The financial news that actually matters
One of the most consequential rules in retirement planning is also one of the least understood: a workplace 401(k) is legally set up to pass to the participant’s spouse, no matter whose name sits on an old beneficiary form. Federal law treats the surviving husband or wife as the default heir of an employer plan,…
The single most effective early-warning system against identity theft is also free and available every week. Each of the three nationwide credit bureaus lets consumers pull a full copy of their credit report at no cost, and reviewing those reports regularly is often the first place a person notices an account they never opened. For…
Customers of the clothing retailer Lands’ End are being paid under a data-breach settlement that offers a flat cash payment even to those who cannot document any out-of-pocket loss. The deadline to file a claim is October 22, 2026. As with any class-action deadline, filers should confirm the current date on the official settlement site,…
A $15 million class-action settlement is now paying owners of certain recalled above-ground pools, and it allows a modest cash payment even for people who long ago threw away the receipt. The agreement resolves claims tied to a compression-strap defect on large Bestway pools, and the window to file runs through October 30, 2026. Because…
Billions of dollars in forgotten money sit in state custody across the country, waiting for the rightful owners to come forward. Old bank accounts, uncashed paychecks, utility deposits, insurance payouts and tax refunds routinely slip through the cracks when people move, change banks or lose track of a small balance. For older Americans who have…
For most retirees, the Social Security payment is the one deposit they count on arriving the same way every month. That reliability is exactly what makes it a target. A scammer who gathers enough personal information can try to log into a person’s Social Security record and quietly change where the money goes, redirecting a…
A house that is fully paid off is supposed to be the safest asset an older owner has. It is also the one criminals find easiest to target, precisely because there is no lender watching it. Deed and title fraud works by forging a transfer of ownership on a property the real owner rarely thinks…
The number of stores expected to close across the United States this year is on track to run into the thousands, and the impact lands hardest on people who cannot easily drive an extra 20 minutes for a prescription or a bag of groceries. Retail analysts who track store openings and closings are projecting close…
Older investors who have held a stock or fund for years often sit on a large paper gain they are reluctant to touch, because selling it means handing a slice to the tax collector. For anyone who already gives to charity, there is a way to move that appreciated investment without ever paying the capital-gains…
For many older homeowners, the property tax bill is the one housing cost that never stops rising, even after the mortgage is gone. That bill is not fixed by law or by what a house sold for years ago. It is calculated from a number a local official assigns, the assessed value, and that number…
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