Money & Finance
Money & Finance, without the hedging.
48 guides that name the statute, the deadline and the number - and say plainly where the line is.
Money & FinanceThe $11,250 Super Catch-Up for Ages 60 to 63: Rules, Roth Mandate, and Stacking Math
SECURE 2.0's super catch-up lets workers aged 60-63 put an extra $11,250 into their 401(k) in 2026, but anyone who earned over $145,000 must take it as Roth. Here is the full stacking math, including HSA catch-ups at 55+ and spouse-doubling strategies.
20 min readRead
Money & FinanceDo Your RMDs Start at 73 or 75? It Depends on Your Birth Year
Born 1951-1959, your RMDs start at 73; born 1960 or later, you wait until 75, and getting the year wrong now triggers a 25% excise tax instead of the old 50%. This guide decodes the SECURE 2.0 birth-year matrix, the April 1 first-year trap that can double one year's taxable income, the new Uniform Lifetime Table divisors, and the QCD and aggregation moves that shrink the bill.
20 min readRead
Money & FinanceDo You Have to Take Annual RMDs Under the Inherited IRA 10-Year Rule?
If the original owner died after their required beginning date, you owe annual RMDs inside the 10-year window, not just a final-year emptying, and starting in 2026 the IRS enforces a 25% penalty on what you miss. This guide sorts beneficiaries into the right rule set, runs the Roth vs traditional payout math, and maps the distribution strategies that minimize the tax hit.
20 min readRead
Money & FinanceHow Teachers and Police Claim Retroactive Social Security After the WEP/GPO Repeal
The Social Security Fairness Act repealed WEP and GPO, releasing $17 billion owed to 3.2 million teachers, police, firefighters, and federal workers, but back pay is not always automatic. This guide walks through checking your SSA recomputation, filing claims you skipped while penalized, the surviving spouse path, and the lump-sum tax election that softens the hit.
20 min readRead
Money & FinanceACA Premium Doubled at Renewal? 7 Moves to Cut Marketplace Costs
Enhanced premium tax credits expired January 1, 2026, and 22 million marketplace enrollees are seeing premiums double or triple. These 7 moves, from metal-tier rebalancing to income smoothing, can recover hundreds of dollars a month.
20 min readRead
Money & FinanceIRS Sent a CP504 or LT11? File Form 12153 Within 30 Days to Stop the Levy
Form 12153 is the single document that freezes IRS collection: file it within 30 days of an LT11 and the levy stops while your Collection Due Process hearing is pending. This playbook decodes the CP504 and LT11 field by field, walks through the 12153 filing, and compares the installment agreement, Offer in Compromise, and Currently Not Collectible exits.
20 min readRead
Money & FinanceWhat to Do When Your Homeowners Insurance Is Non-Renewed: The 30-Day Playbook
More than 1.9 million U.S. homeowners got non-renewal notices in 2025, and most never appeal even though insurers reverse decisions more often than people think. This playbook covers your first 48 hours, the appeal letter that works, state notice-period rules, FAIR plans, surplus lines, and the home-hardening upgrades that requalify you for standard coverage.
20 min readRead
Money & FinanceWhat to Do Now That the SAVE Plan Ended: RAP, IBR, or PAYE?
SAVE's forbearance ended July 1, 2026, giving 7.5 million borrowers roughly 90 days to choose among RAP, IBR, PAYE, and the Tiered Standard plan before servicers auto-enroll them at payments often 2x-3x higher. This guide shows how to check your status, run the real payment math on your income, and file the application servicer by servicer.
20 min readRead
Money & FinanceBehind on Credit Card Payments? Phone Scripts That Get You a Hardship Plan
Issuers approve far more hardship requests when you call prepared: a 10-minute checklist can triple your approval odds. This guide includes four word-for-word phone scripts, a written hardship letter template, and the actual 2026 terms at Chase, Citi, Amex, Capital One, Bank of America, Discover, and Wells Fargo.
18 min readRead
Money & FinanceBuilding a Roth Conversion Ladder: The Two 5-Year Rules That Trip Everyone Up
Each Roth conversion starts its own 5-year clock, separate from the contribution 5-year rule, and confusing the two is the most expensive mistake ladder builders make. This playbook walks through $30K, $50K, and $90K ladder setups, the ACA and IRMAA cliffs that penalize converting too much, and the pro-rata trap that ambushes backdoor contributions.
18 min readRead
Money & FinanceHow to Counter a Lowball Total Loss Offer From Your Car Insurance Company
First total loss offers routinely come in 15-25% below real market value because CCC, Mitchell, and Audatex valuations bake in dealer-condition discounts and stale comparables. This guide shows you how to tear apart the valuation report, build a comp package, and send a line-by-line counter letter, moves that add $2,000-$8,000 to most payouts.
18 min readRead
Money & FinanceHow to Avoid the 10% Penalty on a 401(k) Hardship Withdrawal
A $20,000 hardship withdrawal can trigger the 10% penalty plus ordinary income tax and cost six figures in lost compounding. SECURE 2.0 added new penalty-free exceptions, and a 401(k) loan or 72(t) SEPP may beat a hardship withdrawal entirely.
18 min readRead
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Not a financial advisorThis is financial information, not financial advice. Consult a licensed financial professional.