers over 50 earning above $150,000 must now make 401(k) catch-up contributions in a Roth
Higher-income workers over 50 face a direct change to how their 401(k) catch-up contributions are taxed. The Treasury Department and IRS finalized regulations requiring that...
$941 billion will roll out of 401(k)s into IRAs this year, and much of it sits uninvested
Millions of Americans changing jobs or retiring this year will move retirement savings out of employer-sponsored 401(k) plans and into individual retirement accounts. The scale...
Retirees can have tax withheld straight from a Social Security check to avoid an April surprise
Millions of retirees collect Social Security benefits each month without a single dollar withheld for federal income tax. Because benefits arrive untouched, many face a...
A retiree’s minor kids can collect Social Security too, up to half the benefit
Older Americans who still have school-age children at home can claim Social Security benefits for those kids, with each child entitled to as much as...
Give away money within five years of a Medicaid nursing-home application and you face a penalty
Families who gift money, transfer a home, or move assets to relatives before seeking Medicaid coverage for nursing-home care face a penalty that can delay...
Original Medicare now demands prior approval for knee scopes and back shots in six states
Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in the traditional fee-for-service program now face a new requirement before receiving certain knee and spine procedures. The Centers for Medicare and...
Locking your online Social Security account takes two minutes and blocks thieves from rerouting your check
Social Security beneficiaries who have not claimed their online accounts are leaving the door open for identity thieves to do it for them, redirect monthly...
A side-gig earner can open a solo 401(k) and shelter up to $70,000 a year from taxes
Freelancers, consultants, and gig workers with even modest self-employment income can open a solo 401(k) and defer a substantial share of their earnings before taxes....
Filed a tax extension? Your 2025 return is due October 15 as interest quietly adds up
Millions of taxpayers who requested extra time to complete their 2025 federal returns now face an October 15, 2026 filing deadline, but the IRS has...
Pause Social Security between 67 and 70 and your check grows 8% a year
Americans born in 1960 or later face a full retirement age of 67, but those who hold off on collecting Social Security until 70 can...
After you die, Medicaid can bill your estate for nursing-home care, though your home may be shielded
Families who relied on Medicaid to cover a parent’s or spouse’s nursing-home stay often discover, only after the recipient dies, that the state can pursue...