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
Humana is mailing September non-renewal letters to about 600,000 Medicare Advantage members losing plans in 2027
About 600,000 older Americans are about to open a letter from Humana telling them the Medicare Advantage plan they rely on will not exist in...
Social Security’s payroll tax will apply to the first $184,500 of wages in 2026, up from $176,100
The amount of earnings subject to Social Security’s payroll tax climbs to $184,500 in 2026, up from $176,100 the year before, an increase of $8,400....
Presbyterian is dropping most of its Medicare Advantage plans in New Mexico for 2027, and about 30,000 members must find new coverage
Presbyterian Healthcare Services, one of New Mexico’s largest health systems, is discontinuing most of its Medicare Advantage plans for the 2027 plan year, a decision...
Fifteen more drugs, including Ozempic and Trelegy, get lower negotiated Medicare prices on January 1, 2027
Fifteen more prescription drugs, including the diabetes and weight-loss medicine Ozempic and the inhaled COPD treatment Trelegy, will carry lower negotiated Medicare prices starting January...
Next year’s Social Security raise is tracking near 3.8%, enough to finally outpace the rising Part B premium
Next year’s Social Security cost-of-living adjustment is tracking near 3.8%, according to the latest estimate from a leading advocacy group, a level that would finally...
Medicare’s IRMAA surcharge raises Part B and Part D premiums once income tops $109,000 in 2026
A single Medicare enrollee whose modified adjusted gross income tops $109,000 crosses into surcharge territory in 2026, the point where the income-related monthly adjustment amount...
Medicaid can exempt a home with up to $752,000 in equity while the owner is still alive in 2026
Medicaid can treat a home worth as much as $752,000 in equity as an exempt asset in 2026, letting an applicant qualify for long-term-care coverage...
Supplemental Security Income pays up to $994 a month in 2026, with a $2,000 asset cap frozen since 1989
Supplemental Security Income pays a maximum federal benefit of $994 a month for an individual in 2026, up from $967 the year before after a...
Medicare’s standard Part B deductible is $283 in 2026, the amount you pay before coverage begins
Medicare’s standard Part B deductible rises to $283 in 2026, an increase of $26 from $257 the year before. It is the amount a beneficiary...
Medicare’s Part A hospital deductible is $1,736 per benefit period in 2026, and it can apply more than once a year
Medicare’s Part A inpatient hospital deductible rises to $1,736 in 2026, an increase of $60 from $1,676 the year before. The number is easy to...
Social Security’s maximum benefit at full retirement age reaches $4,152 a month in 2026
Social Security’s maximum monthly benefit for a worker who retires at full retirement age climbs to $4,152 in 2026, an increase of $134 from $4,018...
A surviving spouse can roll a late partner’s IRA into their own and delay required withdrawals
When a spouse dies, the IRA left behind carries a choice that can preserve years of tax-deferred growth or forfeit it. A surviving husband or...
Unemployment benefits are taxable, so a layoff can trigger a surprise tax bill
A layoff cuts off a paycheck, and the unemployment benefits that replace part of it feel like a lifeline rather than income. The Internal Revenue...
The Saver’s Credit gives lower-income workers up to $1,000 back for retirement contributions
A tax credit worth up to $1,000 sits unclaimed by many of the workers it was built for, because few realize the government will effectively...
A Roth IRA carries no lifetime required withdrawals, unlike a traditional IRA
At age 73, the owner of a traditional IRA must begin pulling money out whether the cash is needed or not, and every forced dollar...
A pension survivor option trims your monthly check but keeps paying a spouse for life
Choosing how a pension pays out is one of the few retirement decisions that cannot be undone, and the choice that protects a spouse comes...
A disabled adult child can collect Social Security on a parent’s record for life
Millions of American families support an adult son or daughter whose disability began in childhood, and many never learn that Social Security may owe that...
Workers 60 to 63 can add an extra $11,250 to a 401(k) in 2026
A narrow group of older workers can shovel far more into a 401(k) in 2026 than everyone else. For employees who are 60, 61, 62,...
Homeowners who miss the October 15 extension deadline face a 5%-a-month late-filing penalty
Taxpayers who requested a six-month extension have until October 15, 2026, to file their 2025 federal return, and missing that date can be expensive. The...
A new law set the estate-tax exemption at $15 million per person for 2026
Starting in 2026, an individual can pass up to $15 million to heirs before the federal estate tax applies, the result of a new law...