Andy | Saving to Invest

2027 Medicare IRMAA Brackets: Will You Pay More for Part B and Part D?

If your income crosses one of six specific lines, Medicare charges you more — sometimes a lot more — for the exact same Part B and Part D coverage everyone else gets. That surcharge is called IRMAA, and I get more confused emails about it than almost any other Medicare…

Parent PLUS Loans Got Capped at $20,000 a Year — Here’s What Changed and What to Do Instead

Parent PLUS loans changed in a big way on July 1, 2026: parents can now borrow only $20,000 a year and $65,000 total per student, down from an effectively uncapped amount tied to the school's full cost of attendance. Grad PLUS loans disappeared entirely for anyone starting a new graduate…

The Social Security Fake Call Transfer Scam – How It Works and How to Shut It Down

If a caller says they're "transferring" you to Social Security, you're already talking to a scammer. No retailer, tech support line or other agency can route a call into SSA's phone system. SSA recently warned about this "fake call transfer" script, and it's one piece of a wider wave of…

Social Security’s Compassionate Allowances List Just Grew to 314 Conditions — Does Yours Qualify for Fast-Track Approval?

Social Security's Compassionate Allowances list grew to 314 conditions in August 2026, up from 300, after SSA added 14 diagnoses that qualify for near-automatic, fast-tracked disability approval. For someone with one of these conditions, the difference can be a decision in weeks instead of the months, sometimes years, a standard…

Medicare Open Enrollment 2027: Dates and When Plans Come Out

Medicare's open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs October 15 through December 7, 2026, and whatever you pick takes effect January 1, 2027. The 2027 plans themselves show up earlier: insurers can publish their premiums, drug lists and networks starting October 1, so you can shop for two weeks before you…

Continuing Disability Review: What It Actually Means If SSA Is Checking Your SSDI or SSI Again

A Continuing Disability Review (CDR) is a routine, legally required check that you still meet SSA's medical definition of disability. For most people it ends with benefits continuing unchanged. A CDR letter is not an accusation, and it doesn't mean SSA thinks you were dishonest. Here's how often reviews happen,…

The AI Data Center Boom Is Rapidly Raising Your Electric Bill: What’s Happening and What You Can Do

Utilities asked state regulators for $18.6 billion in electricity rate increases in just the first six months of 2026 — already more than half of all of 2025's record $29 billion in requests, with the year not even over. Residential electricity rates are up 7.3% nationally over the past year,…

Can Gig Workers Get Unemployment Benefits? What DoorDash, Uber, and Instacart Drivers Actually Qualify For in 2026

If you drive for DoorDash, Uber, Lyft, or Instacart and lose other income, there's a good chance a straightforward unemployment claim based on that gig work alone will get denied. That's not a glitch in the system, it's how unemployment insurance is built. Regular state unemployment programs are designed around…

Which State Taxes Actually Matter? Income, Property, Sales, and Estate Tax Compared for 2026-2027

Where you live changes what you owe in ways that have nothing to do with your federal return. Nine states charge no personal income tax at all in 2026, but the same nine states often make up the difference through property tax, sales tax, or both. There's no single "best"…

Property Tax Rebates by State in 2026 and 2027: What PA, NJ, TX, NY, GA, and FL Homeowners Can Actually Get

If you're waiting on a property tax break in 2026, the size and shape of it depends entirely on your state — there's no federal program here. Six states have made real news this year: Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Texas, New York, Georgia, and Florida, and each one works completely differently.…

SSDI Wait Times in 2026: Faster Decisions, But a Growing Hearing Backlog Expected in 2027

An initial SSDI decision averaged 186 days in July 2026, down from 220 a year earlier. But if your case reaches an administrative law judge, about 362,000 other people are in the same queue. Here's what SSA's own numbers show at each stage, using the most recent data SSA has…

VA Disability Rates 2027: Pay Chart by Rating After the 3.6% COLA

VA disability compensation rises 3.6% for 2027, matching the Social Security COLA that SSA announced on October 14, 2026. A veteran rated 100% with no dependents goes from $3,938.58 to about $4,080.37 a month, roughly $142 more. The new rates take effect December 1, 2026. Because VA pays a month…

Used Car Inspection Checklist: How to Avoid Buying a Lemon

A $150-$200 pre-purchase inspection is the cheapest insurance you'll ever buy on a used car. Skip it, and the average undisclosed problem - a bad transmission, hidden frame damage, a flood-damaged interior - runs $500 to $3,500 to fix after the sale is final and the seller is long gone.…

Medicare Advantage Plan Exits for 2027: What 3.8 Million Enrollees Should Do Before Dec 7

At least 3.8 million Medicare Advantage enrollees will have to shop for new coverage for 2027, according to a Modern Healthcare review of CMS data published October 1. That's well above the roughly 2.6 million people who lost their plan for 2026, which makes this the largest forced switch in…