Andy | Saving to Invest

Maximum State Disability and Paid Leave Benefits by State in 2026

Only five states run a true State Disability Insurance (SDI) program: California (CA), Hawaii (HI), New Jersey (NJ), New York (NY), and Rhode Island (RI). If you get sick or injured and can't work — for reasons unrelated to your job — these are the only states with a mandatory,…

2026-2027 401(k), 403(b), and TSP Contribution Limits — Employee, Employer, and Catch-Up Amounts

The IRS has released its latest individual employee contribution annual limits for those participating in employer sponsored retirement programs covering 401(k), 403(b), 457 and Government Thrift Savings (TSP) plans. Changes are shown in the table below. The contribution limits are indexed to inflation and as a result are adjusted annually…

2026 Federal IRS Tax Brackets, Tax Rates, and Standard Deduction — With 2027 Projections

The 2026 federal income tax brackets are confirmed, and with inflation running around 3.5–4% in early 2026, I'm already watching what 2027 is likely to bring. The IRS typically announces next year's figures in October or November, so this page will get another update then. Short version for 2026: same…

2026-2027 IRS Tax Refund Schedule And Direct Deposit Payment Calendar

Tax return processing and refund payments continue to be bumpy this year given IRS budget cuts and introduction of several tax changes under Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB). The IRS started the 2026 season roughly 2 million returns behind on backlog, and a February 2026 Treasury Inspector General report…

5 Places to Get Free Tax Advice, Guidance, and Help

If you don't want to pay a preparer or a software subscription fee, there are several genuinely free ways to get your taxes done or get expert help along the way. Here's where to look, and who actually qualifies for each option. Subscribe here to get the latest tax and…

When Can I File and Check My State Tax Refund? 2026 State-by-State Status Tracker Links

Most of the refund attention every season goes to the federal IRS refund, but over 40 states also collect income tax — and every one runs its own processing schedule, its own refund tracker, and its own delays. State refunds routinely take 2 to 12 weeks, often landing after your…

2026–2027 Maximum Weekly Unemployment Insurance Benefits and Weeks By State – Latest Updates and News

Listed in the table below are the latest maximum weekly unemployment insurance benefit amounts by state, current as of July 2026. The Unemployment Compensation (UC) program is designed to provide benefits to individuals out of work or in between jobs, through no fault of their own. Note that the table…

2026-2027 Saver’s Tax Credit Income Limits and How to Claim It

The Saver's Credit gives lower- and moderate-income workers a direct tax credit — not just a deduction — for contributing to a retirement account. For 2026, the income limits increased across all filing statuses, so more people now qualify than in prior years. The IRS confirmed these thresholds in Notice…

529 Plan Rules for 2026: Contribution Limits, State Tax Deductions, and the New Roth IRA Rollover

Anyone can put up to $19,000 a year into a 529 plan for a single child without touching the federal gift tax exclusion — $38,000 for a married couple. Want to front-load it? You can "superfund" up to $95,000 in one year ($190,000 joint) by treating it as five years…

2026 Average IRS and State Tax Refund — $3,676 Nationally, All 50 States, and Processing Times

The average federal tax refund as of March 6, 2026 was $3,676 — up 10.6% from $3,324 at the same point in 2025. By early April the average settled to $3,462, still up 11.1% year-over-year. The IRS has paid out $241.7 billion in refunds through early April, compared to $211.1…

Monthly Budget Comparison – Big City vs. Small Town

One of the biggest financial decisions many people face isn't about a specific purchase — it's about where to live. The gap between big-city and small-town costs of living can be enormous, and it's worth breaking down where that gap actually comes from before assuming one option is automatically "better."…

Pension Payout Choice in 2026 — Monthly Annuity or Lump Sum Rollover to an IRA?

If you're lucky enough to have a traditional pension — and fewer than one in five private-sector workers are these days — you'll eventually face one of the bigger money decisions of your life: take it as a monthly annuity for as long as you live, or take a lump…

Latest IRS Tax Brackets and Rates With Standard Deduction and Personal Exemption Updates

See this article for the latest IRS updates to federal tax brackets and standard deductions. ____________ Below are the 2014 IRS federal tax brackets based on annual inflation adjustments. Given the low inflation environment there were only moderate increases in tax brackets, standard deductions and to the personal exemption. The main changes…

SSI Maximum Payment Amounts for 2026, Plus the 2027 Outlook

The maximum federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payment for 2026 is $994 a month for an individual and $1,491 a month for a couple, confirmed by the Social Security Administration's 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). That's up from $967 and $1,450 in 2025. Most people don't actually get the maximum. Your…