The financial news that actually matters
Retirees who finished their working years with substantial nest eggs often describe their success in less glamorous terms than many younger investors expect. They do not usually point to one life-changing stock pick, a perfectly timed trade, or an uncanny ability to spot the next market darling before everyone else. What they talk about instead…
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…
Banks have seized an estimated 367,000 homes across the United States, pushing foreclosure activity to its highest level since 2020. The wave of repossessions, building steadily for nearly a year, is concentrated in a handful of states where homeowners face mounting pressure from elevated interest rates and lingering post-pandemic debt. For millions of families, the…
Retirees who packed up for Sun Belt states expecting lower costs and year-round sunshine are increasingly reversing course, and federal migration data helps explain why. A U.S. Census Bureau report on older Americans’ moving patterns, designated P23-218, tracked net migration gains and losses by state for people aged 65 and older, revealing that several popular…
Homeowners in a handful of states pay dramatically less in property taxes than the national norm. The gap can amount to thousands of dollars in annual savings. Federal data from the U.S. Census Bureau and analysis from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy show that states with the lowest effective property tax rates often rely…
A 67-year-old retiree spending $6,500 a month faces a simple but uncomfortable math problem: Social Security was never designed to cover that entire bill. Federal data on both sides of the equation (what retirees spend and what benefits actually pay) show a gap that ranges from manageable to severe depending on earnings history and claiming…
New home construction permits in the United States fell 3.1% in January 2026, dropping to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,376 thousand units, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s monthly residential construction report. The pullback comes as borrowing costs remain elevated, a backdrop that can weigh on new-project economics. For prospective homebuyers and renters…
Older Americans who claim Social Security before reaching full retirement age got a little more room to keep working in 2026 without triggering benefit withholding. The annual earnings test limit for beneficiaries who remain below full retirement age for the entire year rose to $24,480, up from $23,400 in 2025. That change may not sound…
Median asking rents are easing in enough large U.S. markets that a threshold which once looked untouchable is starting to give way again. In a dozen major metros, median asking rents are now back under $2,000 a month, a notable turn after the pandemic-era run-up pushed that level from warning sign to baseline in many…
Workers 50 and older will be able to put more money into workplace retirement plans in 2026, with the IRS raising the standard catch-up contribution limit to $8,000. That is up from $7,500 in 2025 and comes alongside an increase in the regular employee deferral cap to $24,500. For older Americans trying to make up…