Taxes
What Is NIIT? The 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax Explained
The net investment income tax adds 3.8% to investment income once MAGI tops $200,000 or $250,000. See who pays it, how it’s figured, and how to cut it.
Articles by Kathleen Coxwell
Retirement Planning
Best Places to Retire in 2027 and How to Choose Yours
U.S. News ranks Midland, Mich., No. 1 for 2027. See where the major lists agree, where retirees are moving, and how to test a move in your plan.
Estate Planning
Estate Planning Checklist for Retirees: 10 Documents
A step-by-step estate planning checklist: the documents you need, how beneficiary designations and probate work, and when to update your plan.
Retirement Savings and Investments
Asset Allocation by Age: The Right Mix at Every Stage
The best asset allocation strategy for you today? As you age? Is age the best way to determine investment strategy? Get answers.
Medicare and Health Insurance
Medicare Open Enrollment 2026: 14 Tips for Choosing 2027 Coverage
Medicare Open Enrollment runs Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, 2026. See what changes for 2027, from the $2,400 Part D cap to Part B premiums, and 14 tips to compare plans.
Social Security
Social Security and Working: 2026 and 2027 Earnings Limits
You can work and collect Social Security. See the 2026 and 2027 earnings limits, how withheld benefits come back, and the payroll tax you still pay.
Social Security
Social Security COLA 2027 Is 3.6%: What It Means for Your Check
Social Security’s 2027 COLA is 3.6%, adding about $75 to the average retiree’s check in January. See the new earnings limits, SSI, and Medicare numbers.
Budgeting & Spending
Retirement Budget: How to Estimate Your Retirement Expenses
Build a retirement budget from what you spend today. See how to estimate retirement expenses by category and phase, using the latest BLS spending data.
Your Career
One More Year Syndrome: What Working Another Year Buys You
Working one more year can add savings, raise your Social Security check, and shorten the years your portfolio has to cover. Here’s how to weigh it.
Retirement Planning
How to Plan for Retirement: An 8-Step Guide
How to plan for retirement in eight steps, from counting your savings to testing and reviewing your plan. See where you stand.
Retirement Planning
13 Retirement Mistakes to Avoid: How to Fix Each One
Claiming Social Security at 62 cuts your benefit by 30% for life. See the 13 most common retirement mistakes to avoid and how to fix each one.
Retirement Planning
Average Net Worth by Age: Median, Top 10% and Top 5%
The median U.S. household net worth is $215,900, and the average is $1.24 million. See net worth by age, from the 25th percentile to the top 5%.
Financial Wellness
What Is Considered Wealthy? How Wealth Is Defined in the U.S.
The median U.S. household net worth is $215,900, but Americans say it takes $2.3 million to feel wealthy. Here’s how wealth is defined, by the numbers.
Housing and Home Equity
How to Use Home Equity in Retirement: 6 Ways to Tap It
Homeowners 62+ hold a record $15.34 trillion in home equity. See 6 ways to use home equity in retirement, what each costs, and when it makes sense.
Retirement Savings and Investments
Top 10% Wealthiest Retirees Have $3.9M: Net Worth by Age
The top 10% wealthiest retirees have about $3.9M in net worth, per Boldin’s analysis of 2025 Fed data. See the top 5% and 1% by age, and where you stand.
Retirement Savings and Investments
How Much Does the Average American Have in Savings? $8,200
The median family keeps $8,200 in bank accounts and $44,200 in total financial assets. See savings by age, for the middle class, and home equity.
Financial Wellness
What Is Middle Class Income? Range and Definition
Middle class income runs about $58,000 to $175,000 in the U.S. See what salary counts as middle class where you live, and what income misses.
Estate Planning
Average Inheritance in the U.S. Is About $125,000. Most Get Less.
About 1 in 4 U.S. families has received an inheritance. See the median, what comes from parents, trusts, wealth tiers, and what it means for your plan.
Retirement Planning
How to Transition to Retirement: A 5-Year Timeline
A transition to retirement works best over about five years. Here’s what to decide when, from your budget and Social Security to Medicare and rollovers.
Happy Retirement
Retirement Gift Ideas: Thoughtful, Funny, and Personal Picks
Retirement gift ideas for coworkers, parents, and friends: thoughtful, funny, and useful picks, plus how to build a retirement survival kit.
Retirement Planning
How Much Do I Need to Retire Early? Ages 40 to 60
Retiring early takes more than a bigger nest egg. See how much you need at 40, 45, 50, 55, and 60, and how much has to be reachable before 59½.
Financial Wellness
25 Personal Finance Rules (Start With Just 3)
Ask any financial planner and the same three personal finance rules come up first. See them, then explore 22 more for building real wealth.
Retirement Jobs
Encore Career: How to Start a Second Career in Retirement
Nearly 1 in 5 Americans 65 and older still work. See five encore career paths and what new income does to your Social Security and taxes.
Pensions
Retirement Calculator With Pension and Social Security
A retirement calculator with pension inputs needs your benefit, start age, COLA, survivor option, and tax treatment. See the math and what to enter.
