The financial news that actually matters
Homeowners who took out adjustable-rate mortgages during the pandemic’s low-rate window are running into a much harsher borrowing environment as their introductory periods expire. For that group, the jump is real: a loan that once looked manageable at roughly 3% can reset materially higher, lifting monthly payments and putting new strain on household budgets. But…
Turning 65 does not make a health savings account disappear, but it does change the rules in a way many workers miss until payroll or tax season catches up with them. Once Medicare coverage starts, new HSA contributions generally have to stop. That is true even for people who keep working and stay on an…
Financial advisors have long warned that borrowing from a 401(k) to fund a home down payment can solve one money problem by creating a bigger one later. The move can look sensible when buyers are scrambling to assemble cash in an expensive housing market, especially if a retirement plan loan seems cheaper or easier than…
Workers who want the biggest possible Social Security retirement check in 2026 need more than a high salary in a single year. To qualify for the maximum benefit, they generally must earn at or above Social Security’s taxable wage cap for about 35 years, because the program bases benefits on a worker’s 35 highest-earning years…
Nearly half of U.S. homeowners say they are considering a move because of weather-related risk, a striking sign that climate anxiety is no longer limited to abstract forecasts or long-range policy debates. It is showing up in household decisions about where to live, what a home will cost to protect, and whether staying put still…
Social Security’s financing problem is no longer an abstract debate for future lawmakers. The latest official projections show the program moving closer to the point where it can no longer pay full scheduled benefits from its trust fund reserves, putting pressure on Congress to act before automatic cuts become the default outcome. The warning is…
More than 67 million Americans are enrolled in Medicare, and by the end of January they could be swept back under older, narrower telehealth rules if Congress does not extend a temporary policy that has propped up virtual care for years. The approaching deadline is not just another Washington budget marker. It is the latest…
Tax filing season is about to begin, and for millions of Americans the 2026 calendar comes with more moving parts than usual. The Internal Revenue Service is set to begin accepting 2025 federal returns on Jan. 26, while a string of tax-law changes tied to the One, Big, Beautiful Bill could alter how much many…
The IRS has opened its Free File program ahead of the official start of tax season. This gives millions of taxpayers who earned $89,000 or less in adjusted gross income for 2025 a chance to get their returns ready early at no cost. That early opening does not mean refunds started going out in early…
A bipartisan Senate proposal is taking aim at one of the quieter barriers in the U.S. retirement system: the rule that still lets many workplace plans keep younger employees on the sidelines until age 21. The measure, called the Helping Young Americans Save for Retirement Act, would require many employers that offer 401(k) plans to…