Articles by

Andy

Andy has run Saving to Invest since 2008, covering personal finance topics around tax credits & refunds, retirement accounts, and government payments/benefits. Every figure and deadline here is sourced from primary data -- the IRS, SSA, USDA, and Department of Labor -- and re-verified before each update. Questions or corrections are always welcome.

My Tipping Philosophy for 2026: What to Tip After the Post-COVID Tipping Surge

Are you a generous tipper or do you give the bare minimum? Do you tip extra for great service, or nothing at all for bad service? Do you tip the same for a to-go order as you would for a table you sat at for two hours? I first wrote…

Portfolio Diversification in 2026 — How Much Is Actually Enough?

Diversification won't stop you from losing money, and it won't guarantee a profit either. What it does is limit how much damage any single stock, sector, or asset class can do to your overall portfolio when things go wrong — and something always eventually goes wrong somewhere. Here's how to…

Seven Ways to Avoid Banks Taking Your Money in Fees and Charges

We have all read about and surely experienced the ever increasing fees and charges that banks and other financial institutions charge us. Bank fees add up to billions of dollars in revenue for banks every year, and late fees, over-the-limit charges and overdraft fees make up a large share of…

401(k) Basics — How Your Plan Works, 2026 Limits, and Getting Every Dollar of the Match

The 401(k) is the workhorse of American retirement saving — and for 2026, you can contribute up to $24,500 of your own pay, more if you're 50 or older. Yet the number that matters most for most people isn't the maximum. It's whatever percentage unlocks your full employer match, because…