Category: Taxes and Retirement

Delaware's unemployment insurance program — managed by the Delaware Department of Labor — provides up to $450 per week in 2026 for up to 26 weeks. The cap is moderate for a Mid-Atlantic state, and Delaware's partial UI earnings disregard is one of the lowest in the country at just…

Connecticut's unemployment insurance program — managed by the Connecticut Department of Labor (CTDOL) — has one of the higher benefit maximums in the Northeast at $721 per week for 2026. The state also provides a dependents allowance, which adds meaningful dollars for families. Compare Connecticut to all other states at…

Alaska’s unemployment insurance program — managed by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOLWD) — provides up to $370 per week in 2026. Given that Alaska consistently ranks among the most expensive states to live in, the $370 cap provides more limited income replacement than the dollar amount might…

By mid-2026, the AI story on Wall Street has shifted. It's no longer just about which company has the smartest chatbot — it's about who's pouring concrete, stringing transformers, and laying fiber to keep the whole thing running. Big Tech is now projected to spend somewhere between $500 billion and…

Right now, the stock market is booming despite all the geopolitical risk, inflation, and other headwinds. In particular, a lot of AI-related stocks are booming thanks to the massive amounts of money being spent by the largest companies in the world. The current investing climate is definitely not one for…

Here’s a question that comes up at a lot of family dinners: “So… when are you getting your own phone plan?” If you’ve been on the giving or receiving end of that conversation, you’re not alone. A surprisingly large share of American adults — well into their 20s and beyond…

Does it feel like you missed the recent crypto surge or AI tech stock rally? This feeling is the Fear Of Missing Out, or FOMO. It drives many investors to buy at the peak and sell in a panic. This is a story that keeps repeating through history during any…

Nationally, upper middle class means a family of three earning roughly $133,000 to $400,000 — but the honest answer depends heavily on your state. In Mississippi (MS) you can hit the tier at around $89,000, while in Massachusetts (MA) the bar starts near $181,000. The full state-by-state table is below.…

You know the drill: you open a browser tab to check flights, then another for hotels, then one more for rental cars, and suddenly you have 18 tabs open and no idea which deal is actually the best one. Two hours later, you book something — probably not at the…

Here are the latest maximum and minimum unemployment payments for each state, including the minimum wage base earnings to qualify for these benefits. With a worsening economy and ongoing job losses, it its important to keep these unemployment benefits in mind. Always apply for benefits via your state's official website…

Sarah Martinez, a restaurant server in Phoenix, couldn't believe her eyes when she checked her refund status in February. Instead of the usual $2,800, she was getting back $4,200. "I thought there was a mistake," she told me. "But then my tax preparer explained the new tip deduction. That extra…

The 2026 tax filing season is proving to be historic for the average taxpayer. Early data from the Treasury Department shows that the average refund has climbed to over $3,700. This represents a nearly 11% increase compared to the same period just one year ago. For many households, this extra…

Inheriting an IRA can be a mixed blessing - on the one hand, it's a windfall, but on the other, it comes with a complex set of rules that can cost you thousands if you're not careful. Whether you've inherited a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA, navigating the IRS…