The financial news that actually matters
The IRS is discontinuing Direct File for the 2026 filing season. This shuts down the government-built tax filing option after expanding it just a year earlier and branding it as a permanent free alternative for taxpayers. The reversal leaves eligible filers heading into tax season with fewer government-run options. It also sends them back toward…
Retirees considering a Roth conversion late in the year face a firm deadline that can have lasting tax consequences. A conversion counts in the calendar year it is completed, which means any move intended for the 2025 tax year has to be processed by Dec. 31. Miss that window, and the income lands on the…
The average 401(k) balance has climbed to $144,400, a fresh high that reflects a powerful mix of steady contributions, stronger markets, and a retirement system that continues to reward workers who stay invested over time.That headline number is encouraging, especially after several years of inflation pressure and market swings. But it tells only part of…
More than half of Medicare-eligible seniors in the United States now get their coverage through private Medicare Advantage plans, a milestone that says as much about the future of the program as it does about its current popularity. In 2025, enrollment reached 34.1 million people, or 54% of eligible Medicare beneficiaries, cementing Medicare Advantage as…
For anyone trying to buy a home in 2026, the central mortgage question is no longer whether rates will crash back to pandemic lows. It is whether borrowing costs can settle low enough to make monthly payments more manageable without a fresh jump in home prices wiping out the benefit.That is why most serious forecasts…
With the calendar winding down, financial advisors tend to focus clients on moves. Emphasis are on moves that still have a real chance to affect this year’s tax picture. The best year-end tax moves are not broad resolutions or generic reminders to save more. They are deadline-sensitive decisions tied to payroll, investment sales, charitable giving,…
U.S. public pension funds finished 2025 in much better shape than they appeared to be in midyear, as a late market rebound lifted returns and improved funding levels across much of the country. The final numbers gave lawmakers and retirement officials a more comfortable year-end story to tell, especially after a shaky spring had raised…
Americans looking to file taxes without paying software fees still have a path to do it, but the landscape has changed. For the 2026 filing season, the Internal Revenue Service is steering eligible taxpayers to its long-running Free File program. The program offers no-cost federal tax preparation through private-sector partners. The shift matters because the…
Medicare beneficiaries with high prescription drug bills got a major change in 2025: annual out-of-pocket costs for covered Part D drugs are now capped at $2,000. For people who rely on expensive cancer treatments, specialty medicines, or brand-name therapies for chronic conditions, that limit replaces the old system that could leave costs climbing long after…
The U.S. housing market looked a little less punishing for buyers in November, though not dramatically easier. More homes were listed for sale, asking prices softened modestly, and properties took longer to move than they did a year earlier. That combination did not amount to a housing correction, but it did mark another month in…