The Cost of Moving Out of Your Parents’ House
Rent devours paychecks, and transportation and student debt compound costs Moving out can be a milestone of independence, but it comes at a steep cost. From rent and student loans to car payments and groceries, the numbers show how quickly a paycheck disappears. The single biggest cost is rent, which averages $2,049 per month — […]
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Young Grads Bear the Brunt of Tightening Labor Market
College graduates looking to join the workforce this year encountered the most discouraging labor market in recent memory. The class of 2025 saw the number of job postings on Handshake (a career platform used to recruit college graduates) decline 15% from the previous year. The number of applications per job increased by 30%.1 The Federal […]
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New Senior Deduction Explained
Beginning in 2025, seniors can take advantage of a new $6,000 tax deduction that may help them cover the rising costs of housing, health care, and daily living by potentially allowing more of their income to remain untaxed. The deduction, part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) enacted in July 2025, will be […]
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Key Higher Education Changes in the New Tax Bill
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law in July 2025, includes multiple provisions that affect higher education. Key changes include new borrowing limits for students and parents under federal loan programs, streamlined student loan repayment plans, stricter rules on the ability of borrowers to pause student loan repayment, the promotion of workforce […]
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Mining Maelstrom: Why Rare Earths Are Making Headlines
Over the past several years, news reports have grown more intense about the precarious global supply of rare earth minerals. Yet outside scientific and national security arenas, many people may not fully understand the importance of rare earths. What are these mysterious materials and why are they receiving so much attention? Essential elements of everyday […]
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Understanding the New Trump Accounts
With the enactment of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act in July 2025, Congress introduced a new class of tax-advantaged savings vehicles for minors known as Trump accounts. Here’s a breakdown of the key features. What are they? Trump accounts are custodial savings and investment accounts that can be established for U.S. children under age […]
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Social Security and Medicare 2025 Trustees Reports: It’s Time to Address Funding Concerns
Each year, the Trustees of the Social Security and Medicare trust funds provide detailed reports to Congress that track the programs’ current financial condition and projected financial outlook. These reports have warned for years that the trust funds would be depleted in the not-too-distant future, and the most recent reports, released on June 18, 2025, […]
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Tax and Spending Bill Signed into Law
President Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) on July 4, 2025, after months of deliberation in the House and Senate. The legislation includes multiple tax provisions that will guide individuals, business owners, and investors in planning their finances for many years to come. It makes permanent most of the 2017 […]
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Surprises May Be in Store for Online Shoppers in the Tariff Era
On April 2, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order eliminating the de minimis exemption for low-value imports from China, which previously allowed U.S. consumers to buy goods worth up to $800 directly from online marketplaces based outside of the United States without paying duties. Since the order took effect on May 2, some U.S. […]
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New Tax Legislation: What’s on the Table
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, narrowly passed the House of Representatives on May 22, 2025. The legislation is now being deliberated in the Senate, after the Senate Committee on Finance released its own version of proposed tax provisions on June 16, 2025. which is generally limited […]
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