If you inherited an individual retirement account, there is a key change for 2025 that — without action on your part before year-end — could trigger an IRS penalty of up to 25%. Starting in 2025, certain non-spouse heirs, including adult children, must start taking required minimum distributions, or RMDs, while emptying their inherited IRA…
Jasondoiy | E+ | Getty Images The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment will be 2.8% in 2026, the Social Security Administration said on Friday. Social Security retirement benefits will increase by about $56 per month on average starting in January, according to the agency. The COLA provides an annual adjustment to both Social Security and Supplemental…
Prasit Photo | Moment | Getty Images Demand for exchange-traded funds is soaring as investors shift to lower-cost, tax-friendly options that are easier to buy and sell. But many people don’t know what they are purchasing, and mistakes could hurt their returns, financial experts say. The ETF market has surpassed $11 trillion, near a…
D3sign | Moment | Getty Images The IRS has unveiled the capital gains tax brackets for 2026, with higher earnings limits for the 0% rate. That could offer tax planning opportunities for many investors, financial experts say. The bigger limit is “pretty incredible, especially in years like this where the market’s been roaring,” said Tommy…
Pra-chid | Istock | Getty Images The IRS has announced new federal income tax brackets and standard deductions for 2026. In its announcement Thursday, the agency raised the income thresholds for each bracket, which apply to tax year 2026 for returns filed in 2027. The IRS also boosted figures for other provisions, including long-term capital gains…
Commuters cross the street near the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) headquarters on October 1, 2025 in Washington, DC. Al Drago | Getty Images News | Getty Images Government shutdowns have historically been an precarious time for federal workers, both for those required to remain on the job without pay and those furloughed. This shutdown comes…
New Year celebration concept. Front view. Close-up Anna Efetova | Moment | Getty Images President Donald Trump‘s “big beautiful bill” added trillions of dollars of tax breaks, some of which could impact your deduction for charitable giving. U.S. individual giving grew to $392.45 billion in 2024, up by about 5%, including inflation, from the previous year, according…
Strauss/curtis | The Image Bank | Getty Images Early in the fourth quarter is an ideal time to tackle some financial planning tasks that set you up for success for the rest of the year — and into 2026. “It’s absolutely a great time to do that,” said Dan Moisand, a certified financial planner and…
Trevor Williams | DigitalVision | Getty Images The S&P 500 index closed at a new all-time high on Wednesday amid a federal government shutdown. It rose to a new intraday high early Thursday. Prior to that, the index — which is focused on large-cap U.S. equities — had risen almost 90% since the equity bull…
The United States Capitol building is seen in Washington D.C., United States on October 4 , 2023. Yasin Ozturk | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images Congress has until midnight on Tuesday to pass a funding bill and avoid a shutdown of the federal government. If lawmakers can’t agree, hundreds of thousands of federal employees could…
