Updated for October 2026

Your Personal Finance Guide to Tax Refunds, Retirement Plans & Government Benefits

Updates on IRS refunds and taxes, 401(k) and IRA changes, unemployment benefits, and government programs

AI and Your Taxes in 2027: What It’s Actually Good For, and Where It Still Gets You Audited

Ask ChatGPT how much you owe the IRS and it will happily answer, with confidence, in a tone that sounds exactly as certain when it's right as when it's wrong. That gap between confidence and accuracy is the whole story of AI and taxes right now. Filing season for your…

Home and Auto Insurance Bundle Costs: Why My Cheapest Renewal Quote Wasn’t the Cheapest

My cheapest home and auto bundle for this year's renewal came in $219 a year below the competition. It also came with a $32,640 deductible for wind and hail damage. That's the whole story of bundled insurance in 2026 for me. Premiums keep creeping up, and the quote that looks…

2027 FERS COLA Is 2.6%: Why Federal Retirees Get a Point Less Than CSRS and Social Security

The 2027 COLA for FERS retirees is 2.6%. CSRS retirees and Social Security beneficiaries get the full 3.6%, which SSA announced on October 14, 2026. That one-point gap isn't a mistake. It's written into the FERS law, and it kicks in every time the COLA comes in above 3%. The…

October 2026 Roundup: 3.6% COLA, 2027 SSI Max, SNAP Deadline, Federal Pay Freeze and Military Raise

With colder weather here and the leaves turning, fall has officially arrived. Less sunshine, yes, but it’s also the time of year when the 2027 updates start rolling in for many government programs that affect millions of people. One of the biggest is the 2027 Social Security Cost of Living…

Social Security Fairness Act Back Pay: Why New Spousal Applicants Only Get 6 Months

If you never applied for a spousal or survivor benefit because the Government Pension Offset (GPO) would have cut it to zero, the Social Security Fairness Act made you eligible back to January 2024. But if you're applying for the first time now, Social Security is paying at most six…

2027 Medicare Part D Costs: The $2,400 Cap, Rising Premiums, and What’s Really Changing

Two things are true about Medicare Part D at the same time in 2027. Your maximum drug spending is capped at a new, higher number, and your premium could jump more than it has in recent years. Both are locked into regulation, not projections, and here is exactly what each…

Do You Need an Annuity, or Is Social Security Plus a HYSA Enough?

If you are eyeing retirement in the next few years, you have probably run the same math I have: will Social Security and savings actually cover the bills, or do you need something more locked-in? Annuity salespeople are leaning hard into today's higher rates to push that decision along. Before…

Medicare Savings Programs 2026: Do You Qualify for Help Paying Your Part B Premium?

If your Medicare Part B premium feels like it's eating your Social Security check, a Medicare Savings Program might erase it entirely. These are state-administered programs that pay some or all of your Medicare costs if your income is low enough — and a surprising number of eligible people have…

ABLE Accounts 2026: Eligibility Just Expanded to 6 Million More Americans

If your disability started at age 30, 35, or 44, you likely couldn't open an ABLE account before this year. As of January 1, 2026, that's changed — the eligibility cutoff moved from disability onset before age 26 to before age 46, opening this tax-advantaged savings account to an estimated…

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