Author: Elizabeth Blessing
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Final Treasury rules for the car loan interest deduction take effect November 9, with a $10,000 cap and a requirement that vehicles be assembled in America
Treasury and the IRS have published final regulations for the car loan interest deduction, and the rules become effective on November 9, 2026. The deduction itself is not new this autumn: the law behind it already covers interest on qualifying loans taken out after the end of 2024. What the regulations add is the fine…
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Consumers who bought certain generic drugs from 2009 to 2019 can claim from an approximately $96.5 million settlement until March 8, 2027
Six drug makers have agreed to pay approximately $96.5 million to settle claims that generic-drug prices were fixed, and consumers who bought the affected medications between May 2009 and December 2019 can now file for compensation. The claim window closes March 8, 2027. A federal court in Connecticut has granted preliminary approval only, so the…
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A Rensselaer woman is charged with taking $668,884 in her dead mother-in-law’s Social Security and state pension over nearly 17 years
Federal prosecutors in Albany say a Rensselaer woman spent nearly 17 years writing checks on a bank account that two government agencies kept filling after the account holder died. Kimberly Cardella, 59, is charged with taking $668,884 in total: more than $530,000 in Social Security money and more than $138,000 in New York State pension…
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SSA says Treasury may grant waivers from the electronic Social Security payment rule in extremely rare circumstances, at 1-855-290-1545
Social Security and SSI benefits are paid by electronic deposit under federal law, which makes a paper check the exception rather than a choice. The Social Security Administration says Treasury may grant waivers from that electronic payment rule only in narrow situations, and it sends anyone seeking one to a Treasury phone line, 1-855-290-1545. SSA’s…
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Rhode Island Energy is set to credit $14.51 a month to each active electric account from October and $51.55 a month to each active gas account from December
Rhode Island Energy has told state regulators exactly how it will return roughly $175 million to its customers, and the mechanics are simpler than most utility refunds: a flat line on the bill, no form, no application. Electric accounts are scheduled to start seeing $14.51 a month with the October billing cycle, while gas accounts…
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USDA takes comments on 18 state SNAP food restriction projects until October 15, months after the first bans began
Eighteen state SNAP food restriction projects went out for public comment in a single day, and the window closes on October 15, 2026. The notices appeared in the Federal Register on September 15, long after several states had already begun turning away soda and candy at the checkout lane. For households on SNAP, the practical…
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Medicare Advantage members get nothing from the $90 Part B rebate, and neither do seniors who pay IRMAA
The $90 Part B rebate that starts landing on or around October 8 is not reaching every Medicare household. Three groups are written out of it by the rules: members of Medicare Advantage plans, people whose Part B premium is already paid through Medicaid, and people who pay the income-related surcharge known as IRMAA. Because…
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Medicare is sending a one-time $90 Part B rebate to 20.8 million enrollees, with direct deposits on or around October 8
A one-time $90 Part B rebate starts reaching Original Medicare households on or around October 8, and nobody has to apply to get it. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services counts 20.8 million people who meet its tests, and the money moves on two tracks: direct deposits first, paper checks later in the month.…
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Rents are lower than a year ago in 46 of the 100 largest cities
Apartment List’s September 2026 national rent report holds a count that cuts against the usual rent story: of the 100 largest U.S. cities, 46 show lower rents than a year earlier. The company published the report on September 29, 2026, and it covers September data. The 46 is Apartment List’s own tally from its own…
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CMS expects its new drug model to save beneficiaries $177 million in total out-of-pocket costs
A Medicare payment experiment finalized at the end of September arrives with a savings forecast that has a precise dollar sign on it: $177 million. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services attaches that number to the out-of-pocket costs patients are expected to avoid under its Global Benchmark for Efficient Drug Pricing model, called GLOBE.…