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Getty Images Many Americans know the benefit of retirement savings, yet few realize there’s a special incentive to set aside money for their golden years: the saver’s credit. The saver’s credit, formerly known as the retirement savings contributions credit, offers low- and moderate-income filers a write-off at tax time.    Currently, savers may claim up to

mediaphotos | E+ | Getty Images As our elected officials debate how best to address a national debt approaching $30 trillion while simultaneously increasing spending levels and addressing wealth inequality, it should not be surprising that tax policy is at the forefront of the discussion In that context, there has been an especially intense focus

Getty Images There has been a recent flood of “math error” notices from the IRS, which have been confusing for taxpayers and difficult to resolve, financial experts say.  The IRS sent roughly 9 million such alerts from Jan. 1 through July 15, up from 628,997 in the same period last year, according to Taxpayer Advocate

JGI/Jamie Grill It appears most workers have to wait years for a company’s 401(k) matching contributions to become entirely theirs. The majority (82%) of employers that offer traditional 401(k) plans say they match a portion of their workers’ account contributions, according to a report from human resources firm XpertHR. However, the research shows that just

MANDEL NGAN | AFP | Getty Images Democrats may change the rules for “mega” individual retirement accounts with more than $5 million to help fund their expansion of the country’s safety net. “Mega retirement accounts” are among roughly two dozen tax categories congressional Democrats are eyeing to help raise money for a $3.5 trillion spending

Westend61 | Westend61 | Getty Images Recent upticks in inflation have renewed interest from investors in assets that may help preserve the real (inflation-adjusted) value and purchasing power of their portfolio. The good news is that the typical investor’s portfolio will likely contain all the inflation-fighting tools that they need — such as stocks and

Sinenkiy | iStock | Getty Images The Social Security cost-of-living adjustment for 2022 could be the highest it has been in decades. The latest estimates from The Senior Citizens League, a nonpartisan senior group, point to a possible 6.2% increase for next year based on the latest Consumer Price Index data. In comparison, this year’s

VALERIE MACON | AFP | Getty Images Social Security will be able to pay full benefits for just another 12 years, according to new estimates released this week. Experts, however. say that does not mean you should dramatically change your Social Security claiming strategy. Each year, the Social Security Administration releases an annual trustees report

Zero Creatives | Image Source | Getty Images The response to Covid-19 has marked a historic expansion in the size and coverage of government support for people experiencing unemployment. As we near the end of expanded federal unemployment insurance benefits, state governors now face a choice of whether to continue them. To that point, the

Sam Edwards | Getty Images As the year winds down, retirees eager to make charitable gifts may consider a tax-friendly donation from their individual retirement account.  The strategy, known as a qualified charitable distribution, or QCD, involves a direct payment from an IRA to an eligible charity. Retirees who are age 70½ and older may

jayk7 | Moment | Getty Images In the long run, inflation is an investor’s biggest threat. Inflation erodes the purchasing power of money. Even modest inflation at 3% annually halves the value of money in 24 years. So outpacing inflation is the primary goal for long-term investors. Beating inflation was not a problem over the

Charlie Watts of the Rolling Stones on stage during the band’s 1997-98 Bridges to Babylon tour. Paul Natkin | Archive Photos | Getty Images One of the greatest rock ‘n roll bands in the world recently lost their beat. Charlie Watts, who died on Aug. 24, had been the drummer for the Rolling Stones since

Charnchai | iStock | Getty Images If you’re among the many workers hoping to find a better position elsewhere, be sure to pay attention to the 401(k) plan account you’re leaving behind. Roughly 55% of workers say they’re going to look for a new job in the next year, according to a recent Bankrate survey.

vitapix | E+ | Getty Images Tax breaks for retirement plans, such as 401(k) plans and individual retirement accounts, may reward workers for saving more money, but these write-offs may also be widening the racial wealth gap. That’s according to a new analysis from the Tax Policy Center that is based on the Federal Reserve’s latest Survey

FatCamera Most workers over age 40 don’t have sufficient retirement savings and aren’t setting aside enough to catch up, according to a survey from the Insured Retirement Institute. Despite the nest egg shortfall, many still expect to retire early and believe they will have ample retirement income.   More than half of older Americans have less

Prostock-Studio | iStock | Getty Images If you get your health insurance through the public marketplace and are nearing age 65, don’t forget about Medicare. The general rule is that you must enroll when you reach that age unless you have qualifying coverage elsewhere — and plans through the exchanges (whether federal or state) do

Cecilie_Arcurs | E+ | Getty Images With fewer employer pensions these days, some retirees are hesitant to draw down their nest eggs. However, older Americans may spend more freely with a guaranteed source of income, such as Social Security or a private annuity. That’s according to a research paper that examines spending in retirement. The

PeopleImages | E+ | Getty Images In his poem “If,” British author Rudyard Kipling famously wrote that learning to “keep your head when all about you are losing theirs” is part of growing up. That very statement is also part of growing wealth. I wish I could go back to March 2020, when some investors

FG Trade | iStock | Getty Images Help may be on the way for workers who lose track of their 401(k) accounts as they move from job to job throughout their careers. Under a proposal included in retirement legislation that’s pending in Congress, an online “lost and found” database would be established to help locate

@Sabi32 | Twenty20 One in 3 American families couldn’t handle a mid-sized financial emergency before the pandemic, according to a report from the Stanford Center on Longevity and the Global Financial Literacy Excellence Center. Roughly 27% of American families couldn’t cover an unexpected $2,000 expense within a month, and 33% were struggling to make ends