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
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...
A married couple can realize about $96,700 in long-term stock gains at a 0% tax rate
Married couples filing jointly can shield up to $96,700 in net long-term capital gains from federal tax for the 2025 tax year, a threshold set...
You can undo a Social Security claim within 12 months by repaying what you got
Retirees who filed for Social Security benefits too early have a narrow path to reverse that decision, but the price is steep: full repayment of...
Money Social Security holds back while you work before full retirement age comes back later
Workers who collect Social Security before full retirement age and keep earning above federal limits will see checks withheld, but the Social Security Administration does...
High earners now owe Social Security tax on wages up to $184,500, an $8,400 jump
Workers earning above $176,100 will see a bigger bite taken from their paychecks starting in January 2026. The Social Security Administration has raised the taxable...
One form after you retire can erase a Medicare surcharge of up to $443 a month
Retirees who earned high salaries before leaving the workforce can face Medicare premium surcharges exceeding $400 a month, based on income the Social Security Administration...
You can pull $2,500 a year from a 401(k) for long-term-care premiums, penalty-free
Workers under age 59 and a half now have a new way to pay for long-term care insurance without triggering the 10% early-withdrawal penalty on...
A spouse who never worked can still claim half the higher earner’s Social Security
A person who spent decades raising children or managing a household instead of earning a paycheck can still collect a monthly Social Security check equal...
$111,000 a year can go from your IRA straight to charity, tax-free, after 70½
Retirees who have reached age 70½ can now direct up to $111,000 per year from a traditional IRA to a qualifying charity without adding a...
Claiming Social Security at 62 instead of 67 locks in a check about 30% smaller for life
Workers born in 1960 or later who file for Social Security at 62 rather than waiting until their full retirement age of 67 lock in...
Teachers, firefighters and police are getting full Social Security checks after a repealed penalty
More than 3.1 million public workers, including teachers, firefighters, and police officers, have received catch-up Social Security payments totaling $17 billion after a decades-old penalty...
5 million seniors could lose their Medicare Advantage plan for 2027 as insurers exit
Millions of Medicare Advantage enrollees face the real possibility of losing their current health plan before 2027 coverage begins. Insurers are pulling back from counties...
4.7% could be Social Security’s 2027 raise, a new estimate says
Roughly 73 million Americans who depend on Social Security checks could see their monthly payments jump by 4.7 percent in January 2028 if a new...
$35 a month is Medicare’s insulin cap, and your drug deductible never applies to it
Medicare beneficiaries who rely on insulin now pay no more than $35 for a one-month supply of each covered insulin product, and the drug deductible...
$250,000 of home-sale profit stays tax-free, or $500,000 for a married couple
Homeowners who sell a primary residence and pocket a profit can shield up to $250,000 of that gain from federal income tax, or $500,000 when...
$689.90 a month is the most high earners pay for Medicare Part B in 2026, over triple the standard
High-income Medicare enrollees will pay up to $689.90 per month for Part B coverage in 2026, more than triple the $202.90 standard premium that applies...
Five years is how long Social Security now gives you to repay an overpayment, up from three
Social Security beneficiaries who owe money back to the agency now have five years to repay an overpayment before they face additional paperwork, up from...