Taxes and Retirement | Saving to Invest

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…

Are You Owed a Tax Refund Interest Payment? 2026 IRS Rate and Rules

You've probably heard the old line that getting a tax refund just means you gave the IRS an interest-free loan for the year. There's a wrinkle to that, though: if your refund is delayed, the IRS actually owes you interest. By law, the IRS must pay interest on a refund…

2026-2027 Stimulus Check Updates: No New Federal Payment — State Programs and What’s Being Proposed

No new federal stimulus check has been authorized for 2026. The last round of federal Economic Impact Payments went out in 2021, and a fourth check would require Congress to pass new legislation — which has not happened. That said, there are real payments going out to Americans in 2026,…

2026-2027 Updates: Is There a 4th Stimulus Check? IRS Payment Status and What’s Actually Available

There is no 4th stimulus check. The three federal Economic Impact Payments issued during 2020 and 2021 are complete — the IRS has finished distributing all payments under those programs, including a final auto-payment push in late 2024 for people who missed the 2021 credit. If you’re reading this because…

SNAP Benefits 2026: EBT Amounts, New Work Rules, and All 50 State Guides

The maximum SNAP (Food Stamps) benefit for a family of four in fiscal year 2026 is $994 per month — up from $975 last year. If you're a single adult, the max is $298/month. But 2026 is a more complicated year for SNAP than most. The One Big Beautiful Bill…

Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs): 2026 Age Rules, Deadlines, and Penalties

If you turn 73 or 75 this year (depending on when you were born), the IRS wants you to start pulling money out of your traditional retirement accounts — whether you need it or not. Skip it, and the penalty is steep: 25% of whatever you should have withdrawn. This…

No Tax Refund or Status After 21 days? Tips On Contacting the IRS For Payment and Processing Updates

As the IRS notes, 9 out of 10 filers get their refund within 21 days of an accepted e-filed return. But that also means roughly 1 in 10 filers — over 15 million people in a typical season — wait longer than that. If you're past 21 days (or 6…

The Personal Exemption Is Gone for Good — What Replaced It on Your 2026 Tax Return

Quick answer for anyone searching: the personal exemption is permanently gone. The $4,050-per-person deduction last existed on 2017 returns, was suspended by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) from 2018 through 2025, and Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) made the elimination permanent in 2025. It's not coming…

2026-2027 Roth IRA Contribution and Income Limits — Plus Catch-Up and Conversion Rules

The Roth IRA contribution limit for 2026 is $7,500 — up from $7,000 in 2025. If you're 50 or older, you can add a $1,100 catch-up contribution (now indexed for inflation under SECURE 2.0), bringing your total to $8,600. The income phase-out ranges have also shifted up slightly for 2026.…

Does Your IRS Tax Transcript Show Your Refund and Direct Deposit Date? What N/A Really Means

Reviewing your free IRS tax transcript is a technique a lot of filers use to get an update on their return processing and refund status, particularly when Where's My Refund (WMR) or the IRS2Go app isn't showing much beyond "still processing." While the IRS's official line is that a tax…

Can a Taxpayer Advocate Help Get My Delayed Refund Released? 2026 Update

The Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) is an independent organization within the IRS that helps filers with tax problems they can't resolve through normal channels, or who've exhausted standard IRS contact options without a real answer. Every state has at least one local TAS office, independent of the regular IRS office.…

What to Expect This Tax Season — Answers to the 7 Questions I Get Asked Most

Every year I get the same handful of questions from readers gearing up for the next filing season: when can I file, how do I file for free, how much will I get back, and why does the IRS take so long to pay it. This year's answers lean forward…

Why is My Tax Refund So Low Compared to Last Year?

If your refund feels smaller than you expected, you're not imagining it being out of step with the news — average refunds are actually up this filing season, which can make an unchanged or lower refund of your own feel especially confusing. Nationally, the average federal refund reached $3,397 as…

Using Your Credit or Debit Card to Pay Taxes in 2026 — Costs, Convenience, and Other Factors to Consider

If you owe the IRS or your state after filing, paying by card costs you a convenience fee of roughly 1.75% to 2.89%, depending on the processor and card type. That's the number that should drive this decision, not the rewards points. Cash flow gets tight for a lot of…

Category: Taxes and Retirement