Author: Money Front Staff
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The American Opportunity Credit: College Help Worth $2,500
The American Opportunity Tax Credit is worth up to $2,500 per student, and part of it is refundable. Who qualifies, what counts, and what changed for 2026.
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CD Early Withdrawal Penalties: Read Before You Lock In
CD early withdrawal penalties can erase interest and even principal. What banks must disclose, how penalties are structured, and how to keep flexibility.
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Buying a Used Car? Run the Recall Check First
NHTSA’s free VIN lookup shows in about a minute whether a used car has an unrepaired safety recall. How to run it, read it, and get the free fix.
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SNAP in 2026: Income Limits and How Benefits Are Set
SNAP income limits for 2026: the gross and net tests, the $994 maximum for a family of four, and how USDA sets benefits from the Thrifty Food Plan.
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Lunch Breaks and the Law: Less Protection Than You Think
Federal law does not guarantee a lunch break. What the FLSA actually requires, when breaks must be paid, and which rules come from your state instead.
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How Long to Keep Tax Records, by the IRS Clock
Three years is the baseline for keeping tax records, but six, seven and forever all apply in specific cases. The IRS retention clocks, explained.
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If Your Pension Plan Fails, the PBGC Steps In
A federal insurer backs most private pensions. What the PBGC guarantees in 2026, the limits on that promise, and what happens when a plan is taken over.
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States May Be Holding Your Money: How to Check Free
Old deposits, uncashed checks and forgotten accounts end up with state unclaimed property programs. Where to search free, and why you never need a paid finder.
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Freelance Income Counts Toward Social Security Too
Self-employment income builds Social Security credits just like a paycheck. How the 2026 credit math works, and why unreported cash costs you twice.
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Repairs Your Landlord Owes You and How to Ask
Nearly every state requires landlords to keep rentals livable. What counts as an essential repair, how to request one in writing, and the remedies that follow.
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401(k) Rollovers: Why the Direct Route Beats a Check
Take a 401(k) rollover as a check and 20 percent vanishes to withholding, with 60 days to make it whole. How a direct rollover avoids the whole trap.
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Tech Support Pop-Ups: The Script Scammers Follow
That frozen screen with a security alert and a phone number follows a script. The stages of the tech support scam, and the one rule that defeats it.