(Image credit: Getty Images) Taxes are a worry for most retirees, even as they put their working years behind them and ease into what should be a more relaxing time. Taxpayers were expecting to face even more worries at the end of this year, when the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 was set […]
If You’re Retired or Soon to Be, Don’t Miss These Tax Breaks Read More »
Question: I’m retiring with $3.3 million at age 65 and want to avoid tapping my portfolio’s principal. Is this possible? Answer: The average 65-year-old American had about $609,000 in retirement savings in 2022. If you’re retiring with $3.3 million at 65, you’re clearly well ahead of the game. But no matter how much money you
Question: My $1.2 million vacation home has a $360K mortgage. I don’t need my upcoming $45,000 RMD. Should I use it to pay down the mortgage? Answer: There can be benefits to carrying a mortgage rather than paying it off with a lump sum of cash. For one thing, if you itemize on your tax
Key Takeaways Most big banks—including Chase, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo—pay virtually nothing on savings, with many customers not realizing how much more they could be earning elsewhere. Your savings are just as safe at smaller or online banks, thanks to federal deposit insurance that protects balances up to $250,000. Opening a high-yield savings
The Savings Secret Big Banks Don’t Want You to Know Read More »
Key Takeaways Medicare Advantage (MA) plans are private, government-approved alternatives to Original Medicare. They often feature low or no premiums, annual out-of-pocket limits, and extra benefits like dental and vision coverage. Downsides include limited provider networks, prior authorization hurdles, and frequent plan changes. If you decide to switch back to Original Medicare later, you might
Don’t Choose a Medicare Advantage Plan Until You Read This: 5 Trade-Offs Few Discuss Read More »
It may be better to give than to receive, but that doesn’t make picking out holiday presents for your family and friends any easier. Even with all the festive cheer that the season brings, it can be stressful to shop for the perfect gift for everyone on your list if you’re worried the folks you
Don’t Waste Your Money on Bad Gifts. Try This Instead. Read More »
For years, I’ve warned that Florida’s legal climate was out of control — driven not by consumers or local businesses, but by a handful of billboard trial lawyers who made fortunes exploiting loopholes in our laws. Their tactics fueled one of America’s most expensive auto insurance markets (just as they’ve created America’s most expensive market
Florida Reforms Are Paying Off for Drivers. Don’t Mess it up With Repeal of PIP Read More »
Key Takeaways The average first-time homebuyer is now 40 years old, up from 38 in 2024 and 35 in 2023. The median sales price of houses sold in the U.S. in October 2025 was $440,387, according to Redfin. In many metro areas in the U.S., the average age of all homebuyers is around 40 years
So You Just Turned 35 and Don’t Own a Home? See How That Compares to Other US Adults Read More »
Question: I’m 57 with a great remote job, but after five years of working from home, my company wants me in the office full-time. I don’t have the energy for a daily commute. Help! Answer: In early 2020, many companies implemented remote work policies in response to the pandemic. And a good number of employees
The Hamptons. Few places in the country — or for that matter, the world — carry the cachet of those two indelible words. To be in the Hamptons during the “season” (i.e., the summer) is to inhabit the same Long Island strip of coastal land as the boldest of the boldfaced names: celebrities, famed athletes,