Andy | Saving to Invest

Where Is My New Jersey Tax Refund? 2026 Status, Processing Times, and Key State Deductions

New Jersey's 2025 tax year returns are due April 15, 2026, the same day as the federal filing deadline. If you're waiting on a refund or want to understand what's changed for this filing season, here's the current picture. Checking Your NJ Refund Status Use the New Jersey Division of…

California (CA) State Tax Refund Status and Key Tax Considerations

If you're a California resident or tax filer, here's what's worth knowing about the state's refund process and a few key state-specific tax considerations for 2026. Subscribe here to get notified of updates on California and federal tax changes. The Middle Class Tax Refund (MCTR) Program Has Ended The one-time…

Student Debt in 2026: The SAVE Plan Is Gone — Here’s What Replaced It

Student loan repayment has changed significantly since the pandemic-era pause and the SAVE plan experiment. If you've been coasting on old information, here's what's actually true heading into the second half of 2026. The SAVE Plan Is Gone The SAVE (Saving on a Valuable Education) Plan, introduced as an income-driven…

2023 FHFA Conforming Loan Limits For Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Mortgages Exceed $1 Million in Some Areas

The maximum conforming loan limits for mortgages acquired by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac has significantly from last year, per Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) guidelines as shown in the table below. The conforming loan limits (CLL) are established under the terms of the Housing and Economic Recovery Act (HERA), and are…

2026 Crypto Tax Updates: IRS Form 1099-DA Is Here — What Every Investor Needs to Know

The IRS's new Form 1099-DA hit mailboxes in early 2026 — the first time crypto investors have received a standardized tax form from their exchanges similar to what stock traders get from their brokers. If you trade on Coinbase, Kraken, Robinhood, Gemini, or any other major centralized platform, you should…

Home Insurance Costs in 2026: Why Rate Hikes Are Finally Slowing — and How to Actually Lower Yours

Homeowners insurance now averages somewhere between $2,400 and $2,900 a year nationally, depending on which tracker you use and how much dwelling coverage you're pricing. That's still going up in 2026, but the increase is projected at roughly 4% — a real slowdown from the 12% jump most homeowners absorbed…

401k, IRA and Roth IRA Contribution Limit Increases

The IRS has released the latest 401(k), IRA and Roth individual contribution limits including income qualification and phase-out thresholds. See the tables below for limits and changes over the last few years. 401(k) Limits IRA Limits Tax deductible IRA contributions are based on qualifying income ranges and spousal participation in…

Understanding Increased Standard Deduction Updates and Impact on Your Paycheck and Tax Refund in 2026 and 2027

Per the federal tax code, the IRS is required to adjust dozens of tax-related items for inflation on an annual basis. Given the persistently high levels of inflation reflected in recent

7 Considerations for the 2022 Tax Year – Individual and Small Business Tax Breaks, Credits & Deductions When Filing in 2023

The 2022 tax year will be quite different from 2021 given the number of expiring provisions, which will see reduced refunds for many Americans in 2023. This article will cover some of the main tax changes, so you don’t miss out on any of the major tax credits or deductions…

2022-2023 Social Security and SSI Raise via Record COLA Increase

The SSA released the final figure for the 2022 COLA increase which affects nearly 70 million Americans collecting social security and SSI benefits. The 2022 raise was 5.9%, which translates to an extra $92 in retirees’ average monthly benefit next year. It was nearly 5 times last years increase. See…

2026–2027 Updates: “Your Tax Return Is Still Being Processed” — What It Means and What to Do

Millions of people file their taxes and then wait — sometimes far longer than the IRS’s advertised 21-day guideline. The 2026 filing season made that worse. DOGE-driven staffing cuts removed roughly 7,000 IRS employees in February 2026, right in the middle of peak processing weeks. The National Taxpayer Advocate’s mid-year…

How Much Money Do You Really Need to Be Financially Independent?

Most people dream of living a comfortable life without worrying about money. Though many people see this as lofty dreaming about yachts and summer homes, more and more people are turning these ideas into an achievable reality and gaining financial independence at a staggering rate. Financial independence means that you’re…

When Will We Hit the Debt Ceiling Again? My 2026–2027 Timeline After the $41.1 Trillion Increase

The debt ceiling currently sits at $41.1 trillion, and as of mid-July 2026 we've already borrowed $39.4 trillion of it. That leaves roughly $1.7 trillion of headroom — and at the pace Washington has been adding debt lately, that room runs out faster than most people expect. I wrote the…

Should You Sell or Hold Your Crypto? A Decision Framework That Doesn’t Depend on the Price

Bitcoin has traded above $99,000 for stretches of 2026 and also seen six-day runs of over $1 billion in spot ETF outflows in the same year. By the time you read this, both of those facts could be stale. That's exactly the problem with most "should I sell my crypto"…