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 2027 Social Security raise could reach 4.7%, one analyst now projects, among the biggest increases in decades
Tens of millions of Social Security beneficiaries could see their monthly checks jump by a far larger margin in 2027 than the 2.8 percent increase...
Up to 5 million seniors could lose a Medicare Advantage plan in 2027, nearly double the 2.6 million dropped this year
Up to 5 million Medicare Advantage enrollees face the loss of their current health plans in 2027, nearly doubling the 2.6 million beneficiaries affected by...
1% in annual 401(k) fees can quietly cost you tens of thousands of dollars over a career
Workers saving for retirement through a 401(k) plan face a persistent, largely invisible drag on their wealth: annual fees that compound year after year. Federal...
Medicare’s Part B premium is projected to reach about $209.50 a month in 2027, up from $202.90 now
Millions of Medicare beneficiaries face another bump in their monthly health insurance bill. The standard Part B premium, which covers doctor visits, outpatient care, and...
Gambling winnings are fully taxable, but you can deduct losses up to what you won if you itemize
Every dollar won at a casino, sportsbook, or poker table counts as taxable income under federal law, and the IRS expects it reported on a...
A PACE program blends Medicare and Medicaid to keep frail seniors at home instead of a nursing facility, often at no cost
Frail seniors who qualify for nursing home admission face a stark choice: enter a facility or find a way to stay home with adequate medical...
Company stock inside a 401(k) can be rolled out so its gains are taxed at lower capital-gains rates
Retiring workers who hold large blocks of their employer’s stock inside a 401(k) face a choice that can shift thousands of dollars between the IRS...
Innocent-spouse relief can free you from taxes a partner hid on a joint return
Separated and divorced taxpayers facing IRS collection notices for debts their former spouses secretly created have a specific federal remedy available, but an independent government...
Full retirement age finishes its 42-year climb to 67 this November, locking a roughly 30% lifetime cut for anyone born in 1960 who claimed at 62
Americans born in 1960 face a permanent 30 percent reduction in their monthly Social Security checks if they claimed benefits at 62, a penalty now...
Worked two jobs and earned over $184,500 last year? The extra Social Security tax withheld comes straight back as a credit
Anyone who held two W-2 jobs in 2026 and earned more than $184,500 in combined wages almost certainly had too much Social Security tax pulled...
Medical bills above 7.5% of your income are deductible if you itemize
Taxpayers who spent heavily on medical care in 2025 face a concrete filing decision: itemize deductions on Schedule A and claim unreimbursed costs that exceed...
A capital loss bigger than $3,000 carries forward to cut your taxes for years until it is used up
Investors who locked in steep losses during a market downturn do not forfeit the tax benefit after a single filing. Federal tax law caps the...
Moving or losing job coverage opens a special Medicare sign-up window
People who lose employer-sponsored health coverage or relocate outside the boundaries of their current Medicare Advantage plan face a strict but often overlooked deadline: an...
A joint-and-survivor pension keeps paying your spouse after you die, while a single-life payout stops at your death
Retirees covered by a defined-benefit pension face a single decision at retirement that determines whether their spouse will receive any income from that pension after...
Spending excess income on medical bills can qualify you for Medicaid in many states, a path called a spend-down
People with disabilities and older adults whose earnings sit just above Medicaid income limits face a painful choice: earn less or go without coverage. A...
Part A hospital coverage is premium-free after you pay Medicare taxes 10 years
Americans turning 65 face a straightforward but high-stakes eligibility test: those who paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years, accumulating 40 quarters of coverage,...
In a no-income-tax state you can deduct state sales taxes instead
Taxpayers who live in states that do not levy a personal income tax still have a path to an itemized deduction for state and local...
Substantially equal withdrawals let you tap an IRA before 59½ penalty-free
Workers who leave a job before age 59½ and need income from a traditional IRA face a steep 10% early-withdrawal penalty on top of ordinary...
Still working before full retirement age in 2026? Social Security holds back $1 for every $2 you earn above $24,480
Workers collecting Social Security before they reach full retirement age in 2026 face a direct hit to their monthly checks if their earnings cross a...
Some Medicare Advantage plans pay part of your Part B premium back, putting $50 or more in your monthly check
Certain Medicare Advantage plans are returning a portion of the standard Part B premium directly to enrollees, effectively adding money back into monthly Social Security...