A rising number of Social Security beneficiaries are taxed on their Social Security income

Social Security beneficiaries have received cost-of-living adjustments almost every year since 1975

Until 1975, Congress had to act each time Social Security benefits were increased. The 1970s saw particularly high inflation rates that eroded the purchasing power benefits, leading to the change.

Social Security's model assumes more people are paying than receiving, but that's no longer true

As more Baby Boomers start collecting Social Security for more years than the system anticipated—and, simultaneously, birth rates trend down—the Social Security system is feeling the squeeze. When fewer workers pay into Social Security, there's less money overall for retirees to collect. Learn more about what's next for Social Security in this video.

The maximum Social Security benefit is $5,181 per month as of 2026

A worker who has earned at or above the Social Security taxable maximum for at least 35 years and delays claiming until 70 can receive up to $5,181 in monthly benefits. Delaying claiming Social Security until 70 (rather than 62, the earliest age one can receive benefits) results in a higher monthly benefit.

In 2021, Social Security began drawing down trust fund reserves to help pay for benefits

The Social Security trust funds are invested solely in US Treasury bonds. Any Social Security tax revenue surplus has historically been invested in these bonds, which are non-marketable securities available only to trust funds. The interest on these investments also contributes to program income.

The 2025 Social Security Trustees Reports reaffirmed that beneficiaries will be paid 100% of total scheduled benefits until 2033

Specifically, it noted that the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund will be able to pay 100 percent of total scheduled benefits until 2033, which was unchanged from the previous year’s report.

Social Security trust funds are expected to be unable to pay full benefits by 2035

Most US workers have 6.2% of their gross paycheck taken out for Social Security. The government requires employers to match that 6.2% as well, for a total of 12.4%. This video dives into the specifics of how Social Security functions from a financial perspective.

Annuitants have to pay income taxes on the annuity payments they receive, unless their annuities are folded into a Roth IRA

In most other cases, annuities grow tax-deferred until annuitants start to receive payments. Those payments are then taxed as regular income. Nonqualified annuities, which are bought with after-tax dollars, have different rules.

Social Security is one of the most popular government programs

In a recent Pew Research Center survey of US adults, 79% said Social Security benefits shouldn’t be reduced in any way. This view is broadly shared across ages, races, political affiliations, and income brackets.

Debunk common myths about Social Security

Myths include the pervasive ideas that undocumented immigrants drain Social Security, members of Congress don't pay into Social Security, the program itself is “going broke,” and more.

Consumers reported losing more than $126M to Social Security scams in 2023

This article includes tips on how to spot a Social Security scam, including information about what the real Social Security Administration will and will not do. For instance, the Social Security Administration will never threaten someone with benefits suspension or bank account seizure if they do not comply with a request.

Before Social Security, elderly Americans relied on family support, limited state pensions, or company-sponsored pensions

Before Social Security benefits were available to American retirees, they had to find other ways to get by. Pensions were only available to roughly 15% of workers, and most elderly Americans went without meaningful economic security.

Read why some states are considering imposing a flat tax rate that isn't adjusted by income

Wisconsin was the first US state to impose a state income tax, close in time to when the federal income tax went into effect. Many states followed suit, but nine states to this day still don't levy wage-related taxes.

How income taxes evolved from a funding tool for war into a crucial revenue source for the federal government

Americans have long resisted income taxes. So, how did they become permanent? This overview explains how wartime funding needs, constitutional changes, and economic shifts gave rise to the modern tax system, from the Civil War to the payroll withholding rules we follow today.

Calculate how much of your tax dollars go to each federal program based on your income, filing status, and number of children

HSAs are frequently criticized for exacerbating inequality in healthcare access

Health savings accounts offer large tax advantages, but require personal contributions. Some argue that the tax advantages benefit wealthy individuals more than anyone else and that HSAs don't do much to help people who can't afford to regularly contribute to one. As a result, HSAs only decrease costs for those who can comfortably invest in them, and health inequalities between high-income and low-income individuals are exacerbated.

The debate over estate taxes centers on wealth inequality

Since the modern federal estate tax was implemented, people have felt strongly about whether or not to keep it. Much of the debate boils down to equality: Proponents say the tax creates better income equality between the rich and poor, while opponents say it's an inequitable tax only placed on the wealthy.

The highest 2024 federal income tax bracket covered income upward of $731,201 for married couples filing jointly

To understand what you would owe on short-term capital gains and to visualize the favorability of long-term tax rates, you need to know how your traditional income is taxed at the federal level. A breakdown explores the different brackets for 2024, separated by filing status.

See every time the minimum wage has been raised

Unlike some other nations, the US minimum wage isn’t tied to inflation. So instead of it automatically rising alongside the cost of living, Congress has to vote to raise the minimum wage every time they think it’s necessary.

The IRS may look at your social media if you're being audited

While some people cheat on their taxes, others evade paying them altogether. This article details methods the Internal Revenue Service uses to catch these people in the act, such as scanning social media, computer data analysis, and whistleblowers.

See comparisons of different countries' taxation strategies

Taxes are a major revenue source for most countries, and how each government taxes citizens often reflects the country's economy. Developed countries tax at much higher rates than developing ones, and as a country grows its GDP, it also typically grows the proportional percentage of taxes it gains from its citizens.

The 401(k) is limited in its ability to provide guaranteed retirement income

Part of the problem is the high, often hidden fees associated with the accounts and a lack of access. Plus, analysts say the annual cost in tax revenue to the government is more than $100B.

In 2019, Congress passed the Secure Act to reform key aspects of the US tax code

Key Secure Act provisions included raising the age at which mandatory distributions take effect (to increase saving), allowing larger catch-up contributions for older individuals, and allowing employers to directly match contributions in a Roth 401(k).

Gifting money is one way to avoid death taxes

Gifting money while you're alive is one way people avoid estate and inheritance taxes. There is a yearly cap on how much you can give to a person before that money is taxed—but there isn't a cap on how many people you can give money to in a year.

US immigrants pay billions of dollars in taxes each year

While immigrants who are authorized workers pay taxes just like anyone else, even unauthorized workers file tax returns. These unauthorized workers use individual taxpayer identification numbers.

Prices can still feel high even if inflation is slowing

This is partly because a recent spike in inflation raised prices permanently, so even though the pace of price growth has slowed, prices have still gone up for good.

How World War II affects your wallet today

The world's deadliest conflict also impacted social programs extensively, including ways that still affect your money today. World War II is responsible for the practice of employers withholding tax payments and sponsoring health insurance, as well as the norm of providing school lunches for the nation's schoolchildren. Watch this brief video to learn more.

US housing costs have risen by roughly 175% between 1991 and 2026—but a growing number of Gen Zers are becoming homeowners anyway. In 2025, 4% of homebuyers were Gen Z, up from 3% the year before.

The price of gas is a composite made up of several different factors, with the federal gas tax making up less than 20% of what drivers pay at the pump.

Dozens of S&P 500 stocks, including Coca-Cola and Walmart—known as the dividend aristocrats—have increased dividends every year for 25 years

Despite being favored by 87% of Americans, Congress does not have term limits.

Up to a million Girl Scouts sell about 200 million cookie boxes every spring, generating $800 million, largely because refusing a child is frowned upon

US consumers collectively owe more than $1T to credit card companies—almost as much as they owe in auto loans.

Hedge funds, the private investment firms that trade a wide swath of financial assets, make money by imposing steep fees on investors and from the fund's investment performance.

Art theft is the third-largest source of criminal revenues worldwide, thanks in part to the subjective nature of valuing a work of art.

Fireworks-related ER visits are on the rise—in 2024, they increased by 52% as compared to the prior year.

Some coin denominations have ridges etched on their sides, partly to prevent counterfeiting, in a practice called 'reeding.'

Indefinite cloning of some endangered species may not sustain their longevity because cloning success rates decrease as genetic mutations accumulate.

Stars appear to twinkle because turbulence in the motion of molecules in Earth's atmosphere causes light to bend and wiggle rapidly on its way to the surface—a phenomenon called scintillation.

Mark Twain spent decades feuding with the US Postal Service, convinced its costs and regulations were bureaucratic overreach.

About 2,000 US babies are born annually without some portion of their limbs, potentially leading to a lifetime of pricey prosthetics.

Some renewable energy sources may weaken the resiliency of electric grids by removing outage buffers provided by coal- and natural gas-fired plants, which provide the system with more time to find a new power source if a plant goes down.

Hookworm infection, though risky, may help fight certain autoimmune conditions by tamping down the immune system's inflammatory response.

Poison ivy can cause rashes year-round since all parts of the plant contain urushiol, the oil that triggers our allergic response.

See a ranking of the best (and worst) Federal Reserve Chairs since 1914 out of the 16 men and women who have held the office since.

In 1939, baseball star Lou Gehrig delivered his inspirational 'Luckiest Man' speech after retiring due to the health condition that now bears his name.

Alzheimer's can lead to brain shrinkage, with an average of around 2% of volume reduction per year

In 2026, Finland was named the world's happiest country for the ninth consecutive year based on its wealth, social safety network, and high life expectancy, among other factors.

When you complete a CAPTCHA on a website to prove you are human, you may be unknowingly training algorithms for self-driving cars, whose systems require training data to help identify crosswalks, bicycles, and other outdoor objects.

To reduce wrinkles in clothing, research recommends gentle wash cycles with more water and tumble drying with smaller loads and longer times.

Prince's sexually explicit 1984 track 'Darling Nikki' attracted the ire of the Parents Music Resource Center, an advocacy group that inspired the Parental Advisory sticker, even though the song ends with a Christian message.