The financial news that actually matters
A parent who borrowed a federal PLUS loan five or ten years ago to help cover tuition may not realize that one administrative step now stands between them and the repayment relief they are counting on. That step is consolidating into a Direct Consolidation Loan, and it must be completed, with the new loan fully…
Somewhere in a kitchen drawer or a pile of unopened mail, millions of American homeowners have a property-tax assessment notice they never questioned. The number on it may be wrong, and not in their favor. A National Bureau of Economic Research working paper by economists Carlos Avenancio-León and Troup Howard, which examines racial disparities in…
When Maria Gonzalez, a 72-year-old widow in Portland, Oregon, sat down with her estate attorney in early 2025, the conversation centered on a single fear: that the federal estate tax exemption was about to be cut nearly in half, potentially exposing her $10 million estate to a tax bill her heirs could not afford without…
For years, a married couple earning $38,000 who adopted a child out of foster care might owe only $1,500 in federal income tax. The adoption tax credit could wipe that bill to zero, but the thousands of dollars left over just sat there on paper, carried forward year after year, often expiring before the family…
A freelance graphic designer earning $120,000 a year can now shield $24,000 of that income from federal taxes, not just this year but every year going forward. A two-partner accounting firm splitting $400,000 in profits can each deduct up to $40,000. And the owner of a small plumbing company clearing $200,000 through an S-corporation can…
Workers who have been maxing out their 401(k) contributions just got more room. Starting January 1, 2026, the annual deferral limit for 401(k) plans climbed to $24,500, a $1,000 increase over the 2025 ceiling of $23,500. The IRA contribution cap rose as well, reaching $7,500 after holding at $7,000 for the prior two years. For…
A 2.7% cost-of-living raise this year will not bump you into a higher federal tax bracket. The IRS has widened all seven income-tax brackets for 2026 by roughly that same percentage, ensuring that inflation alone does not quietly force workers into paying a higher marginal rate on income that buys no more than it did…
When Maria Chen handed her grandson a $19,000 check at his college graduation party in June 2026, her first instinct was to worry. Would she need to file something? Would he owe tax on it? The answer to both questions: no. That single gift, life-changing for a 22-year-old starting out with student loans, was completely…
If you live in one of 25 states and earn a paycheck reported on a W-2, you can now file your federal tax return directly with the IRS, online, for free. No TurboTax. No H&R Block. No credit card required at the last step. The agency’s Direct File tool, which debuted as a 12-state pilot…
Replace five drafty windows and install a heat pump in the same year, and the federal government will hand you up to $3,200 off your tax bill. That is not a rebate check in the mail. It is a dollar-for-dollar credit against the income tax you owe, covering 30 percent of what you spend on…