The financial news that actually matters
Covers retirement planning, Social Security benefits, pension systems, and long-term financial security. It helps readers understand how to prepare financially for retirement.
A worker who retires in the middle of 2026 can sometimes receive full Social Security checks for the remaining months even after earning more than the annual limit earlier in the year. The special first-year rule looks at wages and self-employment month by month; for someone under full retirement age throughout 2026, a month can…
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 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…
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…
Certificates of deposit offer safety and a fixed return, but committing all of one’s savings to a single long-term CD means locking away money that might be needed sooner. A simple strategy called laddering solves that tension, spreading savings across CDs that mature at staggered intervals so a portion becomes available regularly while the rest…
For retirees looking to generate income while keeping taxes in check, one category of investment offers a distinctive advantage: the interest it pays is generally exempt from federal income tax. Municipal bonds can be an attractive piece of a retirement portfolio, but their benefit depends on a person’s tax situation, so understanding how the exemption…
Inflation is a quiet threat to anyone living on a fixed pool of savings, steadily eroding what each dollar can buy. Among the tools designed to counter it is a government bond that adjusts with the cost of living rather than being ground down by it. For retirees worried about their money losing value over…
One of retirement’s least forgiving rules is the requirement to withdraw a minimum amount from tax-deferred accounts each year once a person reaches a certain age. Miss it, and the penalty is steep. Fortunately, most account providers offer a simple safeguard: an automatic-withdrawal service that calculates and distributes the required amount on schedule, removing the…
Turning a lifetime of savings into a paycheck that lasts is one of retirement’s hardest puzzles. Withdraw too much and the money runs out; withdraw too little and a person needlessly scrimps. A long-standing rule of thumb offers a starting point, and while it is far from a guarantee, understanding it helps a retiree think…
Retirement does not have to mean the end of building tax-free savings. As long as a person continues to earn income from work, they can keep contributing to a Roth IRA, with no upper age limit. For retirees doing part-time or consulting work, that opens a way to keep growing a pool of money that…