Author: Brian Lund
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A surviving spouse can receive up to 100% at Social Security’s survivor retirement age
The age at which a widow or widower claims Social Security can permanently shape the income left after a spouse dies. Payments for a surviving spouse begin at a reduced percentage and can rise to the deceased worker’s full benefit amount at the survivor’s own full retirement age. That ceiling is real, but it is…
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Online orders delayed beyond the promised date must come with a cancel-and-refund option
An online seller that misses its promised shipping date cannot simply keep the buyer’s money and leave the order open. Federal rules require a delay notice with a revised date and a way to cancel for a prompt refund. When no shipping time was stated, the seller generally needs a reasonable basis to ship within…
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With most private insurance, covered emergency care cannot cost more than in-network sharing
An emergency room outside a private health plan’s network generally cannot turn a covered emergency into out-of-network cost sharing. For most private insurance, the No Surprises Act limits the patient’s copayment, coinsurance and deductible treatment to the in-network level. The protection does not make emergency care free, and federal exceptions—especially ground ambulances—still matter. Emergency services…
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Pensions and investments do not build your Social Security check; only work earnings do
A pension, brokerage account or rental portfolio can support retirement without raising the Social Security benefit formula. Social Security builds retirement checks from work earnings on which covered payroll taxes were paid. In 2026, the formula counts covered earnings only up to $184,500 for the year; income above that ceiling and nonwork income do not…
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After-school care may earn a tax credit even when private kindergarten tuition does not
A single school bill can contain two tax treatments. Charges for before- or after-school supervision may qualify for the child and dependent care credit when the care lets a parent work or look for work, while private kindergarten tuition is treated as education and does not qualify. Separating the invoice can preserve an eligible care…
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More than seven collection calls in seven days may violate federal law
Federal debt-collection rules create a specific warning line for phone pressure. A collector is presumed to violate the law by placing more than seven calls within seven consecutive days about one particular debt, or by calling again within seven days after a phone conversation about that debt. The presumption is not a blanket seven-call limit…
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Lose your credit-card grace period and new purchases can start charging interest immediately
A credit card’s grace period can turn routine purchases into a short, interest-free loan when the statement balance is paid in full by the due date. Once that protection is lost, a new grocery, gas or online purchase may begin accruing interest from its transaction date. Carrying even a small balance can therefore change the…
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For covered workers, a 50-hour week still earns overtime even if next week is short
A covered, nonexempt employee who works 50 hours in one workweek generally earns 10 hours of overtime, even if the next week contains only 30 hours. Federal law treats each workweek separately and does not let an employer average the two weeks into 40 hours apiece. Payroll schedules can group weeks on one check, but…
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Ford’s 66,383-hybrid recall letters arrive this week with the full free fix unfinished
Ford is mailing interim recall notices this week for 66,383 hybrid SUVs whose pedestrian warning sound can fail in electric mode. Some Lincoln Nautilus vehicles have a free dealer replacement available, while the broader remedy for other causes remains under development. Owners should treat the letter as an active safety notice, not as confirmation that…
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Federal tax credits for new windows, furnaces and solar panels ended after 2025
A homeowner buying replacement windows, a furnace or rooftop solar in 2026 cannot build the old federal household energy credits into the budget. The IRS now shows the Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit and Residential Clean Energy Credit ending with property installed through 2025. State incentives, utility rebates and manufacturer discounts may still exist, but…
