The financial news that actually matters
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…
Homeowners planning a renovation may see headlines about the Trump tax law and become curious. They may wonder whether a new kitchen, upgraded HVAC system, or finished basement now comes with a business-style tax break. The short answer is that the new home improvement tax deductions law could help some property owners. However, it may…
Some housing economists and market analysts say 30-year fixed mortgage rates could fall below 5% by 2026, though the timing is uncertain. The forecast rests heavily on expectations that the Federal Reserve will continue easing monetary policy as inflation cools toward its target. For prospective buyers who have struggled with higher borrowing costs in recent…
Close to 1,000 California residential properties moved toward foreclosure auction during February 2026, based on state records tracking trustee sales under California Civil Code 2924m. The volume, logged in a statewide database maintained by the California Department of Justice, reflects a broader national pattern of gradually rising foreclosure activity that has persisted into early 2026….
Retirees aged 65 and older stand to keep significantly more of their income out of the IRS’s reach. This development starts effectively with tax year 2025, thanks to a newly enlarged standard deduction. This reform targets seniors and a lesser-known strategy involving charitable IRA withdrawals. Together, these two provisions create a tax-free retirement income strategy…
Six suburban housing markets across the United States are on track for home price declines exceeding 8% by early next year, driven by a collision of pandemic-era overvaluation, persistent mortgage rate pressure, and rising inventory that has shifted bargaining power from sellers to buyers. The sharpest vulnerability sits in Sun Belt and Mountain West suburbs…
The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act was signed into law on July 4, 2025 as Public Law 119-21. The law has rewritten several rules governing tax deductions for individuals. The IRS on its part, has spent months translating the IRS deduction changes 2026 into concrete guidance for the 2026 filing season. With new breaks for…
The Social Security Administration has spent the past year rolling out a series of changes to how 75 million people receive benefits, access their accounts online, and interact with field offices. Taken together, the upgrades touch nearly every channel the agency uses to serve retirees, disabled workers, and low-income families who depend on Supplemental Security…
Turning 65 has long been treated as the unofficial starting line for retirement, but claiming Social Security at that age means accepting a permanently smaller monthly check. The average retired-worker benefit as of early 2026 sits well below what many Americans assume they will receive, and the gap between a 65-year-old’s reduced payment and the…
Most homeowners know they can write off mortgage interest. That single line item, however, barely scratches the surface of what the tax code allows. The IRS publishes a web of guidance across multiple publications that, taken together, outlines at least eight additional breaks. Interestingly, many filers either misunderstand or skip them entirely causing them to…