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
Interest from municipal bonds is exempt from federal income tax
Investors who hold state and local government debt receive interest payments that never appear on their federal tax bill, a benefit rooted in a single...
$108,000 a year can go straight from your IRA to charity, tax-free, after age 70½
Retirees who hold traditional IRAs can now direct up to $108,000 per year to qualifying charities without counting a single dollar as taxable income, provided...
The Credit for the Elderly or Disabled can cut taxes for lower-income seniors
Seniors and retirees living on modest incomes can directly reduce what they owe the IRS through a tax credit that many eligible filers never claim....
$24,500 is the 401(k) contribution limit in 2026, and the IRA limit is $7,500
Workers saving for retirement through a 401(k) can set aside up to $24,500 starting January 1, 2026, a $1,000 increase over the $23,500 cap that...
Senator Bill Cassidy is pushing a plan to shore up Social Security by investing part of its trust fund in stocks
Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Louisiana Republican who chairs the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, wants Congress to create a $1.5 trillion investment fund...
Self-employed people who work from home can deduct part of rent, utilities and internet
Self-employed workers who dedicate part of their home exclusively to business can write off a share of rent, utilities, and internet costs on their federal...
Every Medicare Advantage plan has left Alaska, stranding 106,000 seniors on original Medicare
Alaska’s roughly 106,000 Medicare beneficiaries have no Medicare Advantage plan available to them, making the state the only one in the country where the private-insurance...
The IRS now lets many filers submit a federal return online for free through Direct File
Millions of Americans who once paid commercial software fees or struggled through complex free-file portals now have a direct, no-cost path to file federal tax...
More than a million taxpayers waited an extra five and a half weeks for refunds this year while the IRS held up 14 million returns
More than a million taxpayers saw their refunds delayed by roughly five and a half extra weeks during the 2026 filing season after the IRS...
Who loses the new $6,000 senior tax deduction? Retirees whose income tops $75,000, or $150,000 for a couple
Retirees with modified adjusted gross income above $75,000, or $150,000 for married couples filing jointly, will not qualify for the new $6,000 senior tax deduction...
Waiting until 70 to claim Social Security can push the maximum monthly check above $5,100 this year
Workers who delay their Social Security claim to age 70 can now receive a maximum monthly benefit of $5,181 in 2026, up from $4,152 at...
Supplemental Security Income now pays up to $994 a month for an individual and $1,491 for a couple in 2026
Low-income seniors and people with disabilities who depend on Supplemental Security Income saw their federal payment rise to $994 a month for an individual and...
Starting with 2026 returns, you can deduct up to $1,000 in cash gifts, or $2,000 as a couple, without itemizing
Millions of taxpayers who claim the standard deduction will soon have a new way to lower their tax bills. Beginning with tax year 2026, individuals...
UnitedHealthcare is dropping some Medicare Advantage PPO plans next year, affecting about 600,000 members
Roughly 600,000 Medicare Advantage members enrolled in UnitedHealthcare preferred provider organization plans will need to find new coverage for 2026 after the insurer confirmed it...
Medicare pays 80% of walkers, oxygen and other home medical equipment a doctor orders
Millions of Medicare beneficiaries who rely on walkers, home oxygen systems, hospital beds, and other prescribed equipment face a cost-sharing formula that has not changed...
Medicare covers hospice almost entirely, leaving a terminally ill patient little to pay
Families facing a terminal diagnosis often brace for crushing medical bills, but Medicare’s hospice benefit absorbs nearly all costs once a physician certifies a life...
About 3 million seniors are in Medicare Advantage plans set to be terminated
As many as 2.9 million Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollees face forced disenrollment in 2026, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public...
Tens of millions of taxpayers could still claim a refund if they file a special claim by July 10
Tens of millions of taxpayers who paid penalties and interest during the COVID-19 federal disaster period can still claim refunds, but the window closes on...
Grandparents raising a grandchild can claim the $2,200 child tax credit if the child lives with them most of the year
Grandparents who have taken on the full-time job of raising a grandchild stand to receive up to $2,200 in federal tax relief for the 2025...
About 3.2 million teachers, police and firefighters now collect an average $360 more a month after a repealed Social Security penalty
Roughly 3.2 million retired teachers, police officers, and firefighters are now receiving higher Social Security checks after Congress repealed two long-standing benefit penalties. The Social...