Tax season may be behind you, but don’t stash away your tax return quite yet. It’s full of information that might help you improve your finances or make a difference in next year’s tax picture. Here are four things you could learn from reviewing your return.

Gas prices have skyrocketed due to the Iran war, reaching levels not seen since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The national average price of a gallon of unleaded gasoline increased from $2.98 in late February 2026 to more than $4.50 over the Memorial Day weekend — the start of the summer driving season, when gas prices typically rise even in the best of times.1

The ever-growing threat of sophisticated phishing attacks and massive data breaches linked to password security has put more focus on the need for new authentication solutions. Enter passkeys, considered a more secure and easier-to-use option that eliminates the need for passwords. Passkeys haven’t replaced passwords yet, but their adoption is growing. As major tech companies, apps, and websites make passkeys their default security option, it’s likely you’ll be prompted to set them up to help secure your accounts.

The U.S. Dollar Index — which measures the value of the dollar against the world’s six most traded currencies — took a historic 11% dive in the first six months of 2025, delivering the worst first-half performance since the 1973 oil crisis. As of February 27, 2026, the dollar had lost more than 10% of its value since the beginning of 2025. 1–2

By one estimate, some couples who retire at age 65 in 2025 could spend as much as $428,000 on health-care expenses in retirement. This figure includes lifetime premiums for Medicare, supplemental insurance, deductibles, coinsurance, and other out-of-pocket costs for medical care and prescription drugs.1

Just like Groundhog Day, our financial habits can repeat themselves, month after month and year after year. That is, until we consciously break the pattern. Now is a good time to check on your finances, since it’s still early enough in the year to make meaningful changes. A financial wellness checkup can help you identify patterns that keep you stuck with bad habits and open the door to new behaviors that move you closer to financial stability.

Every year, the Internal Revenue Service announces cost-of-living adjustments that affect contribution limits for retirement plans and various tax deduction, exclusion, exemption, and threshold amounts. Here are some of the key adjustments for 2026.

You may donate money to charitable organizations throughout the year, simply because you wish to support causes that you care about. However, beginning in 2026, a new set of tax rules will determine the deductibility of your donations and might affect how much you can afford to give — for better or worse.

If you want to leave your home to your children or other heirs and keep the property out of the costly and time-consuming probate process, you could place your home in a living trust. Trusts offer numerous advantages, but they incur up-front costs, often have ongoing administrative fees, and involve a complex web of tax rules and regulations.

If you have Medicare coverage, the Medicare Open Enrollment period is a good time to review your options, compare costs, and make sure that your current Medicare coverage meets your needs.

In investing, “time horizon” refers to the amount of time you have to pursue a financial goal. Along with that goal and your tolerance for risk, your time horizon is one of three key factors that typically help determine the mix of investments in your portfolio.

As its name suggests, the S&P 500 Index contains about 500 stocks. These represent the largest U.S. companies across a broad range of industries, and the index as a whole is generally considered representative of the U.S. stock market. But though index ups and downs may suggest uniform market movements, performance of individual companies and business sectors varies widely.

At the age of 94, Warren Buffett recently announced his retirement as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, the massive holding company he has controlled since 1965.

About 96% of U.S. businesses are pass-through entities that do not pay taxes at corporate rates. When a business is structured as a sole proprietorship, S-Corporation, partnership, or limited liability company (LLC), the profits flow to the owners, who report the net income on their individual tax returns and pay tax at individual rates.

Individual bonds and bond funds can both provide an income stream, but there are important differences. An individual bond can offer more certainty and stability than a fund, while a fund can offer diversification that might be difficult to obtain with individual bonds.

529 plans were originally created in 1996 as a tax-advantaged way to save for college. Over the past several years, Congress has expanded the ways 529 plan funds can be used, making them a more flexible and versatile savings vehicle.

A 2024 survey found that only a third of U.S. workers age 50 and older feel that their savings contributions have them on track to enjoy a comfortable retirement.1 If your retirement account balance is lagging — or even if your nest egg seems robust — you can give your savings a boost by taking advantage of catch-up contributions that are available to those age 50 or older. This is often a time when salaries are highest, and you may thank yourself later if you put your current income to work for the future.

What role can life insurance play in your retirement plan? Most of us think of life insurance as protection against financial loss should we die prematurely. But when we reach retirement and the kids are all self-sufficient, do we still need life insurance? The answer is maybe. Here are some situations where life insurance may make sense for retirees or those close to retirement.

On Friday, May 16, 2025, Moody’s Ratings downgraded its rating on U.S. government long-term debt from its highest rating of Aaa to the next highest rating of Aa1. The move was particularly significant because Moody’s was the last of the Big Three credit rating agencies to maintain the triple-A rating for U.S. debt. S&P Global Ratings made a similar downgrade in 2011, and Fitch Ratings did so in 2023.1

Trump is introducing tariffs because the current trade balance is lopsided, not fair, and not sustainable. He believes something has to be done. Before we discuss the current tariff situation, let’s start with a little background.

For much of the 20th century, the United States embraced free trade as a cornerstone of its economic policy. The free trade approach, gained momentum  

How much tariffs raise prices is complicated because various factors affect the “pass-through” of such duties to customers. Tariffs on common goods with many alternatives, such as tablecloths, might only raise prices slightly.

On niche products for which customers are reluctant to switch to alternatives, such as Italian wine, more of a tariff might be passed through.
Almost all of the tariffs on premium products with limited alternatives, such as videogame consoles, might be passed on to consumers.

Every year, the Internal Revenue Service announces cost-of-living adjustments that affect contribution limits for retirement plans and various tax deduction, exclusion, exemption, and threshold amounts. Here are a few of the key adjustments for 2025.

Growth stocks have dominated the market for two decades, led by large technology companies and recently riding investor enthusiasm for artificial intelligence. While this trend may continue — and no one can predict the market — extreme volatility among tech stocks in the

According to data from the International Monetary Fund, the United States received almost one-third of all global foreign investment from 2021 to 2023. This compares with an average of just 18% before the pandemic. The dramatic increase is even more remarkable considering widespread concern about the dominance of the U.S.

For the second year in a row, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly known as the FAFSA, will be delayed. The FAFSA for the 2025–2026 school year will open on December 1 instead of the typical October 1 date. Last year, despite a redesigned FAFSA that was supposed to be easier to complete, families faced a perfect storm

There are two ways to obtain Medicare coverage: (1) Original Medicare (Part A hospital insurance and Part B medical insurance), often combined with a Medigap supplementary policy and a Part D prescription drug plan; and (2) Medicare Advantage (Part C), which replaces Original Medicare and often includes prescription drug  

In March 2023, two of the largest bank failures in history alarmed savers who worried their own bank accounts could be at risk and investors who feared a wider financial crisis. To help restore confidence in the U.S. financial system, the federal government pledged to make all depositors whole and to support other banks that