The financial news that actually matters
American taxpayers are collecting noticeably fatter refund checks this spring. Through the first week of April 2026, the IRS reports the average refund has reached $3,462, up $346 from $3,116 at the same point last year, an 11.1% jump. The agency had issued 69.8 million refunds totaling $241.7 billion, compared with 67.7 million refunds and $211.1…
If you carry a mortgage, a student loan, or a credit card, the federal agency charged with making sure your lender plays fair may be about to change how aggressively it polices the rules. Twenty-three state attorneys general are telling the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that its draft five-year strategic plan would gut federal enforcement…
Homeowners in a handful of states pay dramatically less in property taxes than the national norm. The gap can amount to thousands of dollars in annual savings. Federal data from the U.S. Census Bureau and analysis from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy show that states with the lowest effective property tax rates often rely…
For many homeowners, the housing boom that followed the pandemic is now showing up in a less welcome place. That place? The property tax bill. Across major cities, newly updated rolls of property tax assessments are translating years of price appreciation into higher taxable values. Owners who once ignored the process are now paying closer…
Manufacturers planning new plants or major expansions just got a tax incentive that can materially change the economics of a project. The new Section 168(n) factory tax deduction allows eligible businesses to deduct 100% of the cost of certain production buildings in the year those properties are placed in service, rather than stretching the write-off…
Families claiming the federal child tax credit for the 2025 tax year are set to see a slightly larger benefit when they file their returns. That is because a new tax law raised the maximum credit to $2,200 per qualifying child from $2,000. The change gives many parents a bigger tax break starting with returns…
Homeowners across the country absorbed a sharp jump in property taxes after rising home values and local budget pressures fed into new assessments. In 2023, property tax bills levied on single-family homes reached $363.3 billion. That was 6.9% up from a year earlier, while the average bill climbed to about $4,062. For many households, the…
Adoptive families filing 2025 federal tax returns have access to a benefit that could put real cash back in their pockets, even if they owe little or no income tax. For the first time in years, part of the federal Adoption Credit is refundable, allowing eligible filers to receive up to $5,000 per child as…
A handful of popular tax deductions created by the 2025 tax law are set to expire after 2028. The breaks cover seniors, tipped workers, and employees who earn overtime. Millions of Americans who may have come to rely on them could face a bigger tax bill when they disappear. Below is a quick look at…
Tax refunds are up this filing season, but not by as much as Republicans promised after passing the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. IRS data through the week ending March 13 shows the average refund at $3,623, up from $3,271 at the same point last year. That $352 increase is real money for households that…