Author: Money Mechanics

(Image credit: Getty Images)For years, high-net-worth families and their advisers have been planning around a looming deadline: The end of 2025, when a slate of favorable tax provisions from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) were set to expire.The uncertainty drove planning decisions, accelerated gifting strategies and kept estate attorneys busy.Then came July 4, 2025 — and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Most of the headlines focused on the politics. I want to focus on the math — specifically, what this roughly 870-page overhaul means for those who’ve spent decades building wealth and now need to…

(Image credit: Getty Images)I’m a retired financial adviser and retirement income professional with more than 35 years of experience helping people to accumulate retirement funds and meet their goals.One thing that constantly catches retirees out is the income-related monthly Adjusted amount (IRMAA), which can substantially increase the cost of Medicare Parts B and D or Medicare Advantage.In 2003, the Medicare program was amended to include an increase in premiums for retirees whose modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) exceeded certain thresholds. From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance Become a smarter, better informed investor. Subscribe from just $107.88 $24.99, plus…

(Image credit: Getty Images)For many retirees, the shift from “saving mode” to “spending mode” is one of the most complex transitions in financial life. Once you hit a certain age, the IRS requires you to start drawing from your tax-deferred accounts through Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs).While these mandatory withdrawals can feel like a tax burden, they also provide a unique opportunity to refine your overall strategy. By leveraging tools like Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) or using IRA funds as a “bridge” to delay claiming Social Security, you can significantly reduce your tax bill while boosting your long-term guaranteed income. This…

(Image credit: Getty Images)If you’re looking to keep a meaningful amount of money safe, perhaps to pay tuition next semester or to fund a down payment on a home, a certificate of deposit (CD) is often one of the first investment options that comes to mind.CDs are popular because they offer a risk-free way to save. Your principal is guaranteed and insured up to certain limits by agencies such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. That combination of stability and predictability makes them a go-to choice for short-term savings goals.There is one major drawback, though, and that’s the lockup period.…

(Image credit: Smith Collection/Gado / Contributor)Many older Americans are feeling deja vu as they watch energy prices rise in response to the Iran conflict. For those who lived through the 1970s and remember the spiraling inflation, soaring energy prices and increasingly unaffordable homes, today’s economy looks eerily similar.Here’s a closer look at the parallels between the economy Americans are facing today and the one older generations dealt with over 40 years ago.Unless otherwise noted, the data for this story came from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census Bureau. From just $107.88…

(Image credit: Getty Images)Question: We’re 57 years old with $7 million saved. We want to take a two-year career break and spend $800k traveling the world until we’re 59, then return to work and retire at 65. We each had a parent die in their 60s, so this period in our lives feels like it may be our best chance for such an adventure. Are we crazy?Answer: Once you’ve accumulated a certain amount of wealth, you may be inclined to start spending some of that money on lifelong goals, like travel. And it’s easy to argue that with $7 million…

Are you stuck in savings purgatory? I’ve been there. It’s easy to feel stuck and like you’re falling behind.But, in many cases, you’re not. Higher energy bills, gas prices, and the soaring costs of everyday goods have made it difficult for many to reach their savings goals. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that gasoline prices rose 21.2% while energy commodity prices rose 21.3% in March.This is why you have to find creative ways to bridge the gap between staying where you are and gaining momentum to where you want to go. I’ll show you a trick that’s helped me…

(Image credit: Getty Images)It’s not unusual for tech companies to drop certain features or types of support for aging tech. Netflix dropped support for older devices recently itself. At a certain point, the older hardware just can’t run modern software. But, typically, the old device is still functional. It just won’t be able to do some of the things that newer models can do.But the latest news from Amazon looks like it could be a bigger deal than that. In May, anyone with a Kindle built before 2013 will no longer have access to the Kindle Store, Kindle Unlimited or…

Unlock the White House Watch newsletter for freeYour guide to what Trump’s second term means for Washington, business and the worldThis article is an on-site version of our Unhedged newsletter. Premium subscribers can sign up here to get the newsletter delivered every weekday. Standard subscribers can upgrade to Premium here, or explore all FT newslettersGood morning. Yesterday, Kevin Warsh got through the Senate Banking Committee hearing on his nomination as Federal Reserve chair without causing a Treasuries market meltdown. Well done to him. However, President Donald Trump’s pledge on CNBC not to drop a criminal probe into outgoing chair Jay…

This was originally published by Inman on April 14, 2026.  I bought a house with a 7.35% rate in 2024. Refinancing the rate down to 6.2% the next year made the mortgage math easier to stomach.  When I moved from Seattle to Santa Barbara, CA 18 months ago, I knew it was a bad financial decision. But it was a good life decision.  My husband and I wanted to raise our kids in Santa Barbara. I had attended UCSB and lived there for another stint in my mid-twenties; I describe living there as a permanent vacation that’s interrupted by work;…