Guide
Retirement Savings 2026: Build a Plan That Actually Lasts
A complete guide to retirement savings 2026 covering how much to save, which accounts to use, catch-up strategies for late starters, and tax-smart withdrawals.
14 min read
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Guide
Insurers Asked for a 14% ACA Price Hike for 2027. Regulators Already Changed the Number, Both Ways.
Insurers filed for a median 14% price increase on 2027 Affordable Care Act plans. The state regulators who set the final price cut that ask in some states and pushed it above what insurers even requested in others, producing a finalized range from 2.2% to 24.4% so far.
9 min read
Guide
Medicare Advantage Premiums Are Falling to $12 a Month for 2027. Most Enrollees Will Never See It.
CMS projects the average Medicare Advantage premium will fall to $12 a month for 2027, a 16.5% drop, as open enrollment opens October 15. Insurers are cutting dental allowances, premium givebacks, and networks the same year, and most people never compare plans to find out.
8 min read
Guide
Median Family Wealth Rose to $215,900. One in Five Families Still Fell Behind on Payments.
The Fed's 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances shows families richer on paper and more often late on bills, because most of that wealth cannot pay this month's repair bill.
7 min read
Go deeper with a guidebook
A clear path through a bigger decision.
Guidebook · 19 published chapters
The Liquidity Guidebook
Where to keep your cash so it is safe and earns more: how much to hold, how CD ladders work, what FDIC insurance covers, and when Treasuries beat a bank.
Start guidebook →Guidebook · 8 published chapters
The Switching Guidebook
Should you move your savings to a higher-rate bank? How much you would gain, how long a top rate lasts, whether banks follow the Fed, and how to switch safely.
Start guidebook →Guidebook · 8 published chapters
The Coverage Guidebook
How much of your bank money is insured? How joint, trust and business accounts are counted, which bank sits behind your app, and what a bank failure pays.
Start guidebook →Guidebook · 8 published chapters
The Bonuses Guidebook
Is a bank account signup bonus worth it? A plain guide to what you really earn, how it compares with savings, the tax bill, who qualifies and how to keep it.
Start guidebook →Guidebook · 12 published chapters
The Trump Accounts Guidebook
A plain guide to Trump accounts for children: how to claim the $1,000, who can add money, what it is invested in, how it is taxed, and what happens at 18.
Start guidebook →Guidebook · 10 published chapters
Where to Park It
Where to keep your cash while rates are high: what each account is, why rates differ, how tax and the Fed change the answer, and how much to hold at each age.
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Guide
The Average Forgiven Student Loan Is $49,697. In 2026 the Tax Bill on It Can Top $10,000.
Student debt cancelled under an income-driven repayment plan counts as taxable income again starting with the 2026 tax year. On the average cancelled balance, a single borrower earning $60,000 owes the IRS $10,583 more. A family can lose its tax credits on top of that.
9 min read
Guide
Insurers Asked for a 14% ACA Price Hike for 2027. Regulators Already Changed the Number, Both Ways.
Insurers filed for a median 14% price increase on 2027 Affordable Care Act plans. The state regulators who set the final price cut that ask in some states and pushed it above what insurers even requested in others, producing a finalized range from 2.2% to 24.4% so far.
9 min read
Guide
Private Mortgages 2026: How They Work, What They Cost, and Who Should Use One
A private mortgage is a home or property loan from an investor, fund or seller instead of a bank. See what it costs, how it is repaid, the risks, and when a bank loan is the better choice.
12 min read
Guide
Is X Premium+ Worth Buying for the Savings Rate?
X Premium Plus savings break even: see whether extra interest covers a new subscription or upgrade, including taxes, holding time, and deposit eligibility.
4 min read
Guide
Medicare Advantage Premiums Are Falling to $12 a Month for 2027. Most Enrollees Will Never See It.
CMS projects the average Medicare Advantage premium will fall to $12 a month for 2027, a 16.5% drop, as open enrollment opens October 15. Insurers are cutting dental allowances, premium givebacks, and networks the same year, and most people never compare plans to find out.
8 min read
Guide
X Money vs. Marcus and Ally: What $10,000 Really Earns
X Money vs Marcus vs Ally: compare interest on $10,000 and larger balances, subtract Premium+ costs, and weigh withdrawal access before choosing where to save.
4 min read
Guide
Mortgage Rates Just Hit 7.40%, the Highest Since Late 2023. Markets Think the Fed Is Done Hiking.
Freddie Mac put the 30-year mortgage rate at 7.40% on October 8, 2026, even as the odds of a Fed hike this month fell to about one in four. It's happened before, twice, and the reason is the bond market, not the Fed.
7 min read
Guide
The $1,000 Is Not Automatic: How to Claim It on Form 4547
The $1,000 federal deposit needs a request. See who can file Form 4547, how to file it, what the IRS requires, and what waiting costs in dollars.
6 min read
Guide
Your State May Tax What Washington Does Not
Federal rules for Trump accounts do not decide state income tax. See what a state could treat differently, with made-up dollar examples, and what to ask.
6 min read
Guide
Your Boss Can Fund Your Kid's Account, Up to $2,500 a Year
An employer can add up to $2,500 a year to a child's Trump account. The limit is per employee, not per child. See what it counts against and what the rules still leave open.
6 min read
Guide
The Fed Raised Rates Again. What It Means for Your Cash
What the Fed did on September 16, 2026, what its minutes say about the next move, and what a quarter-point hike means for your savings and your debt.
6 min read
Guide
The Four Fine-Print Checks Before You Open a Savings Account
A top savings rate may have a cap, a monthly deposit rule or an end date. Four checks show what you would earn on your balance before you open the account.
7 min read