News & Articles
Dollars and Sense: A Blueprint for Prioritizing Bills
If it feels like there’s never quite enough to cover everything, you’re not alone. A quarter of American households are living paycheck to paycheck, according to Bank of America—making it harder than ever to stay on top of monthly bills. With inflation stretching budgets thin, many people are facing impossible choices about which expenses to cover now and which must wait. While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, these key strategies can [...]
Filing Final Tax Returns for the Deceased
When a family member passes away, there are many decisions that need to be made and many emotions to handle. The last thing anyone thinks about is taxes. Unfortunately, even the deceased can’t escape taxation. If the departed family member earned taxable income during the year in which they died, then federal taxes may be owed. An executor or a survivor must, therefore, file a final federal income tax [...]
Social Security Fairness Act’s New Chapter
The Social Security Fairness Act, signed into law in December 2024, adjusts two longstanding provisions that previously reduced Social Security benefits for certain recipients: the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). These rules affected Social Security benefits for retirees who receive pension income from non-covered employment.¹ Who Qualifies for Increased Benefits? This legislation is projected to result in an average monthly increase of $360 for [...]