The financial news that actually matters
A parent who loses an adult child may be eligible for Social Security survivor benefits if the parent is at least 62 and depended on that child for at least half of financial support. The benefit is not automatic, and proof of support generally must be filed within a limited period. Other conditions can prevent…
A federal judge sentenced an Ohio man to 63 months in prison and ordered him to pay $220,485 in restitution to 15 victims for his role in a romance-fraud laundering conspiracy. Because the sentence follows a guilty plea, the legal posture is final at the trial-court level rather than merely charged; the case also exposes…
A proposed Federal Trade Commission order would permanently bar an operator from debt-relief work and telemarketing after the agency accused her and others of taking more than $45.9 million through false student-loan-forgiveness promises. The order still requires court approval, and the underlying conduct remains described as allegations rather than a criminal conviction. The proposed judgment…
Social Security is expanding an electronic bank-account verification tool used in the Supplemental Security Income program. The stated purpose is to detect accounts and improper payments earlier, reducing the chance that an eligibility problem grows into a large debt owed back to the agency. The initiative applies to SSI, a needs-based program with strict resource…
A state disaster declaration can now be enough to bring a personal casualty loss within the federal deduction framework for tax year 2026. The expansion removes the prior federal-declaration-only boundary, but it does not make every storm, fire or theft loss automatically deductible: homeowners still must document the event, calculate the allowed loss, subtract insurance…
A proposed federal settlement with CVS Caremark is built around changes that the Federal Trade Commission estimates could produce as much as $13 billion in prescription savings over a decade. The figure combines two separate maximum estimates, and the consent order is not yet final; the proposal could affect how rebates, pharmacy-benefit-manager fees and some…
The Federal Trade Commission is using Zelle to deliver another round of Ring settlement refunds, but the payments are limited to eligible customers who missed an earlier payment. The distribution is automatic, and an unexpected demand for a fee or banking credentials is a warning that the contact is not the FTC. This is a…
A stolen password is a common way accounts get hijacked, but there is a setting that makes a stolen password far less useful to a thief. Two-factor authentication requires a second piece of proof beyond the password, so even someone who has guessed or stolen the password cannot log in without it. Turning it on…
Many retirees are surprised to learn that a portion of their Social Security benefits can be subject to federal income tax, and that a surprise tax bill at filing time is avoidable. A single form lets a beneficiary have taxes withheld directly from their monthly benefit, spreading the tax over the year and preventing an…
A medical crisis can leave a person unable to speak for themselves, and without planning, the decisions about their care may fall to a court-appointed stranger or be tangled in family disagreement. A health-care proxy solves that problem in advance, letting a person name someone they trust to make medical decisions on their behalf. It…