Taxing Social Security Benefits: Clearing the Confusion When the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) was passed in the summer of 2025, there was some confusion in messaging from the Social Security Administration about taxation of benefits.1–2 Here is an overview that may help clarify any questions you have about the
How do you feel about the state of the economy? In more contemporary terms, what are your “vibes” telling you? Are you feeling confident and comfortable? Or are you feeling a nagging worry that things aren’t going well? If you’re experiencing a disconnect between official economic data and your personal
After months of simmering inflation reports, it looks like inflation finally eased slightly in April.1 Are prices stabilizing? Can we breathe a sigh of relief? Let’s dig a little deeper. What’s inside the latest inflation report? Economists typically look at two major inflation gauges: the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and
Is a zombie recession coming? (By that, we mean that renewed fears of a “hard landing” recession have emerged from the grave and are walking among us.)1 Many analysts were convinced that the U.S. economy could achieve a coveted “soft landing,” but they might be overly optimistic. Want to skip
As we kick off 2024, the latest data is raising some concerns about inflation. Let’s dive into some data and take a look. Inflation is still one of the biggest risk factors we’re watching this year. Here’s why. While inflation is still well below its 2022 peak, the data
High rates convincing you to stay put as long as possible? With mortgage rates pushing above 7%, you might think a reasonable mortgage is out of reach. I’ve got some not-so-great news for you. Current rates aren’t actually that high, historically speaking. They just look high because we’ve gotten used
Quick question: What do you usually find yourself reading? News summaries, headlines, and quick bits to keep yourself updated? Or longer reads like books and articles? We’re ever more inundated with information that’s eager to capture our attention. We click because we want to stay up to speed and avoid
What if you could blink and suddenly be living the retirement of your dreams? What would that look like? Would you be relaxing by glittering waters on a warm, white sandy beach? Would you be on a new adventure in the great outdoors? Or maybe you’d be enjoying more time
What would make your life better? A new house or car? A bigger paycheck or bank account? It’s easy to want more when you think of being happier and living better.1 And there’s little doubt that money can buy some (more) happiness.2 But the happiness we get from money is
Do you think you’re telling yourself the truth about money? We may think we know the facts about our finances. But our beliefs can often overshadow the facts. Our wishes, hopes, and fears can tip the scales away from the truth. This makes it easier for us to believe what