How your check compares to the average Social Security benefit
Average Social Security benefit hides a detail SSA publishes but nobody quotes: 62% of retired workers claimed early, and their average is $1,716.92.
The key year that sets your Social Security bend points
Social Security bend points explain a quirk in SSA’s own 2026 examples: two workers retiring the same year, two different formulas, both correct.
How Social Security is calculated from your best 35 years
How Social Security is calculated comes down to 35 indexed years and one number the government never shows you: the lowest year still counted.
The key numbers behind the average IRA balance by age
Average IRA balance data comes from four sources that disagree by 3.75x for the same age band. Here’s what each one actually measures.
The Saver’s Match Rules Worth Knowing Before 2027
The Saver’s Match reaches zero at $35,500 for single filers in 2027 — a lower ceiling than the credit it replaces, which still covers $40,250 this year.
The real limits on a 529 to Roth IRA rollover
529 to Roth IRA rollovers are capped at $35,000 for life — but four separate limits decide how much moves this year, and the smallest one wins.
Holding a 401(k) and an IRA in the Same Year, Made Clear
A 401(k) and an IRA in the same year is never a conflict. But claiming the IRA deduction can’t lower the income that decides it — only your deferral can.
An excess IRA contribution is fixable — here’s how and by when
An excess IRA contribution is fixable — but a $7,500 excess can come back as $7,200, and your custodian is not making a mistake.
IRA Investments Worth Holding and the Ones That Aren’t
IRA investments don’t start themselves: 28% of 2022 rollovers were still in cash a year later. The money arrived. Nobody placed the trade.
The hidden gold IRA cost that no fee schedule lists
Gold IRA fees look small until you price the dealer’s spread: FINRA reports some dealers charge under 20%, some frauds over 300%. Here is the math.
